Kinross, Scotland A family business. A lifetime of care.
Steve & Arlene.
Family at the heart of it.
Steve: RAF veteran, self-employed for 30 years.
Arlene: 35 years in nursing, including as a senior psychiatric nurse.
Together: the family behind Gutters2glory.
I’m Steve Cooke—a working-class lad from Yorkshire, RAF veteran and proud husband to Arlene. This is our story, in our own words and photographs.
We married at Gretna Green in 1999. Twenty-seven years later, we’ve shared the good days, the difficult days and the challenge of working for ourselves. At the heart of Gutters2glory is our family, our community and the life we’ve built together.
Arlene: a lifetime of caring
Arlene spent around 35 years in NHS nursing, including her work as a senior psychiatric nurse at Stratheden. Her career included intensive psychiatric care, care in the community, forensic psychiatry and dementia care. Her work called for compassion, patience and professional judgement.
She stepped away from nursing to take on our administration and secretarial work. Today she is a co-owner of Gutters2glory, looking after enquiries, bookings and the work behind the scenes. Many people also know her through her community and charity work.
To me, she is one of the most beautiful, wonderful people you could meet. I’m proud to call her my wife. After all those years looking after others, she still has to put up with me—and somehow she does it with love and patience.
From the RAF to our own business
I served for 12 years in the Royal Air Force, including during the Gulf War. When I left in 1995, I opened The Barbers Pole in St Andrews. St Andrews Golf Vacations followed, bringing together my love of golf, tourism and helping visitors enjoy Scotland. I also built websites and explored new ways to bring local businesses and customers together.
Later came Forces Veteran Courier Service: another chapter in putting my business experience to work and creating opportunities for fellow veterans. The businesses were different, but each began with spotting a need and finding a practical way to meet it.
My memories include serving as chairman of the St Andrews Business Association and president of the Merchants Association, a golf director role with the Rotary Club, founding the Town and Gown initiative, and time as a golf club captain.
In 2019, X-Forces featured my business journey and appointed me its Military In Business Ambassador for Scotland. Looking back, this Yorkshire lad hasn’t done too badly.
Helping wherever we can
Over the years, our support has reached far beyond home: helping open an orphanage in Baghdad, helping feed communities in Malawi, supporting hurricane victims in Grenada and helping people in South Africa. My own charity work also included a directorship with Spirit Aid, associated with actor and filmmaker David Hayman.
The Fernando Ricksen Appeal is one example among many. These photographs bring back memories of the people who gave their time and worked alongside us.
Our memories of helping overseas also include supporting people in Afghanistan and helping feed people in Palestine. Alongside the work in Malawi, Grenada, South Africa and Baghdad, these are chapters of a shared belief: people facing hardship deserve care, wherever they live.
Our community matters
Closer to home, we’ve supported CHAS, Broke Not Broken, Lauriston Nursery, the Kinross cadets, Milnathort Town Hall and the St Andrews Festival Committee.
Our community cleaning has also included Loch Leven Health Centre, Kinross in Bloom, KYTHE, Kinross-shire Trishaws, the Men’s Shed, Kinross Colts, the War Memorial and local signs.
There are many hands behind community work. We’re proud to play our part.
And, of course, Ellie
Our lovely border collie has shared so much of this life with us. Ellie is getting older and slowing down now, which makes the time we have together all the more precious. She belongs in our story, just as she belongs in our family.
The same care in everything we do
Today, from our home in Kinross, Gutters2glory specialises in pressure washing, soft washing and paving care across Perth, Kinross and Fife. Whatever the job, we believe in doing it to the best of our ability.
Being husband and wife as well as business partners isn’t always easy. Self-employment doesn’t stop neatly at the front door. But none of this could have been achieved without Arlene, her hard work and the support she has given me.
Behind the business are two people who care about their work, their community and each other.
Steve
More of our history: X-Forces profile, 2019 · Media Man profile
Personal recollections alongside published accounts from earlier chapters of our lives.
