I'm Mark Aylett, AKA ChimneyDoc. I'm one of those much maligned IT person turned chimney sweep about 7 years ago.
Looking forward to the posts from Guild members and hope the forum works well - That's down to the moderators as other forums have discovered. I won't mention the ICS forum* which seems to have died as it has been left to it's own devices and abandoned by all sensible members.
Hi to everyone who knows me from other platforms, and looking forward to getting to know some other Guild members ahead of meetings etc.
Hi all
Am Mark Hagon from Chelmer Chimney Services based in Chelmsford,Essex
My wife will be training in June .
In my previous life I as a R&D engineer until the country decided Chinese engineering has cheaper.
A trained with the guild in 2009 and have been building the business big from then.
I have attended all guild AGM since joining and think its a very important for others to do so.
I recognise some names from the USC forum and glad we now have a guild forum to help our members
And maybe take some pressure of the technical team at the guild.
I'm Julian Raffe from Surrey and have just had my first season of sweeping. Previously a surveyor then an artist blacksmith, I wish I had started sweeping a bit earlier. I think we are fortunate to be doing this at a time when tools such as power sweeping and CCTV are relatively cheap and access to knowlage is good but maybe competition is at its highest.
I'm John Read from Devon. I trained with the Guild in 2011.
I am thoroughly enjoy my sweeping, and meeting some amazing people in their homes, some of my customers I new before as I was a butcher for over 40 years.
Hi my name is John Stone trading as Diamond Sweeps Nr Ellon Aberdeenshire. (just north of Aberdeen) p.s. The weather map lies on the TV. Scotland is a lot bigger than they make it look. Ha ha.
I've been in and around chimneys, on and off (or should that be in and out?) for the last 17yrs as when I moved up here from the South of England I started working for a friend who did Castin situ lining ( Thermocrete initially) . This gave me quite an insight to the construction and workings of chimney flues.
About 4yrs ago (after my kids started school) I went into partnership with a Guild member who encouraged me to come on the sweep course at Surefire. Wow! What an eye opener that was, and as has been posted else where, "every day since, is a school day".
I get a lot of satisfaction from reassuring a customer, or being able to identify and advise customers of problems with their fire, or the way they use their appliance where necessary. Plus the benefit of knowing that if there's something I'm not sure about, I can honestly tell the customer I'll find out and let them know how to resolve it.
When a customer thanks you and say "thank you so much for the good advise, and not leaving their home covered in soot like their old sweep always did". You know you must be doing something right.
Pet hate,. Fireplaces or stove still full of the previous fire, or made up ready to light again... what's that about??? Oh yes, and stove shops and flue pipe manufacturers that sell 90degree bends for solid fuel..😒
-- Edited by Diamond Sweeps on Saturday 17th of May 2014 09:01:58 PM
Got to keep a little mystery Mark..lol . No one asked about the bike yet! I rode it into Surefire, to do a fireplace install course a couple of years ago. 😁
-- Edited by Diamond Sweeps on Saturday 17th of May 2014 10:38:40 PM
