Q: Nice job. How did you get it?
A: I was a State Apartment Warder for eight years then I volunteered to look after the fire. Three of us do it permanently and occasionally other warders have a go. It’s a different job altogether from working in the State Apartments. I love telling visitors about the kitchens and encouraging them to pick things up and play with them.

Q: What is your typical day?
A: I start my day earlier than the other warders because there’s so much to do. First, I have to clean out yesterday’s fire and put the ash in the compost for the gardens. Next, I prepare the kindling. I chop the logs down here in the kitchen with a chopping block and an axe. Then I lay the fire using the kindling and some newspaper. I light the fire about ten minutes before we open the doors to visitors. Then I have to keep the fire going all day. At the end of the day we let the fire burn out naturally and we place a guard over the fireplace for the night.
 
Q: Tell me about the cooking days.
A: Well, we cook about fifty days a year and on those days we have an enormous fire that burns to around 1000 degrees centigrade. I let the big fire burn down and rake the hot embers to the front. The more red embers you have, the hotter the fire. I wear a protective leather apron on those days!

Q: Are there any perks of the job?
A: I get to taste the food on cooking days. I’ve had venison fresh out of Home Park.