Iain Mcghee
How long have you been a builder?
22 years. My company is Woodgate and Mcghee.
How did you get into it?
I met my wife and her Dad was a builder so I started working for him. That’s the short story!
And the long story?!
I was born in Dingwall in Scotland and after school I started working for a small company erecting overhead power lines across Scotland and the UK. We got a contract with Western Power so I came down to Devon and that’s where I met Nikki who was a hairdresser in Dartmouth. We hit it off straight away and got engaged after five months! I would visit her every month but soon got tired of the travelling and moved in with her. I got a job with her Dad, Brian Woodgate and we soon set up Woodgate and Mcghee, which I now run with three people working for me.
What jobs do you do?
Anything! Extensions, joinery work, plastering, digging drains, putting up shelves – you name it. We mainly work in Dartmouth but have been known to travel all over the UK including Scotland where we converted an old barn or a bothy as you call it up there. We get a lot of renovation work here with all the second homes. I reckon at least 80% of my work is second home related.
Do you like working in empty homes?
Yes, as the owner isn’t standing over you commenting on your every move. I don’t mind working whilst people are in the house but some do stick to you like glue forever asking questions!
What do you like about the job?
Each day is different. We did a house renovation in Slapton recently and the lady said “thank you for making my dream come true.” People have a vision and you make it a reality – it’s a good feeling.
What’s the best way to keep a builder sweet?!
For me, it’s a bacon roll every time! I always like to have a coffee on the go too.
Have you had any unusual jobs?
It was Brian and I who put the Warfleet mermaid in her place on the rocks. I always check she’s still there if I pass by in a boat.
Do you sometimes come across issues you’ve never faced before?
Yes often, every day is a school day on this job, you’ll never know everything because the products and the regulations are always changing.
Do you try and have set hours?
Well that is a bit of a sore point at home!! If a job needs finishing I have been known to still be there at midnight. But I’m usually home for dinner each evening. I often help out other Dartmouth builders and they do the same for me so I can get called to lend a hand at any stage.
Who sits round your breakfast table each morning?
We’ve got Kyle who’s 14, Coral who’s 19 and Iona who’s 12. Lilly – our eldest, at 21, lives in Newton Abbot.
What do you do when you’re not at work?
We go for long walks across Dartmoor with our spaniel Oscar. I try and get back up to Scotland to see my family once or twice a year. I’ve been a retained fireman in Dartmouth for 16 years.
How many times a week are you called out?
Two or three. It can be anything from someone stuck in a lift to an electrical fault in a shop; I’ve also tackled a few full-blown house fires. I joined because I wanted to help the community and make a few friends as Nikki already had her friends down here and as a newcomer I needed a few of my own!
How would your family describe you?
Caring, protective and loyal (according to wife, Nikki and daughter Coral).
What did you want to be when you were a child?
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t amazing at school! My dad was a policeman so I thought I might do that.
Where in the world do you most want to go?
Australia to visit my brother.
To contact Iain ring 07841 978702
First published in By The Dart magazine October 2018