PERSONALITY PROFILE No. 13
Martin Cottrell - Field Staff

Another cheerful member of our Field Staff Team. He has twelve years service and is able to turn his hand to a number of skills. He comes from a farming family, born in 1960 in the village of Hanbury. He has two sisters and attended Himbleton Junior School and, later, Droitwich High School.

Martin worked on the farm for thirteen years before moving to Malvern Link where he now lives with his family. He has two children, both girls, and three grandchildren with another one on the way!

He tells me that the current prime work of the Field Staff Team is the clearing of the trees and scrub that have grown up to obscure the views of many of the marvellous vistas enjoyed by visitors to the hills. This is in addition to the multitude of maintenance tasks which have to be tackled over the seasons. Recent storms have meant clearing blocked roads and paths caused by fallen trees, Foley Terrace, Beacon Road and Guarlford Road in particular were affected. He finds that mobile phones are a great asset in the work of his team, saving an immense amount of time contacting people working away on the hills. Martin enjoys gardening and a bit of rough shooting in his spare time. Until engine design became so complex Martin was a dab-hand at motor repairs but he reckons the sight revealed by lifting the bonnet of a modern car is too daunting to contemplate!

During his work he has seen evidence of climate change and is concerned what this will lead to, particularly for younger generations.

Holidays in recent years have been spent with the family in Majorca and this year he is planning a trip to Tenerife.

Not a great TV fan but he enjoys watching "Top Gear".