b'A talented craftsman is created from a blend of nature and nurture, born with the love of making and restoring beautiful and interesting things coursing through his veins!Before I moved to the Thames I lived and worked by the sea. At first I missed the adventure of sailing, tides, storms and the seascape - the river was so completely different. However, the boats were amazing and, because I got out on the water whenever possible, I began to learn about and love the river. Many boatbuilders rarely go out in a boat - something I have never quite understood as using boats has always been fundamental to me. As a boatbuilder I needed to know how they handled, how they looked on the water, and how the people on board were accommodated. When you take friends out on the water you want them to feel comfortable and safe, you want to talk freely and enjoy the experience, so the boat must also be a sociable space. As a craftsman you learn to hone the detail in your work - subtly so that is not starkly obvious to the overall design. I have learnt a great deal from Bill Rose, the genius collector, who lives by the mantra of understated elegance with his collection of magnificently restored Thames boats at Shiplake. The overused and worn phrase less is more does actually have a resonance when it comes to the design and building of beautiful boats. I have learnt to concentrate on selecting very high quality materials and keeping a simplicity to the use of varnished timber. I want to build 107'