Come Friday Night: Duncan Rudge, Malvern Hills District Council

28 November 2014 -

Duncan, who holds a CMI diploma in management, runs a team of 25 planners in his Council role of development control manager. He tells us what he gets up to at the weekend, away from the office

I have a mixture of pleasure and chores to occupy myself at the weekend. The main chore is DIY, which I usually leave until a Sunday. I prefer to do things myself rather than get someone in, because I am a bit of a perfectionist. I see things that I think need doing that other people probably wouldn’t. Most of the big jobs on my house are done, but there is still plenty of decorating to do, along with fitting new floors.

The main pleasurable part is spending time with my family. My nine year old plays football for Ledbury Swifts, which he thoroughly enjoys. They train on Tuesdays and play on Saturdays and I am always there cheering him on from the sidelines – I try as hard as possible not to coach too much from my position!

I also like fly fishing, which I have been doing for about 15 years. It tends to be a bit of a solo pursuit – although I occasionally go with my father-in-law, who introduced me to the sport. I go fishing on rivers mainly, but also do a bit of wading for sea trout.

On a slightly different tack, I’m also a member of a clay pigeon shooting club, which I do every other weekend. The reason I find it so addictive is that after a pressurised week at work, it is great to completely focus on something else. Because of the safety requirements, you have to concentrate 100 per cent, which helps you to switch off from work.

Malvern Hills District Council.