Bangor Chimney Sweep was created in 1993 by John Cunningham.

John trained with the NIACS, Northern Ireland Association of Chimney Sweeps and was given a goverment business start up grant to get the business up and running.

John has benefited from always having his family support him.

His wife Penny is the first point of contact for most customers and in 2009 one of his sons, James ,came into the business and is currently learning the sweeping trade.

Born Belfast 1961, John moved with his family to Bangor in 1970.

He started working in a local motorcycle/car garage at sixteen and moved to London in the 1980's working in a Volkswagen garage.

He returned home to Bangor in 1987 and worked in the local Diahatsu dealership specialising in four wheel drive vehicles, before starting his sweep business in 1993

John is married with three step children and two sons( and four step grandchildren)

He has always been keen on motorbikes and in recent years has backed his son James in his motorcycle racing career.

Born Newtownards 1991, James attended Bangor Academy until 2007, and left to become a lead sheeter working on historic buildings, unfortunately due to the 2008 world recession, he was paid off from his job. James did not want to be unemployed and so immediately started working with his dad, John as an apprentice chimney sweep.

James has a passion for motorbikes and started racing minibikes in 2002, winning the 2003 IMF Junior Championship. In 2007 he moved to 'big' bikes racing a Honda rs125gp bike and in 2009 moved to 600 supersport class. He is currently competing in the 2010 Irish Clubman 600 SuperSport class.