As a young teenager I spent hours in my father’s building yard sorting and dressing roof tiles. My father had his own building business so having grown up in the trade, I was keen to become qualified and follow in his footsteps.

During an apprenticeship learning all the general building skills I helped my father with roofing pubs all around the countryside for Courage Brewery, then worked as a labourer stripping, re-laying and repairing stone tile roofs.

In 1988 I took the step of starting up my own business and secured my first big build – a bungalow at Bullocks Horn in Charlton, Wiltshire. By the time it was finished I had my own work crew, and the contracts started rolling in.

In 1996 I bought premises in Startley near Chippenham to set up my own yard and offices, with a staff of around 30 – hand-picked experts covering all the building trades – and a company secretary.