Public Places
Rievaulx Abbey - mulching mowers save time and money
English Heritage for fourteen years and considers it “the best job in the world!” “I love what I do and enjoy all aspects of the job (apart from filling in my mileage claim). I’m sometimes overheard reminding myself how lucky I am to be paid for going out and visiting such amazing places, something that most people can only do in their spare time.” “Before joining English Heritage, I worked
my way up the technical and landscape management ladder through a succession of local authorities in the north, together with several years with the Department of Environment’s Property Services Agency as Grounds Maintenance Officer at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire.” “Where I am now is a far cry from 1972 when I started out as a trainee groundsman with Durham County Council, although I clearly recall a great feeling of wealth on receipt of my first week’s wages - eleven
“ 84 I PC APRIL/MAY 2014
pounds and nine pence - although that was short-lived when I arrived home to see mam’s outstretched palm.” “That was my first full time job, although
its fair to say my career in gardening started at a much earlier age when I would always be keen to help my dad keep his garden looking pristine, and also help him with one or two odd gardening jobs here and there for a bit of pocket money.” “I’ve learned a lot over the years, and I am
still learning, but much of my knowledge and gardening wisdom came from those early years in the garden working with dad. ‘Don't flog yourself to death son’, he would say with a wry grin on his face, adjusting his flat cap and wiping his brow as I struggled to cut the lawn with an old push mower whilst he tinkered with the herbaceous borders. ‘Let the machinery do the hard work’!” Mick was keen to elaborate on his role and responsibilities. “The North Territory covers
according to his colleagues, makes him look like Elmer Fudd. Here, he is inspecting ‘wabbit’ droppings
North Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Northumberland, Cumbria and Lancashire, within which we manage 124 historic sites, including iconic ones such as Hadrian's Wall, Rievaulx Abbey, Whitby Castle, Lindisfarne Priory and Mount Grace Priory.” “Ten years ago, we had over twenty small
contracts covering ground maintenance work across these sites, but this has now been reduced to six main multi-site contracts, bringing with it substantial economies of scale.” “As well as managing all grounds
maintenance contracting, I also manage a string of pest control contractors to keep on top of outdoor pests such as rabbits, moles, rats, wasps nests and pigeons. Moles have been a particularly serious problem for us this winter.” The contract is currently held by Vermex,
who oversee all aspects of pest control on the Yorkshire sites visited during my tour. If
Mick in his infamous hat which,
I’m sometimes overheard reminding myself how lucky I am to be paid for going out and visiting such amazing places, something that most people can only do in their spare time
Rievaulx Abbey
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