About Us

What does your role involve?

Day to day running of the company, going out to see clients, organising the workload for the staff and planning in projects.

What is the favourite part of your job? 

The saying goes “you will never work a day in your life if you love your job” and that is certainly the case for me. Building is a hobby as well as a job I have a passion for what I do. I trained as a carpenter and working with wood is a real joy. I like meeting and working with new people and bringing their projects to life.

What is the project or projects you are most proud of?

There are many projects to be proud of. At the age of 16 I was able to be part of the set building for Steve McQueen who was a Turner prize winner. We also got to refurbish the late Vivian Leigh’s home in Blackboys Sussex. More recently re-built the mill pond at Bateman’s – the last home of Rudyard Kipling – for The National Trust. We also built Skywood Barn which went on to win many awards and is now used as a set for adverts and filming.

What do you enjoy most about working for Parker and Son?

Having the opportunity to work on a variety of projects from churches to National Trust and English Heritage ones, along with schools and private homes.

What do you like doing when you are not at work?

I enjoy spending quality time with my wife Liz and our three young children Sophie, Isaac and Jessica. We are fortunate to have a small holding where we have an array of animals which take up a lot of our spare time. My personal hobbies are whittling with wood and shooting. I am a keen Mason in the Province of Sussex.

What does your role involve? 

Consultancy mainly, but I do oversee many of the larger contracts.  I’m also on hand to sort any day-to-day problems that may occur.

What is the favourite part of your job? 

I like looking in from the outside at the staff and seeing how well they interact with each other – that’s the basis of a good team working. We are a family business and every member of staff is treated like they are part of the family.

What is the project or projects you are most proud of? 

There are many, but starting something from new on a blank canvas and bringing the project through to fruition is very rewarding. We  have been very fortunate to have been awarded some very prestigious projects.  Personally, I love heritage work but also building a client their future home gives me great satisfaction.

What do you enjoy most about working for Parker & Son? 

Carrying on the business that was started by my forefathers and James, my son, taking up the reins. I’m hoping that one or two of the grandchildren may follow in our footsteps.

What do you like doing when you are not at work? 

I’m trying to retire, although I accept the fact that will never happen totally.  I love working on my French property which was always going to be a project after retirement.  I love interacting with my six grandchildren, visiting Go-Ape with them (too old really I know!). I also like playing crazy golf with them and trying really hard not to let them win. Horse riding is something I enjoy – it has always been a family passion.

My job involves overseeing the daily operations within the busy office, including implementing health and safety schedules for various jobs and construction, design and management regulations, relaying information to various members of staff and everything else that needs dealing with on a daily basis, including processing payments to suppliers and dealing with PAYE.

What does your role involve?

Running day-to-day jobs and different projects, looking after the staff and liaising with clients.

What’s the favourite part of your job?

I enjoy working alongside James and meeting new people. I also like the variety of different challenges that the work presents.

Which project or projects are you most proud of?

I’ve only recently joined Parker & Son so am looking forward to completing my first project. I’m very excited to be working on a church project in Rottingdean and a 17th Century cottage in Battle.

What do you enjoy most about working for Parker & Son?

I like the fact that it’s a family run company that always puts the customer first. Also that the team is so close knit and the working conditions are good.

What do you like doing when you are not at work?

I like spending time with my family, gardening and playing golf.

What does your role involve?

I do any plastering work that’s needed but it’s mainly residential work. When I’m not plastering I help out with any other jobs as needed.

What is the favourite part of your job?

I’ve been a plasterer for 35 years and I still find my work very satisfying. It’s rewarding to do a nice job. I love to transform a room and make it look new again.

What is the project or projects you are most proud of?

I once plastered a £5 million house which was amazing. I’m proud of all my work and the fact that I can transform a room makes me proud. It’s a very physical job especially when I have to plaster large ceilings. People are always impressed with what I can achieve with my plastering.

What do you enjoy most about working for Parker & Son?

They are a great bunch of people. James is lovely to work for. He’s easy going and always grateful for a job well done.

What do you like doing when you are not at work?

Golf is my main hobby when it’s not raining. I like to go on golfing holidays in the UK and abroad.

What does your role involve?

Internal and external decorating and wall papering. I also paint woodwork, exterior rendering and windows. I’ve been decorating for 25 years – six of those with Parker & Son.

What’s the favourite part of your work? 

I love it when I’ve finished a job. Getting a crisp finish and making something look nice again is very rewarding.

What is the project or projects you are most proud of?

I would have to say High Wigsall, Skywood Barn and Treetops in Robertsbridge as well as some of the churches. For instance at Mayfield Church I had to paint the ceiling in a red earth colour which was a bit unusual.

What do you enjoy most about working for Parker & Son?

The atmosphere is relaxed and everyone gets on. There’s a real team environment and everyone helps everyone else.

What do you like doing when you are not at work?

I like spending time with my family and going on holiday especially to places like India.

What does your role involve?

I do everything but gas and electrical work. My work is mainly brickwork, concreting and carpentry but I’ll do whatever James needs me to do.

What is the favourite part of your job?

I love the variety from one day to the next. The work is always interesting and I get to travel to different areas. For instance, I worked in Sandhurst, Kent, on top of a church tower.

What is the project or projects you are most proud of?

I like achieving something and I’m proud of all my work. When you finish and the customer is happy it’s a great feeling.

What do you enjoy most about working for Parker & Son?

The company is very fair and the customers are nice. In fact I wish I’d joined the firm sooner! There is always work to do and we have a really good team with great camaraderie,. The whole family is lovely and makes you feel appreciated. I’m pleased and proud to work for James.

What do you like doing when you are not at work?

I love fishing whether it’s on lakes, rivers or off the beach. I got back into fishing during Covid. It’s great for mental health and being at one with nature.

What does your role involve?

I mainly work with wood and do first and second fixes including fitting kitchens.

What is the favourite part of your job?

The people I work with. They are all very kind and welcoming.

Which is the project or projects you are most proud of?

Fitting my first kitchen. It was a large U-shaped kitchen and I had to remove the old one first.

What do you enjoy most about working for Parker & Son?

James is very patient and is helping me to learn new skills. The training is excellent and there’s not too much pressure on me as the team understands that I’m still new in the job. I recently finished my two-year apprenticeship which I’m very happy about.

What do you like doing when you are not at work?

I like going to the gym. It’s good to be fit for my work. I also like learning other trades like bricklaying.

What does your work involve?

All sorts of groundwork such as patios, foundations and drainage in domestic and commercial buildings. I’ve been doing it for about 40 years!

What is the favourite part of your job?

I love doing patios and brickwork. It’s very satisfying when it’s finished.

What is the project or projects you are most proud of?

A property called High Wixhall was very interesting and rewarding. I had to pave a large area with York paving stone which look beautiful when it was finished.

What do you enjoy most about working for Parker & Son?

It’s a good company to work for. We all get on which is very important. I’ve worked for James for the last 20 years and we’re always busy, especially over the last few years. I still really enjoy my work.

What do you like doing when you are not at work?

I play golf on various courses in the area. I also enjoy horse racing and you will sometimes see me at Plumpton.

What does your role involve?

As my title suggests I mainly work in stone. I work on a lot of church windows, especially mullions. I often work with English Heritage when I’m helping to preserve buildings and restore them. As well as stone work, I have to work with steel which which is used in building structures and lintels.

What is the favourite part of your job? 

I like it all! I especially like being able to start at 4am if I can and working on churches in the summer. I love the variety of work and every building is different so you are learning all the time.

What is the project or projects you are most proud of?

It has to be Bateman’s Mill Pond and All Souls Church in Hastings. We built a brand new floor in the church which had to be built out of giant steels. We also had to access the ceiling which was caving in. It’s a beautiful church.

What do you enjoy most about working for Parker & Son?

I don’t have to worry about getting work in. James finds the work and tells me what he wants me to do. I really enjoy being part of a team and especially working with Fred and Kian.

What do you like doing when you are not at work?

I enjoy fishing and walking in my spare time.

What does your role involve?
Stripping and re-tiling roofs and re-laying. I deal with all types of roofs including flat ones. Sometimes it’s not possible to do my roofing work in bad weather so I join the team wherever I am needed. My experience means I can turn my hand to almost anything.

What is the favourite part of your job?
Completing a job where I’ve helped to restore a building or knowing that a roof on a new build will be there for many decades to come is very satisfying.

What is the project or projects you are most proud of?
I’m proud of all the roofs I’ve worked on and I always do my job to the best of my ability using the most up to date methods and materials.  Every roof is a challenge in a different way and no two roofs are the same. In the end, it’s about doing a really good job and making sure every customer is happy.

What do you enjoy most about working for Parker and Son?
James the boss is a very fair and nice person. We are like one big family. We all have a laugh and all get on. I started with the company in 2016 and it was a great decision to join.

What do you like doing when you are not at work?
I spend most of my time working at height so during my spare time I like to stay at ground level! I relax by playing golf and fishing.

What does your role involve?
I do lead work, basic carpentry, kitchen fitting, labouring and most other building related work. I have a good understanding of all types of building.

What is the favourite part of your job?
I enjoy the lead work such as chimney flashings, lead valleys and lead gutters. It’s really satisfying when you finish a job and you’ve made a real improvement to the building.

What is the project or projects you are most proud of?
High Wigsall at Bodiam Crossroads is my favourite. It’s an historic house where we carried out a complete refurbishment of the main house and cottage in the grounds. We also built garages and a stable block.

What do you enjoy most about working for Parker & Son?
I really like the variety of work we get to do and working with a great team.

What do you like doing when you are not at work?
I love travelling around Europe including to Belgium, Germany and Holland. Sometimes I travel by car and other times I use one of my three motorbikes.

What is your job title?
Groundworks Lead

What does your role involve?
I mainly work on the footings for buildings as well as retaining walls and the foundations. All of these things are very important and have got to be right.

What is the favourite part of your job?
Playing in the mud! You have to like mud to do my job. I also like being outside all day and using all the machinery like diggers.

What is the project or projects you are most proud of?
Every job is satisfying when it is finished. I’m proud of them all really.

What do you enjoy most about working for Parker and Son?
They are easy going and let you get on with the job. I grew up with James and have worked with him on and off since I was 16. I like the fact that the company treats you well and looks after you.

What do you like doing when you are not at work?
Ha ha! I really don’t get much spare time as when I’m not working for Parker & Son I’m looking after my 70-acre farm. When I’m not doing that, I catch up on my sleep.

My role involves going through the accounts with James, making sure accounts are paid both payable and receivable, reviewing and reconciling information. My work also involves comparing records and ensuring accuracy.

I perform clerical duties, handling phone calls and emails, build spreadsheets for the various jobs and book appointments for both the construction side of the business as well as the plumbing.

What does your role involve?

I manage the business P&S Plumbing and I undertake all aspects of plumbing and heating. Everything from an outside tap to a commercial gas boiler install and everything in between.

What is the favourite part of your job?

The favourite part of my job is hard. I genuinely enjoy all of it.

What is the project or projects you are most proud of?

We have installed many bathrooms that I have been proud of.  I tend to like doing bathrooms because when you do heating work all the pipes are hidden and there is nothing to see really when you are done. However, with the bathrooms there is something pretty to look at and be proud of at the end.

What do you enjoy most about working for Parker & Son?

I most enjoy the people. It’s a really great gang. Everyone gets on really well together.

What do you like doing when you are not at work?

When I’m not at work I like nothing more than spending time with my three children.

What does your role involve?

All aspects of carpentry, running small projects, overseeing other trades and liaising with the customer to ensure a high standard of work at all times.

What is the favourite part of your job?

Seeing the customer happy with our work, and the variety of work that I can turn my hand to on different projects.

What is the project or projects you are most proud of?

Having only recently started with Parker & Son, I’ve been lucky to work straightaway with a fabulous customer. I’ve been seeing a project through in Robertsbridge doing a loft conversion extension where my experience and knowledge of improving things came into its own. The job looks great. I’m looking forward to working on more exciting projects with the Parker & Son team.

What do you enjoy most about working for Parker & Sons?

I love the fact it’s a small, local, family run business that keeps the customer at the heart of every job they do. We are a good, friendly, skilled team who work hard, which I’m proud to be part of.

 What do you like doing when you are not at work?

I enjoy spending time with my family and dogs. I love motorbikes, have a keen interest in classic cars and like to get out on the water paddleboarding or kayaking when I can.

What does your role involve?

My work involves lots of working around other trades. As a plumber I’m not normally first on site but I have to work in stages, for instance putting pipes in before letting colleagues do their work and then coming back to finish off. Good planning, organisation and communication is key. I’ve been a plumber for over four years and really enjoy the variety of work.

What is the favourite part of your job?

I like it when we get towards the end of a job and we are going back for a second fix to make everything look nice. I also enjoy solving people’s problems especially after another plumber has let the customer down and not done a proper job.

What is the project or projects you are most proud of?

I especially like doing bathrooms when we get to rip everything out and completely replace everything. As well as plumbing, we do the tiling, carpentry, flooring and anything else that needs doing. The project I’m most proud of is an 18th century property in Battle. It’s was a massive challenge as there was nowhere to run pipes and there were beams in the way. I had to really think on my feet to meet the client’s needs.

What do you enjoy most about working for Parker and Son?
Everyone I work with is friendly and nice. I also like the variety of projects. One day I could be fitting a luxury bathroom and the next I might find myself in a muddy trench.

What do you like doing when you are not at work?
I love fishing, especially carp fishing. I go to France a lot to fish. In fact, that’s where I caught my biggest fish – a 51.5lbs whopper!