When not embroiled in the day job he can be found pounding the lanes of the local swimming pool or running up and down the touchlines cheering the minor Adams boys onto sporting victory. His penchant for the outdoor life in fact led him to where he is today – the co-owner of Oxford Lawns and Gardens and sister company Oxford Planters.

If Martin claims to be the brains of the business partnership at Oxford Planters then it his business partner Alex who definitely supplies the brawn, the style and the guile by the bucketful. Half Portuguese, Alex has inherited the passionate temperament of her forefathers and like Martin shares a desire to succeed.

The man who does the real work at Oxford Planters is Leon Pierce, a local lad who is following in his dad’s footsteps in his ambition to pursue the craft of joiner. Fondly referred to as a workaholic, Leon joined the business in 2007 as joiner come manager of the newly built workshop.