What’s one of them then?
I take a simple view on life. I make things out of metal, using forging and welding techniques to shape and join metal in order to create interesting and useful objects.
This is a semi-retirement job for me. It is designed to keep me amused, keep me active both mentally and physically, keep me solvent, (personal pensions are not what they once were), and provide an opportunity to have some fun, keep meeting people and stay sociable.
I am called The Gardener’s Blacksmith because my wife, Tricia, and I are both gardeners and I was driven to create interesting and practical structures as plant supports. Much of what is on the market is either cheap and nasty or over-engineered and expensive in my view. I am seeking to do better and time will tell if I am a man of insight or just deluded.
I am already planning other interesting products like a range of birdfeeders/light holders and this is leading me into some furniture design. The furniture is suitable for outdoors or indoors. I am just designing and constructing the stair rails for our new house and also creating designs and manufacturing three toilet roll holders for the three bathrooms.
I am literally in the process of setting up this business as I write and already the fun of responding to my own ideas and things that people ask and talk about is evident in progression so far.
Tricia and I are in the process of trying to move from the Peak District to East Devon. I am not going to set up main stream production in the Peak District but can respond to some enquiries. When we are able to sell and move, to Uplyme where we already have a place to dream about, then I will find a
location to set up a forge/welding workshop and get serious. (If anybody knows a place to set up near Uplyme do get in touch).
I will keep you up to date with what emerges, just written to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall to see if he has room at River Cottage HQ.