"I wouldn't say that I have much of a relationship with students. Sure, when I happen to be in their room we chat a bit, but I'm here to do what I'm here to do. And when I've done my job, I go. But some of my colleagues here in the maintenance department are certainly a bit chattier than me.
And yet I've been working here as an electrician for 11½ years, before that I was a waiter in the SCR, before that one in hall. I was born in Oxford and started working at Oriel during school, when I was fifteen. A friend had been working here, so I asked him if they needed someone and they did.
After doing one year of A-levels I stopped and came here full time. At some point I asked them for an apprenticeship and they offered me one, either as a plumber or an electrician. I chose electricity because I thought it would be a slightly cleaner job. In reality, all trade jobs are a bit dirty, but I don't mind that. That all took four years and after that I stayed here.
Now, since November, I'm the maintenance supervisor. At first I first thought it might be difficult to supervise senior staff who have been working here for nearly twenty years, but it wasn't. I think it's because of the mutual respect we have for each other: when you've been working with someone for eleven, twelve years, you're bound to be close.
Oriel's an interesting place – there are lots of different things to do for an electrician, it never gets repetitive. But because the buildings are so old, it can also be quite challenging. Still, I can't really think of a favourite spot around here – well, maybe the Natural History Museum, I quite like that. But when you've been in Oxford for a long time, you tend not to notice things anymore – you don't even look up most of the time.