Yet another recommendation for Neil Protheroe

If you're after a plumber, I'd go for plumber.neil@virginmedia.com. Why?

We needed a non-standard size tap fitted, but also had a leaky stopcock valve on our antique cistern, and asked him to look at that while he was at it. The tap took 10 minutes, but then came the cistern.

We weren't holding our breath, as several plumbers over the years have tried and failed to sort the problem out, due to the fact that the position of the rocker bar for the chain pull meant that no modern valve would fit on the inlet pipe.

"No problem", said Neil, "I'll sort it out". This later became, "It's a challenge, and I like a challenge", and finally, "I know what I need to do now, and I'll come back tomorrow to finish it off".

True to his word, he came back the next day, and with a very clever piece of engineering improvisation routed the inlet pipe under the rocker bar so he could fit a new stopcock at the other end of the cistern. All this was done with, at times admittedly stoic, good humor, even though he said he had the '1000 yard stare' when he left on the first day.

He was a pleasure to have around too, and what he charged us was very reasonable considering the thought and effort that he put in. I expect he thought of it as an exercise in personal development, both creatively and mentally.

I have no hesitation in recommending Neil, and I certainly won't be using any other plumber myself from now on.