Countryside treasures

THE celebration and preservation of heritage crafts has long been a COUNTRY LIFE concern. Andy Peters (below right) is probably the only person in Britain who could describe himself as a full-time carver of ships’ figureheads: ‘I realised that ship’s carver used to be a profession and every port would have had one, but now, it’s a dying art.’

Also photographed are Owen Jones, the only full-time swillbasket maker in Britain, based in the southern Lake District, heartland of the craft ( facing page, below); professional shearer Ashley Story, who travels the world, shearing 300–400 sheep a day (above right); and Neil Robson, a fourth-generation kipper-smoker from Craster, Northumberland ( facing page, above). ‘People are becoming more discerning about what they eat and ours is a natural product that’s rich in Omega 3. Kippers are definitely making a comeback.’ (Various issues, 2018) KG