An employee of historic sweeping firm H Firkins & Sons has become the first woman in London to qualify as a chimney sweep.
Lucie Chamberlain, 36, began sweeping last year after transitioning from her job working in a fireplace showroom.
Lucie, from Bedfordshire, who started as a showroom assistant and worked her way up to store manager, decided to move into sweeping to prove to her teenage son that women can do so-called ‘blue jobs’ as well as men.
Within a year she has been taken on by one of the most famous sweeping businesses in the country and has passed her NVQ.
She said she was loving her new career, even if she had got into it by accident.
She explained: “I worked at Pure Stoves in Hitchin for years. The chimney sweep that we recommended, he was hanging his brushes up, not retiring, he just stopped chimney sweeping.
“I kept training people in the showroom in those years, but they wouldn’t stick it out, so I said to the owner, Angela Cooper, do you know what, I’ll go and do it myself.
“I was only supposed to do it temporarily, but I ended up enjoying it; seeing customers that I’d sold the fires to, seeing new customers.”
Lucie’s services became popular and she found herself being in high demand.
Earlier this year, in a bid to advance her career, she decided to apply for a job with Firkins and was successful.
Just a month after joining she had passed her NVQ in chimney sweeping and is now hoping to achieve Level 3 and move into inspection.
She said: “In the early days I learnt a lot of the techie stuff by reading stove manuals, so I kind of self taught myself.
“For the professional discussion that I did for my NVQ with Chris Jeeves, I surprised myself, because I knew the answers as I had learned them for the Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps qualifications, so it was quite fresh in my mind.”
Moving to work on a mostly London patch has exposed Lucie to new challenges.
She revealed on her first day with Josh Firkins that she was scared of heights and all her sweeping up to that point had been done from inside properties.
She said: “On day one with Josh, we went into Hammersmith, and there was scaffolding up, and we had to clear the chimney from the roof down, so yeah, that was my first time on a roof.
“But I’m comfortable with it now. If there is good access I will jump up there because you see the chimneys from a completely different angle.”
Lucie’s boss, Josh, who’s the sixth generation in his family to run the 1860 founded business, said he was delighted to have hired her.
He said: “I’m so proud of her being the first ever lady to be a qualified chimney sweep in London. “She’s bona fide qualified with her NVQ in chimney sweeping.
“Not more than a year after first picking up a sweep’s brush she’s achieved the qualification most chimney sweeps are aspiring to or afraid to go for after years in the trade.
“Well done Lucie – you’ll be the first ever forever.”
There are thought to be just 46 female sweeps in the country and Lucie said she would encourage more women to get into the trade.
“Absolutely anybody can do it,” she said.
“Us women are slowly coming into the industry. The whole reason I’m doing it is to show my son, as well as myself, that it can be done.
“I absolutely eat, sleep and breathe the industry, and love my job.
“I’m doing it for my 15 year old to show him that it doesn’t matter what ability you are, what age, what sex, just go out, go and do it, and if it’s a career you want to pursue, then put your all into it. I’m a big believer, the more you put in, the more you get out. Every day is different. You don’t know what you’re gonna get.”