A Cumbrian boatmaster is one of the lucky few that managed to turn his passion into a career - twice.
Splitting his time between two roles, Jon Bennett works as a boatmaster with Windermere Lake Cruises and as a fell top assessor for the Lake District National Park Authority, providing him with the enviable daily backdrop of some of England's most picturesque scenery.
Mr Bennett, from Ambleside, joined Windermere Lake Cruises in 2008 after leaving his job as a manager of a leading Lake District hotel.
He said: "It just sounded a lovely way to earn a living - surrounded by the lovely scenery of England’s longest natural lake."
When an opportunity to work as a Fell Top Assessor presented itself, he leapt at the chance.
He said: “I always spent, and still spend, my days off out in the fells. So, to keep safe, I always used the Fell Top Assessor’s Weatherline service which runs between December 1 and Easter Monday and gives the underfoot conditions.
"When the opportunity then also came up to work as a Fell Top Assessor, I jumped at it! It was a great chance to give something back to the area that I love."
As a Boatmaster, Mr Bennett guides passengers around Windermere where he finds great pleasure in sharing the fascinating stories of the Lake.
"I love it and would recommend the job to anyone. It’s great working with the public, showing and telling them all about Windermere," he said.
"We get such lovely feedback from passengers which makes it very rewarding.”
During winter, Mr Bennett can be spotted climbing Helvellyn as a fell top assessor alongside two others, documenting the weather conditions to ensure the safety of other hikers.
Although the harshness of the weather may be off-putting, Mr Bennett maintains a sense of humour about his role, claiming that "you need the memory of a goldfish" to forget weather blues and focus on the treks.
He has announced that he will be retiring from his role as a fell top assessor after this winter, marking an end to 16 seasons of diligent service.
Despite the ending of his tenure, Mr Bennett plans to remain active.
He said: "I met a man climbing Scafell Pike on his 80th Birthday and thought what an incredible way to mark such a milestone!
"It stuck in my head and now that is my plan too!"
Meanwhile, Windermere Lake Cruises is set to welcome new staff.
One hundred jobs are up for grabs at a special Recruitment Day event at Bowness Pier onboard the vessel MV Swift on Saturday, February 3 from 10am to 4pm.
“Roles are open to people of all ages,” says Ian Wilkinson, HR manager at Windermere Lake Cruises. “But we often find the flexible nature of our job opportunities are a perfect fit for the over 50s or those who have just taken retirement but still want to do stimulating work.
"There are no split shifts and you can work one day a week or five days a week – it’s up to you. Just come down to the recruitment day and we will tell you all about the opportunities.”
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