The photograph shows Roger Hunter — Craig’s father, and the steeplejack who taught Craig the trade at 17 — working at height on a church spire in North West London. Roger was 65 years old when this photograph was taken. Still climbing.
The church is a flint-faced Victorian stone building with a steepled tower. Works of this type require full steeplejack rope access methodology, structural assessment of the stonework and correct use of fall arrest equipment throughout. This is what three generations of accumulated knowledge looks like in practice — skills that no short apprenticeship can replicate, brought to bear on one of London’s historic buildings.
Allchimneys has carried out steeplejack and rope access works on church spires, flag poles and historic structures across London over more than 35 years, including works as far afield as Queensland, Australia, where Craig and his father worked on industrial chimney repairs for the Castlemaine brewery. Steeplejack expertise underpins every commercial chimney and flue project we undertake today.
