Week Begining19th July 2026
There are some weeks where every day feels completely different from the last.
This was definitely one of them.
The week began with a relaxing Sunday in the North East before heading back into a busy working week of specialist access, roof surveys and manufacturer visits. Along the way I managed to make good progress editing my latest machine review, watched Robyn take another step in her Scouting journey, celebrated the start of the summer holidays and reached a personal running milestone.
As always, here’s what I’ve been up to.
A Relaxed End to Our Newcastle Weekend
Sunday began with something that doesn’t happen very often…
A lie-in.
Being away from home meant there was no reason to be up at five o’clock, so I enjoyed the luxury of sleeping until half past seven before looking after Robyn and Wren while Hannah headed out for her morning run.
Once Hannah returned, we all headed over to Prudhoe, just outside Newcastle, for a lovely walk with our friends Nicola and Millie the dog. A wander around the park, a good coffee and plenty of fresh air made for the perfect start to the day.
Before leaving the North East, we finally stopped somewhere I’d wanted to visit for years.
The Angel of the North.
We’ve driven past it countless times over the years but never actually stopped. It was great to get up close, properly appreciate just how enormous it is and, naturally, reward ourselves with an ice cream while we were there. Another little item ticked off the bucket list.
After lunch we began the journey back to Nottinghamshire, stopping off at The Dukeries in Edwinstowe for dinner. It gave us the chance to catch up with my son Charlie and avoided having to cook when we got home.
A lovely, steady way to finish the weekend.
Supporting Virtus Roofing in Lincolnshire
Monday saw me working alongside Virtus Roofing over in St. Hughes, Lincolnshire.
My role was to provide access using the spider lift while the lads carried out repairs to the roof, repointing the valley tiles and verges.
Sometimes my job is physically demanding, while on other days my main responsibility is making sure other tradespeople can work safely and efficiently. Both are equally important.
The weather was kind, everything ran smoothly and I even made it home in time to pick Robyn up from school.
That will always be one of my favourite jobs.
Roofing, Video Editing and Robyn’s First Cubs Evening
Tuesday began back in St. Hughes, where we finished off the remaining roof repairs and cleared the moss from the roof before heading over to Edwinstowe to replace damaged roof tiles on a three-storey building.
Back at DJI HQ, I finally managed to make a proper start editing my Leguan 225 review.
After spending such a fantastic day at Avant the previous week, I’d been itching to get the footage onto the computer and begin putting the video together. Editing takes far longer than most people realise, but it’s always satisfying when the project starts taking shape.
I also managed to finish in time for the school run before heading straight out again for Cubs.
This week was particularly special because it was Robyn’s first evening as a Cub, having now moved up from Beavers.
The evening involved building mini rafts before racing them across a paddling pool, followed by one of my all-time favourite Scout games Human Battleships.
If you’ve never played it, you’re missing out!
Surveys and Screen Time
Wednesday turned out to be a little quieter than expected.
The work in St. Hughes had originally been planned to take three days, but thanks to the excellent progress made by the Virtus Roofing team, everything had been completed in just two.
That meant I could take Robyn to school before heading over to Sheffield to carry out a roof survey on a large former mill building.
Back at DJI HQ, I spent several uninterrupted hours continuing work on the Leguan 225 review.
It’s amazing how quickly the hours disappear once you get stuck into editing.
Best of all, I still managed to finish in time to collect Robyn from school.
A Brilliant Day with CTE UK
Thursday took me down to CTE UK in Leicester for another fantastic manufacturer visit.
I was invited over by Eddie, who had also arranged for Andy and Kanan from North Wales Cherry Pickers, along with Matthew Dean from AFI, to join us.
We spent the day looking around CTE’s impressive range of truck-mounted access platforms, and I had the opportunity to operate the TRACCESS 240, TRACCESS 210 and several of their other machines.
It was another fascinating day spent with people who genuinely love specialist access equipment.
The machines were excellent, the facilities were first-class and everyone at CTE made us feel incredibly welcome.
I’d like to thank Eddie and the whole team for such an enjoyable visit.
One of Those “Easy” Jobs…
Friday took me over to the Lakeside Complex, near Bestwood Village, where I’d been asked to clear the gutters around the old wedding venue.
I genuinely thought it would be a straightforward maintenance job.
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Once I got up onto the roof, I discovered just how much debris had accumulated over the years thanks to the surrounding fir trees.
What looked simple from the ground turned into a full day’s hard graft.
Thankfully, every gutter was cleared and flowing properly by the time I packed up.
Despite the longer day, I still managed to finish just in time to collect Robyn from school.
This wasn’t just any school pickup either.
It was the last day before the summer holidays.
The school had arranged for an ice cream van to be on the playground, so naturally I treated myself while waiting.
Robyn came charging out with her group of friends, all excited about six weeks of freedom.
Summer had officially begun.
Twenty Kilometres
Saturday started before most people had even thought about getting out of bed.
My alarm went off at 4:30am because today’s training run was an important milestone.
I completed 20 kilometres, my longest run to date, as I continue preparing for the ultra marathon I’m tackling in September.
It’s amazing how much confidence each longer run gives you.
Once home, I fed Wren her breakfast, squeezed in a little more video editing and helped supervise the creation of Robyn’s banner before she headed off to Sheffield to watch the filming of Gladiators.
Hannah made a brilliant sign reading:
“My Dad Loves Legend.”
Robyn couldn’t resist adding her own finishing touch underneath:
“…and I think he’s rubbish.”
I thought it was hilarious.
With Robyn safely on her way, the three of us completed the weekly Tesco shop before I emptied the van, ready to load up some of my eldest daughter Summer’s belongings.
We all headed over to Matlock Bath, where we dropped Summer’s things off before enjoying a relaxed afternoon together with fish and chips, ice cream and a wander around one of our favourite Derbyshire towns.
A fitting end to another wonderfully varied week.
Looking Back
This week reminded me just how much variety there is in my life.
One day I’m supporting another roofing contractor with specialist access, the next I’m testing cutting-edge access platforms, editing YouTube videos, surveying historic buildings, helping with Cubs or training for an ultra marathon.
Throw in family walks, school runs, the first day of the summer holidays and a trip to Matlock Bath, and you’ve got another week that certainly wasn’t boring.
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
This Week’s Locations
- Prudhoe, Northumberland
- Gateshead
- Edwinstowe
- St. Hughes, Lincolnshire
- Sheffield
- Leicester
- Bestwood Village
- Matlock Bath
Workwear Sponsor
Whether I’m providing access for roofing contractors, testing the latest truck-mounted platforms, clearing gutters, surveying roofs or clocking up twenty kilometres before breakfast, my workwear has to cope with whatever the day throws at it.
Granite Workwear continues to do exactly that.
Comfortable, practical and built for life on the tools, it’s become my go-to workwear whether I’m on a roof, behind the controls of a spider lift or filming machinery reviews.
If you’re looking for workwear that’s built to last, I’d happily recommend taking a look.
Workwear sponsored by Granite Workwear: https://www.graniteworkwear.com/?afid=danny
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