We recently sat down with Mark Stimpson to celebrate a major milestone – his 40 years at Millcroft! From his first day working on a dangerous structure in Blackheath to overseeing multi-million-pound work on HS2, Mark’s career with us has been one of loyalty, grit and hard graft.
“Scaffolding’s been my life,” says Mark. “I started as a labourer and worked my way up to Director. I’ve gone the full journey, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Dangerous beginnings and memorable projects
Mark’s Millcroft story began thanks to Roy Jones's father-in-law, who brought him into the business after Mark had done some work for Roy, then working for Lean Scaffolding.
“My first job was shoring up a garden wall in Blackheath: a dangerous structure,” recalls Mark. That set the tone for most of Mark’s early years, responding to events that include the IRA bombings at the Baltic Exchange and St Mary’s Axe. “I also personally built racks for the morgue after the 7/7 bombings in the city.” This was challenging and memorable for all the wrong reasons, not only because of the solemn nature of the work but also because the containers were stored at temperatures as low as -50°.
Mark also worked as a scaffolder and rail supervisor for the night gangs on our London Underground station projects. These were the days of more relaxed employment laws, so Mark worked long hours, often covering day and night shifts.
After the infamous 1989 hurricane, when chimney stacks flew across London, Mark worked from Friday through the weekend. “I didn’t go home. I’d power nap in the van, and after half an hour, I’d be right as rain for another eight hours. Things were different then; you couldn’t work like that now!” he laughs.
One of Mark’s most challenging projects was the installing the enormous temporary roof at the gothic Athlone House. “We couldn’t tie it into the buildings, so it had to be free standing, but the building’s exposed location on Hampstead Heath required careful wind loadings.”
Meaningful people and fun times
While Mark enjoys managing our large projects, like the three-year £1.9m Whitechapel contract that’s now nearing completion, it’s the people around him that have made his time with us so special.
“Gerry Holloway, Keith Wiggly and Terry Mahoney taught me how to scaffold and to be a good foreman/supervisor. I learnt from the best,” he fondly remembers. “And the laughs I had back in the day as a three-handed gang with Billy Jones, who started as an apprentice when he left school, Keith as charge hand and me as the scaffolder. We had fun while we worked. We’d take turns holding a spanner and singing like Freddie Mercury.”
After about seven years with the company, Keith moved away, but Mark and Billy continued working together for another three years or so. When Billy moved into the office, Mark was put in charge of a dangerous structures job in Bow with 24 scaffolders. This was his first project as a charge hand/supervisor.
“I’ve worked with so many great people over the years, including HS2 supervisor Alistair Fletcher and Robbie Anderson, who carries out the HS2 inspections and is another long-serving employee, that it’s impossible to name all of them,” he explains.
A family affair
There’s no better recommendation for a company than having family members also choose to work there. Mark’s son Charlie joined Millcroft as an apprentice 14 years ago and now supervises the HS2 site in Acton. Charlie was mentored by yard foreman Brian Duffy, who was also with Millcroft for 40 years before he retired. “I left Charlie to work with others,” Mark explains. “Working with family can be tough. I worked for my dad, and it didn’t go well! But Charlie’s found his way, and I’m proud of his achievements.”
His other son, Ted, worked in the yard at Millcroft during his holidays before studying forensic science and becoming a police officer in Lincolnshire.
How has Millcroft changed?
Over the past four decades, Mark has seen Millcroft grow slowly but surely. “We’ve taken our time and done things properly. Now, we’re in a place where we’re respected and can play with the big boys. Much of that’s down to Roy, who has always run a tight ship.”
Mark speaks highly of his current team as well. “I’ve got two excellent contract managers: Darren Hayward and Simon Truelove. Darren was a Royal Marine and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He now runs our HS2 work. Simon came from Alltask and looks after all other work outside HS2. I’ve got good people around me.”
How has the industry changed?
“Scaffolding is a different world now,” Mark says. “Rules and regulations have made it much safer; there are fewer accidents and fatalities. You can’t go to work in shorts and trainers anymore! I used to have a great tan from May to September. And winters were cold, so we had to light fires under the lorry tanks to warm up the diesel!”
He’s also seen significant changes in how scaffolding is constructed. “Tube and fittings have given way to more sophisticated scaffold systems. Now you’ve got staircases, proper access and egress, not just ladders.”
What is your biggest achievement?
When asked what he’s most proud of, Mark doesn’t hesitate, “Starting as a nobody and working my way up to Director. That’s what I’m most proud of. I owe a lot to one of the best bosses I've ever had, Roy Jones. He’ll always be my boss. I also have a lot of respect for his father-in-law, Ron Francis. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without them.”
Four decades and still going strong
“It’s been a privilege working with Billy and Sam in the office for the past 20 years,” he says. But Mark clearly has no intention of slowing down. He enjoys staying active and starts his day early, arriving in the office by 6:30 am and staying until 5pm. He regularly goes to site and takes calls from the teams 24/7.
Mark is also training to become a certified mental health first aider alongside Darren Hayward. “Lots of lads are under pressure now. Finances, stress, and the pace of life are harder in many ways than they used to be. I want our people to know they can come to me if they struggle.”
With such a packed work life, Mark still finds the time to relax. “I watch Arsenal, go for a few beers, and take my wife out for a nice meal.”
A few final words from Mark
As we came to the end of our discussion, we asked Mark to describe his 40 years at Millcroft in a few words. His response is telling:
“The best time of my life. Working keeps me young.”
