Q8. What is your favourite item in your surveyor’s tool box and why?
A. Surveyors do not have tool boxes. We have toy boxes!
Seriously, the most used and reliable items in my “tool box” are the hammer, the eyeball and a deep curiosity when you find something that does not look right, or is different.
The hammer is really useful on so many levels. But it is often the neglected tool when it comes to surveyor training. It is difficult to find examples of all the things that a hammer will reveal for a training course. This is one area you can pick up better from mentors. The rest of the tools fill in the picture of what is happening, but the hammer and the eyeball are often the start point.
The eyeball and curiosity are fundamental to surveying. Working out what you are seeing in front of you and spending the time on research when you have not seen it before, or it does not look quite right are key to reporting well to the client.
Finally, I think that the most important “tool” that a surveyor can possess is humility. The ability to say that you don’t know and will find out rather than making something up is so important and rarer than it should be. This is a fundamental value that a number of arrogant and vocal surveyors I have come across need to learn.
Q9. The saying 'every day is a school day' is one I hear often in the surveying world. Do you agree and what are your views on continuously learning?
A. You never stop learning. There is always something you find that you have never seen before, and the response to this should be to research it or ask a “grown up” who knows about it.
Courses are great and will give knowledge. Knowledge will help you know your limits, which I think is very important. Experience will help you apply the knowledge, and knowledge is what you get through mentoring.
Q10. Apart from a good technical book, what was the last novel you read for pleasure and why did it hold your attention?
A. It is a book called Trek, by Paul Stewart, and is about a group of four people who in 1955 decided to travel from Kenya to the UK via the Sahara in a Morris Minor. It is a fascinating, painful read, but is a very salutary tale about the importance of preparation and having the proper tools.
Q11. I know you split your time between the UK and Kenya for personal reasons. What can you tell readers (and me) who know nothing of Kenya about the country and your lifestyle when you are there?
A. Just go. The two words that come to mind are smiling and friendly. Yes, there is some chaos, but the sense of community means that it does sort itself out somehow. It is a very young country, which the older leaders are currently having to come to terms with. It is a democratic gem in Africa.
Kenya does not however have a history of leisure boat use, and it will take some time for the marine leisure industry to develop into a mature industry.
It is a safe, beautiful, friendly country, with a lot of contrasts from the extensive game reserves to the Rift Valley to the coast. There is amazing wildlife found in the reserves, but you can see wild monkeys in both Nairobi and on the coast.
Q12. When the day’s work is done, how do you like to unwind and relax, and what hobbies do you pursue?
A. When in Kenya, three labradors take up an inordinate amount of my time.
In the UK, I have two labradors I borrow when I am at home. They sometimes appear in the lens of the webcam when I am in meetings! They are great at lowering blood pressure and making me exercise.
I love hiking, reading a good book, mountain biking, and very occasionally I will go sailing. I used to sail a lot, but working on boats all the time, it has become less of an activity! Cooking for my partner is one of my favourite activities.
146 | ISSUE 109 | SEP 2024 | THE REPORT
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