THERE can't be many jobs which require you to clean out drains one minute and greet blue blooded visitors the next.

But before you conjure up an image of Stephen Adams hastily wiping a mucky hand, such tasks never happen in quick succession.

The 48-year-old Yorkshire born bachelor, pictured right, is the new property manager at Dunham Massey Hall and is definitely a man with a mission - simply to spread the word about what the sprawling Stamford estate has to offer.

And he says he's determined to attract more and more day trippers to the hall from outside Trafford.

Sitting in the peaceful surroundings of the orangery it soon becomes clear that this likeable gent has an almost evangelical enthusiasm for his work - he is like everybody's favourite uncle and has an appealing sense of fun which occasionally descends into mischief.

An American tourist once asked him if Little Moreton Hall, his previous place of work, was pre-war. He says he produced a regal reply, informing him that the timbered framed house was actually pre-America!

Stephen began his professional life as a history teacher and has academic credentials - which include a masters degree in history from Oxford University - second to none. But 15 years ago he said goodbye to the classroom and joined the National Trust as an administrator at Moseley Old Hall in Staffordshire.

He then landed the top job at Little Moreton and came to Dunham just over a month ago. What made him leave teaching?

He says: "I've always been fascinated by houses of this sort and when I was teaching I was a volunteer for the National Trust at a house called Attingham Park, so it seemed a natural progression."

As boss at Little Moreton, this larger-than-life character was able to double the number of visitors passing through its doors. And although his duties at Dunham will include broadening its appeal in a similar way, most of his time will be spent ensuring the estate's various departments and services run smoothly.

Another thing which strikes you about this terminally cheerful chap is his Englishness - he's as English as roast beef, warm beer and embarrassing performances on the cricket pitch. He even played croquet, for goodness sake.

What a surprise then, to discover that his heart belongs to Italy. He loves the cuisine and opera - and a recent holiday which let him combine both was his idea of heaven.

You'd think a job like Stephen's would require some sort of management training but you'd be wrong. Apparently, the Trust prefers to recruit managers from a variety of different backgrounds and the only qualification is a liking for people.

"Whenever you get a letter, be it a letter of praise or a letter of criticism, they are always taking about the same thing - about the people they met. You've got to have a huge liking and a huge sympathy for people. If you like people, you'll be ace at this job," says Stephen.

And he says that the beauty of working for the Trust is there's no such thing as a typical working day - he recalls spending a morning unblocking drains and then welcoming a royal guest in the shape of the Duchess of Kent that same day at Moseley.

"I don't honestly think you should ever ask anyone to do what you're not prepared to do yourself," says Stephen.

However, he does have a problem with heights and so one particular tradition which must be followed when a relative of the last Earl of Stamford drops in for tea at Dunham was a nightmare.

On such occasions it is the customary to hoist the family flag and Stephen says: "Walking across the roof of Dunham, which doesn't have a parapet, was rather scary. I wasn't happy doing it but you do what you have to do."

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.