A day in the life of John from the Basingstoke Canal

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Discover more about the work of John, Head of Maintenance at the Basingstoke Canal.

What is your name and job title?

I am John Andrews, and I am the head of maintenance at the Basingstoke Canal.

Tell us about the team you work in?

I work within the Canal's visitor services team who sit within the wider Countryside Visitor Services team in the Environment, Infrastructure and Growth directorate. We are responsible for facilities such as such camping, the function room, boat hire and trips and even Santa cruises! The team I work with has two other members, and we all get along very well. We are a small but very efficient team, and I am very happy to be working with them (unless they forget to water my plants when I'm away!).

What does a typical day look like for you?

I'm the early one on the team, I start before the others, open up the canal visitor centre and do a general check of everything, to make sure it is all ok. I get to play in the play area as part of my weekly checks! After this, I mainly work outside, emptying bins, opening the swing bridge, mowing the lawn, and any repair jobs.

What's the best bit about your job?

I really enjoy meeting the general public and helping people out who need it. I get to do a lot of practical training as well, for things like the quad bike and the mower. I enjoy this because I get to learn new things and help the team. I still love my job, even though I have to unclog the toilets and chemical waste point sometimes!

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