Week Beginning 28.06.2026
From inspiring schoolchildren in Lincoln to rebuilding chimneys, supporting the Scouts and enjoying the Gateway to Southwell Folk Festival, here’s another week in the life of Dan the Cherry Picker Man.
One of the things I love most about what I do is that no two weeks are ever the same.
One day I’m rebuilding a chimney in Staffordshire, the next I’m standing in front of a classroom full of children explaining why somebody would choose to spend their life hanging off the side of buildings in a cherry picker.
Throw in a folk festival, a Scout camp, a 17.5km run and a few football matches, and you’ve got another typical week.
Giving Something Back
Sunday wasn’t a working day in the traditional sense, but it certainly wasn’t a day off.
The annual Safari Car Boot Sale was taking place around the village, with the Scout Hut acting as one of the main hubs for the event.
I was in charge of the games stall.
My responsibilities included encouraging children to throw toilet rolls into fake toilets, rubber chickens into buckets and hook plastic ducks.
It’s amazing the range of skills you develop when you volunteer with Scouts.
The games proved popular throughout the morning and raised £31 for the Scout Group.
Every pound helps provide opportunities for young people, so it was a morning well spent.
The afternoon was much quieter, giving me the chance to catch up on a little content creation before heading over to Granny Ralph and Grumps’ house for Sunday dinner.
A perfect start to the week.
Careers Day at St Giles School
Monday took me somewhere completely different.
Thanks to Hannah’s cousin, Mr Higgs, I was invited to St Giles School in Lincoln to take part in their Careers Day.
Apparently no careers event is complete without the local cherry picker man.
It was fascinating talking to the children about the work I do and hearing what careers they hope to pursue themselves.
It also got me thinking.
Many of the pupils were around ten years old.
By the time they’re old enough to enter the workplace, how many of today’s careers will still exist?
Equally, how many entirely new careers will have been created through advances in technology?
The future of work is changing faster than ever.
Whatever happens, one thing was obvious.
The children were curious.
They asked brilliant questions, loved seeing the tools I use every day and were completely fascinated by the cherry picker.
If even one of them left feeling inspired to explore a career they hadn’t previously considered, then the morning was worthwhile.
After leaving Lincoln it was back to business.
First stop was Teversal Manor, where I carried out an access survey for a future chimney liner installation.
Normally I don’t survey liner drops beforehand, but this property justified taking a closer look.
From there I travelled to Breston to carry out a roof survey before heading home.
A Shared Chimney… and Shared Problems
Tuesday started by taking Robyn to school.
The timing worked perfectly because my first job was close to another school, meaning I could avoid the chaos of morning drop-off traffic.
The day’s work took me to Warsop, where I was asked to replace the flaunching on one side of a shared chimney.
Unfortunately, the neighbouring property wasn’t willing to have their side repaired.
It’s a situation that’s surprisingly common.
Shared chimneys often rely on both homeowners working together, but that’s not always possible.
Thankfully, my customer’s side was completed successfully and I was finished shortly after lunchtime.
The afternoon became a trip down memory lane.
One of my old yards in Mansfield has recently been sold, so I took the van over and rescued as many reclaimed roofing tiles and slates as possible before the site changed hands.
Good reclaimed materials are becoming harder to find, so they’re always worth saving.
That evening the Young Leaders ran Cubs while I helped the youngsters produce road safety posters.
Hopefully they’ll all be a little safer next time they’re crossing the road.
Before Breakfast
Wednesday started rather earlier than most sensible people would choose.
The alarm went off at 4:30am.
By seven o’clock I’d completed a 17.5km training run as preparation continues for the Robin Hood Half Marathon and Tough Mudder.
A few months ago I’d have questioned anyone suggesting a run of that distance before breakfast.
Now it seems almost normal.
Because my only roofing job was in West Bridgford, I was able to enjoy breakfast with Wren before setting off.
Sometimes avoiding Nottingham traffic is simply a matter of leaving a little later.
The job on Musters Road involved:
- repairing guttering
- replacing slipped slates
- clearing roof valleys
- general roof maintenance
It wasn’t a huge job, but the access around the roof certainly kept things interesting.
Back home, the afternoon was spent on business administration and editing videos.
A nice surprise arrived in the form of a parcel from Defender Bird Spikes, who very kindly sent Robyn and Wren a box full of cuddly sharks to thank me for producing videos featuring their products.
The girls were absolutely delighted.
The evening ended with pizza, a well-earned beer, Popski arriving to watch the football and England eventually beating DR Congo 2–1.
They certainly made hard work of it.
When the Weather Makes the Decisions
Thursday started with strong gusting winds.
Several of the jobs I’d planned simply weren’t safe to carry out, so Tomek’s day was cancelled.
Sometimes the weather makes the decisions for you.
One job I couldn’t postpone was a chimney liner installation in Sutton-in-Ashfield for one of my regular fireplace installers.
Other trades were relying on me, so I carried out the work cautiously while keeping a close eye on the wind conditions.
Thankfully everything went smoothly.
From there I travelled to Herbert Road in Nottingham, where water was entering a chimney.
The cause quickly became obvious.
The chimney flaunching had cracked badly, allowing water to penetrate.
Rather than patching it, I removed the failed mortar and installed a completely new flaunch.
A relatively small repair that should make a big difference.
The afternoon took a completely different turn.
I headed to what we affectionately call the “Chicken Shed” to collect the wooden Wendy house, castle and giant garden games used by another little family business of ours – Shindigs of Sherwood.
Every year we take them to the Gateway to Southwell Folk Festival, where families can enjoy them throughout the weekend.
In return we receive family passes to the festival.
It’s become something of a tradition.
After loading everything, collecting Robyn from school and heading over to Eakring, we spent the evening setting everything up ready for the festival opening the following day.
Sometimes the Smallest Machine Wins
Friday involved a four-hour round trip to Swynnerton in Staffordshire.
The job had actually been referred to me by another cherry picker operator.
He owns a larger Platform Basket 22.10, but the access through the customer’s garden simply wasn’t suitable for his machine.
Mine was.
Sometimes the smallest machine really is the best tool for the job.
The chimney required:
- partial rebuilding
- repointing
- complete re-flaunching
It was a full day’s work, but everything went exactly to plan.
After arriving home around ten past four, there was just enough time for a quick shower before heading straight back to the Gateway to Southwell Folk Festival.
My job that evening was making sure all of our garden games were accounted for before packing everything away.
Another long day, but another enjoyable one.
Canoes Instead of Cherry Pickers
Saturday couldn’t have been more different.
Instead of spending the day on rooftops, I spent it on the water.
Our Scout Group is fortunate enough to have access to around ten acres of land, complete with its own lake.
After meeting everyone at the Scout Hut, we headed over for a full day of activities.
The Cubs enjoyed:
- canoeing
- raft building
- den building
- barbecuing
- plenty of getting wet
Exactly what Scouting should be about.
After returning home for a quick shower to remove the unmistakable smell of lake water, it was back over to the folk festival one last time to pack away the remaining games.
A fitting end to another wonderfully varied week.
Why Surveys Matter
One thing that cropped up several times this week was the importance of surveying jobs properly before committing to a solution.
Whether it was checking access at Teversal Manor, inspecting roofs in Breaston or investigating a leaking chimney in Nottingham, taking the time to understand the problem properly almost always leads to a better repair.
That’s exactly why I offer dedicated roof surveys rather than simply guessing from the ground.
If you’re concerned about a roof, chimney or persistent leak, it’s often the most cost-effective place to start.
Learn more here: https://www.dji-uk.co.uk/roof-surveys
Locations Worked This Week
- Lincoln – Careers Day at St Giles School
- Teversal Manor – Access survey
- Breaston – Roof survey
- Warsop – Chimney flaunching
- West Bridgford – Roof maintenance
- Sutton-in-Ashfield – Chimney liner installation
- Herbert Road, Nottingham – Chimney flaunch replacement
- Swynnerton, Staffordshire – Chimney rebuild
- Eakring – Gateway to Southwell Folk Festival
About the Author
This blog has been compiled and published by Danny Iwanejko, documenting real-life roofing, chimney repairs, specialist access work and everything else that comes with running DJI High Access Services. From cherry pickers to community events, these weekly blogs aim to give an honest insight into life as Dan the Cherry Picker Man.
Workwear Sponsor
One thing this week proved is that my workwear has to cope with just about everything. One day it was presentable enough for Careers Day at St Giles School, the next it was covered in mortar while rebuilding chimneys, then it was helping set up the Gateway to Southwell Folk Festival before finishing the week knee-deep in lake water with the Cubs.
When every day throws something completely different at you, you need clothing that’s comfortable, hard-wearing and built to last. That’s exactly why I wear Granite Workwear.
If you’re after quality workwear that stands up to life on the tools, I’d highly recommend having a look.
Workwear sponsored by Granite Workwear:
https://www.graniteworkwear.com/?afid=danny
Keep Up With Dan the Cherry Picker Man
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By the end of the week, I found myself reflecting on just how varied life can be. One day you’re inspiring children to think about their future careers, the next you’re rebuilding a chimney because another cherry picker won’t fit through the gate, and before you know it you’re helping Cubs build rafts on a lake. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
