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More Training For The Team

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Over the past year HLRA has been investing in high quality training for our core team, including Level 3 NVQ's in Heritage Leadwork and Heritage Masonry. Here we catch up with HLRA director Alex Haslehurst and find out about his NVQ journey.


Alex loving the lead work
Alex loving the lead work

Tell us who you are and what you do


Hi, I’m Alex Haslehurst one the the HLRA directors. I currently spread my time between contracts management, site management and business development.



Tell us why you chose to study lead work this year?


The last 12months have ben a bit of a whirlwind. Alongside my usual work at HLRA I have also been undertaking an NVQ3 in heritage leadwork. 


I chose leadwork as a specialty for two reasons. Firstly having completed an introduction to lead course I caught the bug and was absolutely desperate to learn more. The more complex details looked fascinating and I knew that a journey to competency was something which I would enjoy. Secondly, I had seen many leadwork jobs conducted by rope access technicians around the country and felt that we could do a lot better. I realised that there was a gap in the market for genuine craftspeople within this space, and as our team are exceptionally talented and have a tendency to pick up skills very quickly and to a high standard I knew we would be able to fill the gap quickly.



Where are you doing your course?


We conducted our training section of the NVQ with Master Roofers/NCTS in their Salford training centre. Stewart Rowles was our trainer. The team gelled quickly and we have since developed a great bond. His skill at working with lead is outstanding, and we have tried to do justice to our time spent under his tuition. 


At the training centre in Salford
At the training centre in Salford

What has excited you the most during this course?


For me the thing that jumped out was rain water good fabrication. There is something about the design process and the ability to recreate historic designs including all the embellishments that I enjoyed. I was already taking pictures of lead rainwater goods around the country, and since our NVQ this side of the work has evolved to be something which we offer as a bespoke service. From research and design, to manufacture and installation. 



What are you most proud of since starting your lead work journey? 


One of the things I am actually most proud of is the specifiers that we work with, who have commissioned work from us. We and our clients know that we always go the extra mile to ensure a high quality finish, however it takes a lot of trust to try out a new access technique and challenge the status quo. I guess this comes with building longstanding trusting relationships. We have always been happy to say when we can or can’t undertake a job. 


In terms of my own work I enjoyed making an octagonal lead capping for a church spire on Anglesey - we had to remove the top of the spire as it was unstable, and the lead caps over the fixings for this temporary covering had to be welded in situ in as exposed a position as you might imagine.


I’m also very proud of Steve and Will for going with my gut feeling about the course and the doors it might open. They’ve both taken to it with full commitment and have developed some serious skills with lead. 


The lead capping at Llanruddlad Church in Anglesey
The lead capping at Llanruddlad Church in Anglesey

How do you hope to apply what you’ve learned?


I hope to leave a trail of fine rainwater goods and other lead details across our historic built environment for many generations to appreciate. I would also like to open access into lead work to as many people as possible by continuing our commitment to provide high quality training to our staff, whether that be in house CPD, or hopefully sparking a passion which we can support with more formal qualifications. 



What’s next for you?


In terms of lead work I will continue to develop a portfolio of jobs, but in terms of a more general approach to my building conservation journey there are other aspects of trade skills which I would like to expand my knowledge of. I feel that by learning across trades you develop a more holistic approach to your work and understand both defect and detail design in a far broader context. 



What do people really need to know about rope access and lead work?


The combination of rope access and a speciality in heritage leadwork is a fairly new concept, and one which we are still finding the boundaries of. There will always be a point when a traditional scaffolded approach to work will tip the balance of cost effectiveness and practicality, however each schedule of repairs requires its own approach. I would encourage anyone thinking of undertaking an awkward to access lead work project to get in touch. The areas where we will excel are the hard to reach places on buildings such as churches and country houses, where specific components need repair or replacements. With our in house IHCB accredited surveyor, we can also team up in surveying lead with a practical mind to its conservation. 


As the team has such wide understanding of building conservation philosophy we will always be able to help or at least direct people in the right direction. 


One of Alex's rolled ridges at Llanbedrog Church, Llyn Peninsula
One of Alex's rolled ridges at Llanbedrog Church, Llyn Peninsula



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