A WELL known figure in Ulverston will kick off a season of lectures at a meeting of local engineers.

Archie Workman, once labelled one of the "most boring men in Britain", will next week give a lecture to the Barrow & District Association of Engineers.

The lecture, entitled My Life in the Gutter will tell the story of Mr Workman's life, from his early days in Newcastle's shipyards to his distinguished career as a lengthsman.

Mr Workman's talk will be far from dull as he recounts his life's experiences, among which was his task as a lengthsman for his local parish councils. In this role he ensured the drains and consequently the covers were kept in good condition.

He gained fame in 2015 when he was included in the Dull Men of Great Britain book for his drain spotting hobby. Mr Workman is passionate about his work as a lengthsman, and have over the years garnered an extensive knowledge on the history of drain covers.

Mr Workman said: "I started working in the shipyards scraping sea chest grids on the side of ships, and it seems my life came full circle working with drains.

"Between that I've had an interesting career. I've been very lucky, I've had some very interesting roles."

His career has varied from a distinguished position in marine engineering with British Shipbuilders to business development in the private sector export trade and inward investment with the regional development agencies.

He has worked in the supply chain, evolving several organisations which are now globally recognised in the oil, gas and renewable related industries of the UK.

His career has also developed internationally having led several UK Trade & Investment trade missions.

Currently Mr Workman is acting as a mentor for young entrepreneurs in Cumbria for Richard Branson’s Virgin start ups and is managing director of Ulverston Business Centre.

The lecture will cover periods of Archie’s working life where he began as an engineering apprentice with George Clark & North Eastern Marine in Wallsend on Tyne, building and refurbishing large, slow-speed diesel engines.

After a spell in Sunderland Mr Workman took up employment with regional and sub-regional development agencies in the North East and West, before finally moving on to his current part-time roles in Ulverston and Colton Parish as their Lengthsman.

Mike Kittley, Secretary of BDAE commented: “We are very pleased to welcome Archie Workman to recount to us his experiences as an engineer and businessman. He has had a varied career and we are sure he will enthral the audience as he recalls his career with humour and anecdotes.”

The lecture, which is free and open to all, is on Thursday January 19 and will be held in the Studio at The Forum, in Barrow, commencing at 7.30pm.

Go to www.bdae.org.uk for more information for all BDAE lectures.

Related content:

Find out how Mr Workman came to be known as one of the dullest men in Britain