The Maintenance Men
The two-roomed shed on Upper is always a hive of industry and the eight members of the maintenance team who work there can turn their hands to just about anything – be it building a car for the set of Bugsy Malone, routine plumbing or repairs of the Dining Hall tables.
Maintenance manager Mike Tovey heads the team of seven qualified tradesmen whose collective job is to ensure that the College runs smoothly from minor fix-ups to major overhauls. The men come from a diverse range of backgrounds and specialist areas and Mr Tovey says they are all chosen for their maturity and experience in their trades. Peter van Arendonk is a builder by trade and also steps in and uses his training when carpet and vinyl need to be laid. Eoin Cook is a carpenter and a former building inspector, John Donaghy is a carpenter, Kevin Rae
is an electrician, Jeremy Hopewell is the groundsman and is often to be seen whizzing round in his golf cart. Logan Buchanan is the College custodian and Peter Domigan completes the team as the cricket groundsman. Mr Tovey says the earthquakes have changed the role of the maintenance team as, since 2010, there has been a constant stream of contractors on the campus. It has also meant a new range of issues to deal with. While all schools have a maintenance team, having 10 Houses including three boarding houses, means there is always plenty to do, says Mr Tovey.
“I say to people what would your house look like if you had 50 teenagers living in it. Accidents such as broken windows happen as sometimes teenage boys aren’t aware of their own strength. There will always be horseplay, so you need to have a sense of humour and can’t be grumpy when things go wrong. “It is like looking after a small village with boarders and staff on-site and we need to be available 24/7 for a considerable part of the year. The biggest concern is if services such as electricity or water go wrong – we still have to be able to operate fully as a boarding house and a school.’’ Mr Tovey says that the maintenance team did an amazing job during the earthquakes. “Even though they all had their own families and homes to look after, they made their way in here. The Bursar, other managers and I came in seven days a week, and Pete came in by pushbike because the roads were too bad for him to get his car out.’’ Most of the team have been in their roles for a while and say they enjoy the camaraderie, the variety of work and being part of the College family. “I have been here 14 years and when I first arrived, I felt there was a bit of a sense of them and us,’’ says Kevin. “We were not so integrated with the rest of the College as we are now. The boys are used to seeing us around in the Houses and to us they feel like family – we watch them grow up.’’
From left: Peter van Arendonk, John Donaghy, Peter Domigan, Jeremy Hopewell, Eoin Cook, Kevin Rae, Logan Buchanan, Mike Tovey
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Christ’s College Canterbury
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