Jack of all trades

Running a business park and a farm alongside one another means humans and livestock tend to merge together across the course of every day, and whilst I always try to keep on top of things, you never really know what to expect next.

Some things never change, so first on the daily agenda is taking care of the animals – feeding the dog and the geese, before checking up on the sheep. We’ve got 120 head of Zwartbles, a dark coated Dutch breed. Ours is a closed flock, which means we breed our own, introducing new blood through different rams on a regular basis. They are due to be sheared soon and as that can’t be done if they are wet, that means moving them under cover into the shed, which in turn means shifting out all the machinery that’s currently in the shed. That’ll have to wait.

Next up is to check on the security footage, which covers the whole site, then on to emails in case any of the 14 businesses we have at the moment, employing around 100 people, have raised any problems overnight. Fingers crossed that everything’s ok, but if there’s a blockage in someone’s toilet then it’s rubber glove time and my trusty set of rods, which usually puts things right.

There’s a set timetable for some jobs, such as checking on fire equipment, defibrillators and access controls, but whenever I walk around the site, I am constantly on the look out for anything that needs doing. For example, if there’s any leaf debris lying around, I’ll fire up my trusty Billy Goat – not an actual goat, but a brilliant big vacuum cleaner that means I can keep the whole site clean and tidy, which is important for our existing tenants.

We’re are usually fully occupied, but if there’s a vacancy on the horizon we can introduce a potential new tenant to what’s available, showing them the space and describing the facilities, which includes super fast broadband. What sort of heating and lighting do they need ? Do they require electric car charging ? We have local contractors who can provide what they require.

One of the reasons our tenants enjoy operating from our business park is its situation, close to Chew Valley Lake. All our land edges the lake and we are seeing the results of restricting public access in the amazing and varied wildlife that is thriving nearby. That quiet enjoyment is something our tenants value highly, so when they have finished for the day it’s my signal to get to work, cutting the grass, trimming the hedges and keeping the place spick and span.

It’s been a busy day, but I wouldn’t have it any other way and I’m already looking forward to tomorrow.