Inside one of the UK’s best magazines devoted to the English countryside, November’s Country Living, you will find a supplement with the nicely punning title of ‘Handmade Tales: Britain’s Top Artisan Makers’. It was a lovely surprise to see Richard featured as one of those craftspeople on page 10 and 11. He and the company have earned their status as ‘top artisan makers’. Just take a scroll through the testimonials on the home page of the website.
The supplement is divided into six areas of the UK and features some extraordinary craftspeople, making the most diverse and creative pieces from fabrics to furniture and from weaving to woodwork. A lot of these skills and age old techniques honed by time are thought by many to be long lost arts. Far from it. In this digital age we’ve all been crowbarred or seduced into (depending on your point of view and engagement with the tech), it can’t come as a surprise that premium physical pieces are highly prized by many and it doesn’t get more primal than a man expertly bending and shaping metal at an anvil.
It’s very encouraging that there are people, like those at Country Living, who care enough about these crafts to showcase them with such support and enthusiasm. As a small family company, we are always thrilled to have someone shine a light our way. Country Living editor, Michele Jameson, says at the end of her welcome piece. “We hope you enjoy this tribute to some extraordinary British talent.” All of us at Made by the Forge enjoyed it very much.
