THERE is something deeply satisfying watching someone at work who obviously gets a big kick from simply doing a job well. Such a man is genial Bert Simpson, writes Pete Lammas.

He stands back, a pair of garden shears in hand and casts an experienced and critical eye over his neatly clipped handiwork with scarcely a twig out of place.

However, it's not a fancy piece of topiary or garden hedge that Bert has lavished so much time and effort on but one of eight sturdy steeplechase fences at one of the Midland's most popular point-to-point courses.

Bert is only one of a handful of craftsmen in the county who undertakes such work and has been making the obstacles at the roadside track at Chaddesley Corbett for close on 27 years.

"It's a labour of love. I really do enjoy what I do and certainly wouldn't swop it for a job indoors," he says. As a youth Bert worked on farms then spent ten years indoors at Nu-Way Heating in Droitwich.

He took his redundancy and accepted his father-in-law Ellis Powell's invitation to join his agricultural contractor's business.

Ellis, from Wychbold, already had the Chaddesley contract and despite being in his 80s still occasionally visits Bert on the course just to keep an eye on him.

"He was a marvellous teacher and taught me all I know about building steeplechase fences," Bert grins.

Working alone in the middle of the countryside with seldom anyone to talk to, makes you wonder if Bert ever gets bored or lonely. The answer is a firm "no" and, despite the withering February wind sweeping across the course, it's easy to understand why. Bert is a natural countryman and is perfectly at home in the wide open spaces surrounded by wildlife of all descriptions.

He explains that unlike the old days, today all the jumps, except the open ditch, are "portable."

Instead of the birch bundles being contained in wooden frames with their bases buried deep in the ground to aid stability, the jumps are now made up of individual sections, fixed side by side across the course.

This facilitates their easy removal and storage under cover during the close season in readiness for the following year.

Bert packs the birch bundles firmly into pre-constructed frames and tightens them with a rope and a ratchet.

The fences have to be strong to withstand the inevitable battering they will receive over the next few months. Around 300 horses, each weighing half a ton, will leap the fences at speeds of up to 30mph during the season.

Bert reckons to use about 1,000 bundles of birch, bought from a specialist supplier in the Forest of Dean, to renew and repair the jumps. The whole operation to get the course ready for the first fixture in March takes him nine weeks to complete.

Bert stresses the object is to make the fences fair. That is, hard enough for the horses to respect them but at the same time ensuring that there is some "give" in the top so young, inexperienced animals will not be put off. The tops of each 4ft 6in high fence are cut by hand to give a slight slope and to ensure that there are no jagged sticks poking up to harm the horses as they brush through them.

The course, which hosts three meetings every spring will be carefully checked by a Jockey Club inspector before a hoof can be set on it.

One of the fixtures is the Worcestershire with its prestigious feature event the Lady Dudley Cup, which attracts some of the best pointers in Britain. And this year for the first time for about 15 years, fans can enjoy an additional fixture - the Wheatland, which is set to take place on May 10.

I left Bert happily snipping away, seemingly oblivious to the hoar frost forming on the ground. An outdoor life may be appealing but so was the though of our warm cosy office!

The Harkaway Club fixture takes place this Saturday with the first race at noon.