Deputising for the full time staff, I take over backstage duties at this legendary music and comedy venue.

I run the staircase contract at Olympia on behalf of Outback Rigging. Many of the larger events have temporary staircases, 7m tall and 20m long from ground floor to balcony. I manage the installation and maintenance of these temporary structures.

Olympia London hosts literally hundreds of events each year, from conferences for 12 people to the Ideal Home Show which welcomed over quarter of a million visitors in 2015 on its return to Olympia from Earls Court. As well as managing the rigging contract for the venue I dealt with assisting the event managers in answering the staggering range of questions and 'challenges'​ presented by the dizzying variety of events within the venue's 6 halls and conference spaces. These usually involved staircases, vehicles, cranes, oversize stands, over heavy rigging, tight deadlines, complicated plans and pushy promoters (you know who you are).The job is a never ending whirl of thinking on one's feet to ensure the rules are not bent (well, certainly never broken) and the shows opens on time and everyone remains friends . . .

Earls Court was a big old beast of a venue. It needed knocking down - but surely to be replaced by an exhibition and conference venue befitting 21st century London, not a bloody housing estate. But then I am your humble venue technician and surely finer minds than mine are working for our greater good.My job as Senior Technical Manager at Earls Court was to steer it safely through some of the biggest, most technically complex events staged in London in its last eight years. These events ranged from the Olympic Volleyball venue hosting 65 matches and 600,000 spectators; to the British Military Tournament at which I had the dubious task of donning a hard hat and hi viz to inform the army "you can't park that Apache helicopter there"​. Lowering Take That out of the roof during The Brit Awards (which band member has a fear of heights?), and debating with the Top Gear Live team how big an explosion we are going to allow on our arena floor (I'll swear it got bigger as the week wore on). Remaining calm and professional at all times when the promoter announces that "they have now decided to film the sold out concert, the artist wants the giant Techno Crane SL on the first night and SR on the second, could he have a couple of revised seating plans by the end of the day to send off to America? - sorry it's such short notice." Working with utter discretion and professionalism during the Victoria's Secrets fashion show, and finally, holding back the tears during the last ever event which was a gig by Bombay Bicycle Club on Saturday 13 December 2014.

The Royal Albert Hall is a world-renowned, Grade 1 listed music and arts venue. And it works its socks off to maintain its well deserved ranking as a World Class venue. Typically a band will load in at 07.00, build, sound check, perform and load out by 02.00 when the building has fully 5 hours to turn itself around ready to do it all again next night. By that standard, the 75 classical concerts back to back during the BBC Proms season every summer are seen as something of a break. I lived the dream for over 12 years. Oh, and during that time the building underwent a £70M re-fit during which it remained open while the stage, load-in and dressing rooms were re-built. I always promised myself one day I would look back and laugh at that particularly bonkers experiment, but I have not started laughing yet.My lighting design peaked on the day I lit a Pavarotti concert. I also have a photograph of me doing something that probably would not be allowed today; swinging 2 tonnes of Cirque Du Soliel hardware, which is normally fork-lifted around a field, in to the venue over many rows of expensive tiered seating, via a line of chain hoists. Happy days.