However for Wigan’s dad, David Sudworth, it has been a lifestyle for 5 years now after settling in as Mr. Soot – Chimney Sweep.

Its companies within the Wigan, Manchester and Salford areas embody sweeping, upkeep and set up of multi-fuel stoves, wooden stoves and open fires, duct integrity / stress testing, inspections video surveillance, skilled chemical tar remedy and chook nest elimination.

Ashton, 41, says many individuals are fascinated by discovering his work, not least as a result of they’re shocked that such work not exists.

However whereas he’s one in every of a number of hundred registered throughout the nation, David says they nonetheless play an important position – together with in the course of the lockdown.

David, who has a daughter and two stepchildren and lives along with his instructor accomplice Michele, has a background in media and advertising and marketing however talks about how the dramatic profession change happened.

“I’ve all the time favored actual fireplaces. As a toddler rising up in Ashton, we had an previous Parkray strong gasoline boiler and I vividly keep in mind having fun with consuming my breakfast in entrance of him earlier than going to high school. The fireplace was put out within the Nineteen Eighties, so after I had my very own home I had a ‘actual’ hearth put in and it began from there.

By way of {qualifications}, David has acknowledged that he’s a completely certified NVQ Degree 2 Chimney Sweeper, in addition to a Grasp Sweeper with the Grasp Chimney Sweepers Guild and a HETAS authorized sweeper.

He’s additionally a registered strong gasoline installer and co-founder of Burnright, a nationwide marketing campaign to assist individuals perceive the significance of utilizing the precise fuels in the precise means.

With the coronavirus disaster additionally raging, David mentioned it hadn’t actually affected him as he mentioned it was “important” for the chimneys to be swept away with the danger of fireplace they appeal to.

In reality, he mentioned he lately found Wigan has the best chimney hearth fee in all of Better Manchester – and incidents are at their highest this time of 12 months.

David mentioned: “I are likely to put on a masks and gloves anyway, and – as a result of nature of my job – most purchasers had been socially distanced earlier than it grew to become modern. The federal government by no means instructed tradespeople we could not enter individuals’s properties, though many – together with myself – stopped for a short time in the course of the first lockdown.

“It’s important that the chimneys are swept and I feel increasingly individuals are recognizing this.

“Having a roaring hearth is a terrifying expertise and it solely occurs by means of improper set up or lack of sweeping.”