I started working with metal in the Blacksmith’s Shop at South Crofty Tin Mine, the last working tin mine in Europe, a job I stepped into following a bad road accident. This rekindled a longing to work creatively, which had bubbled beneath my surface since being refused a place at art college on leaving school.

I worked alongside the blacksmith and occasionally in the mine workshop welding bay.

We would produce anything from 32mm eye pegs to pinch bars, also welding drill ladders, repairing links on big machinery chains or welding up the wagon wheels.  

These days are among my most happy memories. I could ride my push bike off road nearly all the way in for sixish in the morning. We would sharpen all the drills then light the fire and set about our orders for the day. As long as there were no problems we were basically left alone to organise ourselves. From time to time people from the workshops would call in or the drillers or shift bosses would come in with a problem or order and to be such a vital part of a team was a fantastic feeling.

 When it was announced that the mine was to close I was determined to make the most of the time I had left there. I began to stay behind after work to make things like candleholders, a weather vane and a fire grate for my friends and collegues.

This was the last time I had a forge to work with. Now all my work is formed cold or using a burning torch to provide localised heating. I am looking now to make one as I really miss the hot working of the steel.

 On closure of the mine I sought work in Hayle, with two metalworkers who introduced me to the use of copper. During the Eclipse in 1999 my ex-bosses, an artist blacksmith - Hilary Binns and myself created a Dragon sculpture on Goonhilly Downs from scrap metal, which formed part of an arts field at The Lizard Eclipse Festival.  We produced  work similar to mine now and I found myself producing many mirrors and candlesticks for them. Another side to that business was work in nightclubs producing balustrade, dance cages and cladding bars etc. However after around eighteen months they decided to go their separate ways and closed the business.

 At this point I took the decision to go it alone. With the help of West Cornwall Enterprise Trust and a loan from The Prince’s Trust Abstract Arcs was set up in July 2000. I began in a damp Nissen hut on the same site I work  from now, Trannack Mill. I was asked to take a stall at The Royal Cornwall show alongside four or five others to showcase the sort of businesses that The Prince's Trust had helped in the area. I have been in three seperate units on this site and have settled in Unit 3.