Not all heroes wear capes “With great power, there must also come great responsibility,” Stan Lee wrote in his Amazing Spider-Man comic book series. But in real life, who’s had the power and responsibility to save you when there was no superhero around? WORDS BY KERRY SMITH
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t started with story time in the office; I was telling the Niche team how an incident with a spider got me locked out of my house. It sat above me on the wall, right next to the front door. As I opened it, the spider – no exaggeration – leapt at me and so I made a run for it. The door, which is self-locking, shut behind me, with my keys still in the lock on the inside. It was 7pm on a Friday night and I was on my way out to meet friends in town after lockdown was lifted. Nearly in tears from the frustration of it all, I remembered a company that had advertised in Niche previously. I called Brad Lingard at Emergency Glazing, who literally came to the rescue saving my much-needed night out. “Not all heroes wear capes,” our CEO Jenny sniggered at me, and that one phrase inspired this whole special feature.
We usually see superheroes saving the day in movies protecting the lives of innocent people or fighting forces of evil. But in the real world, our heroes don’t wear capes. Some wear lab coats when healthcare workers risk the infection of Covid-19 for the sake of their patients. Lawyers wear suits when defending justice and soldiers wear uniforms to protect their country’s freedom. The workplace is also no exception to the unsuspecting everyday hero. Within organisations, people demonstrate heroic behaviour all the time, whether it’s offering mentoring advice or giving a lift to a colleague on a rainy day. From my spider story, we began searching for other everyday local heroes, the kind we take for granted until we really need them. Read all about them here.
How I was rescued from an ordeal with a spider When I was pacing my back garden (luckily the gate was unlocked) trying to figure out what to do next, I found Emergency Glazing’s number in one of our back issues online. Brad picked up after a few rings and reassuringly told me he would be with me in an hour as he was currently on another job. I was worried that Stoney Stanton would be too out of the way, but it didn’t faze him. I was prepared to wait for him to arrive, but he told me he didn’t want me waiting outside alone and told me that he’d meet me in town with my keys on his way home. “Are you sure?” I asked as my panic slowly dissolved with Brad’s calmness at the situation. His composure, professionalism, 54 | NICHE
and total empathy comforted me enough to be able to safely head out while he made his way to retrieve my keys. It wasn’t long before Brad showed up with my keys and all was well in the world again. I know that spider’s still around somewhere, though... For all locked-out emergencies, to make your home or business more secure, or for repairs and maintenance, call Brad on 07534 488 929. Find out more at emergencyglazingleicester.co.uk.
I WAS WORRIED THAT STONEY STANTON WOULD BE TOO OUT OF THE WAY, BUT IT DIDN’T FAZE HIM
