Nick started life as an outdoor instructor (with expertise in sailing, diving and climbing) and was instrumental in the establishment of an outdoor centre in the south of England - “Brenscombe Farm” outdoor Centre. Like many children, Nick had a love of building tree houses, zip wires and rope bridges in trees. Rumour has it he was “asked to leave” his boarding school for building a tree house high in the canopy of a nearby forest from timber intended for a new school theatre. The “retreat” – as it became known, was infamous for wild parties and could allegedly accommodate 30 people. When most children lose interest in swinging about in the trees Nick decided to make it a career.
Nick’s first professionally built ropes course was at Burnbake near Corfe Castle. Before the ropes course was even finished he had a string of would-be clients.
For a number of years Nick lived high in the French Alps with his children but in 2005 he returned to the UK with his family to further the development of RCD and associated companies.
Mat Shaylor and the world’s finest ropes courses are synonymous. He has been involved with RCD from the very early days and before becoming a director of RCD was the longest serving RCD Construction Manager. RCD's success can largely be attributed to Mat, whose attention to detail and a desire to please the customer sets him apart from all others. He has a string of relevant and appropriate qualifications.
Mat’s father built one of the very first ropes courses in the UK and so Mat was actively involved from an early age in the construction, maintenance and inspection of the facility and with assisting in the running of programmes.
Mat has been fundamental in the construction of some 500 RCD ropes courses and is widely considered to be the worlds leading expert in ropes course construction. He lives in Hampshire (when he is not building ropes courses!).
Chris has been involved with the outdoor industry for over 10 years and brings a wealth of operational, managerial and technical skills to the RCD team.
Having started out as an outdoor Instructor, Chris has progressed through the ranks and has been involved in many different aspects of the outdoor industry including the training and development of staff, design and maintenance of activity equipment and marketing and sales.
This experience combined with his passion and enthusiasm for the high ropes industry helps RCD to create a safe, enjoyable and beneficial experience for each and every participant.
When he is not at work he likes to travel and explore new places, however he still says that one of his favourite areas is the magnificent Dorset coast and countryside where he lives with his family.
