IT WAS a tense situation. The plumber crouched in the dark of a house cellar with his saw poised over two pipes. One was an empty old pipe he was replacing, one was full of cold water supplying the home. Unsure of which to cut, he made a decision.

It was the wrong one. He was instantly soaked.

"I managed to stop it but I was very wet. It was a bit embarrassing," said aptly-named Grant Fawcett.

Fortunately, this kind of incident is rare in the long working life of a skilled tradesman like Mr Fawcett ..but there was the time when the ceiling caved in!

As an apprentice, he was sent into the roof space above a house's kitchen to examine a leaking water tank.

Unknown to him, the water had loosened the fix the plasterboard nails had on the joists. As he stepped onto the wood, the entire ceiling dropped.

As the dust cleared, his boss's face became clearer. But, luckily, the homeowner was pleased the ceiling came down as she had expected it to anyway. Mr Fawcett was pretty pleased too.

Apart from these mishaps, and the occasional trip up a wobbly ladder, and prising money owed from the fists of debtors, he struggles to find a negative to his job.

He started out as a schoolboy at a careers fair, when he was offered a trial, passed and was taken on. Since then he has worked for a few different firms and now works for himself with more control over the work he does and on better money.

It was a move that will soon take him out to Australia to live, as the plumber who began down under the house, goes for a house Down Under.

Essential skills...

Mr Fawcett said there were certain things that a would-be plumber needed to be good at: l taking criticism - you have to take the knocks; l physical work - getting "in and out of floors" all day demands a level of fitness; l an ability to get stuck in, get dirty and do the jobs no-one wants to do; l have plenty of common sense; l be aware enough to think the job through before throwing the kitchen sink at it; l be savvy enough with numbers to manage problems with cash flow as well as water flow.

Pay - what to expect...

First and second year apprentices start on between £120 and £160 per week, depending on the employer. That increases a little in the final two years. When qualified, with "papers", plumbers can earn a standard rate of £24,000 per year plus a van, with the right company, or work for themselves and try for more.

Personality required...

Mr Fawcett set out his ideas of what makes a good plumber. He said you needed to be: l a bit outgoing; l be able to calm people down when their ceiling is falling in; l be a good negotiator to collect your money and barter with suppliers; l be patient as you will get phone calls demanding action at 9pm.

Qualifications needed...

The standard entry into the trade is a four-year NVQ in plumbing and heating. This is normally done on day release from an employer for the first two years and can be done at Lancaster and Morecambe College.

The second two years involve more hands-on learning and an introduction to system design as apprentices become more competent.

Training...

After qualification, plumbers can easily stay away from other exams but if you want to keep up with technological advances and broaden your skills, courses on specific boiler systems are available or you could enter for a CORGI qualification to apply your skills to gas fitting.