You’ve got to sweep a chimney or two

ALTHOUGH I don’t think we qualify as ‘Fagin-like gangmasters’, our youngest son (then 10)). In 1971, we began the restoration of Hales Hall in Norfolk and found that jackdaws had blocked one of the 40ft gatehouse chimneys from top to bottom. Once many trailer loads of nest material had been removed, the flue tapered to 18in square. After some bribery, said small son climbed up an assortment of short ladders and, with a garden hoe, cleared the rest. He came down covered in soot and spent an hour draining all the hot water in the shower.