Like lots of kids I deconstructed things not just to see how they worked but out of curiosity to see what was inside. The impulse to make and fix things came around the same time but I learned trade skills on building sites in the mid 1980s after graduating in Fine Art. My curiosity particularly with things made from wood and for taking things apart continued

Much of my work these days is the renovation of sash windows many of which have been battling the elements for 150 years or longer. The weighted sash is a beautiful invention, balanced and supremely functional but sadly most get neglected and painted shut or replaced with plastic. I restore what were once fine windows, that might otherwise have ended up in a skip to their original working condition