The business of pest control can mean working in all sorts of unfavourable conditions, be it crawling in a cramped wasp-infested loft space, investigating a rat problem in a dark and dingy basement or braving the inclement English weather and inspecting bird netting.
They say never to work with animals or children, but that’s not something Cleankill MD Paul Bates takes any notice of.
Last weekend in sub-zero temperatures and snow he took his scout and cub pack (11thpurley.org.uk) away for an action-packed activity weekend on the Ashdown Forest.
There was a hike with the cubs over Ashdown Forest at 10pm Friday night in the snow, then they were up again at 7.30 for keep-fit, then shooting, archery, potholing, climbing, sledging and orienteering.
The children loved it even though it was a bit chilly. Paul has admitted however that he was wearing shorts the whole weekend and may have been warmer if he had packed his trousers. I’m sure it’s all his hard work as a pest technician in his early career that has made him such a hardy specimen!