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Turning back time for top award
An internationally renowned craftsman turned back the clock to win a top award recognising the nation's best traditional businesses.
Edale-based woodturner Robin Wood has built his own foot-powered lathe to make bowls and plates medieval-style.
And his timeless designs, made with locally sourced wood, have earned him the regional title of Best Traditional Business in a competition organised by the Countryside Alliance and Daily Telegraph.
Mr Wood (41) said: "I was very pleased when I heard that I had won. It came as a total surprise, I must have been nominated by one of my customers but I wasn't aware of it.
"There were about 2,000 different nominations."
Mr Wood began woodturning about ten years ago and has since transformed his hobby into a business. Customers have included prestigious venues including the Mary Rose Trust, Hampton Court Palace and the Globe Theatre.
"I used to work for the National Trust and started researching traditional wood crafts that had died out," added Mr Wood.
"There was nobody else doing this with a foot-powered lathe.
I built the lathe myself and had to forge big iron tools. I learned a lot from Sheffield toolmakers in order to do that.
"The most rewarding thing is using local wood to make plates and bowls for local people to use.
"It has become increasingly difficult for those of us who want to source timber locally. Local sawmills are now importing French oak so I have to go to woodland owners and tree surgeons to buy trees and cut them up myself."
The Best Rural Retailer competition aims to highlight specialist businesses that add to their community and to the quality of rural life in the face of increasing domination by large retailers.
Mr Wood's skills earned him the regional award for Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire and he will now go through to the national final.
Winners will be announced at the House of Lords on February 7.
* For further information visit www.robin-wood.co.uk
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Friday 25 May 2012
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