Living the high-life

Your own office high in the sky with 360 degree views of the city – that’s what Craig Lavell enjoys every day, the only catch is the hundreds of steps he climbs to get there. A Tower Crane operator of 14 years, he’s currently spending his days among Manchester’s heavy clouds lifting the materials that will make HOME. As the building begins to creep into view over the viaduct on Whitworth Street West, we caught up with Craig to see what the view is like from the top.

His day begins at 7:oo with the climb, which would be daunting for us mere pedestrians but is all part of the job for Craig, who goes up and down twice each day. Safety is paramount. A zoning system ensures our crane and its up-to nine tonne loads don’t collide with the three other cranes on site, and steers clear of the viaduct that carries trains full of passengers by each minute.

With a bird’s eye view, Craig has seen everything there is to see over the years, including a bank robbery and many other things which we can’t talk about here. It might be a lonely existence for some but with a kettle, a radio and walkie-talkie, there’s no shortage of brews and banter between the lifts.

Ben Williams & Kat Houghton, with assistance from Craig Lavell