When you're the first to do something, you'll often find a lot of people who will try and stand in your way. That's because you represent a change and if people are too comfortable with the status quo, that change can suddenly seem frightening to them.
Whether they're right or wrong, most people find it difficult to adjust their views on how the world should work. That's why if this happens, it's usually gradual and while a watershed moment may have influenced that change, it rarely does so overnight.
This is not to say that pioneers could go about what they do any differently than they would, but rather a forewarning that it may be awhile before some people accept them. And one British plumber is experiencing this reality in real time.