Every year is different but I have to admit, 2024 has not been as easy year. The cost of living started to hit us at the end of last year, so much so, I ended up taking part time job to help with finances. To be quite honest, I thoroughly enjoy it. I love being busy, and seeing so many more people. Its given me an extra boost when coming into the shop. In May 2025, we will have been in our shop on Wyle Cop for 24 years. Having a part time job with the extra income has meant we could carry on. Trade has improved over the last three months, but I will continue to work in the other job as I enjoy it and it keeps me sane.

We moved workshops in early summer which has made Mark's life much easier. It's closer to where we live and a great environment, with many positives working in Ellesmere. Our upholstery classes restarted in Ellesmere and we have been overwhelmed with students and the support you have all given us. They restart in January with many students coming back with more projects to work on. We must be doing something right if they want to keep coming back!

One of our proudest moments of 2024 was our eldest son achieving a First Class Honors degree this year. He will be starting his new job in January and I will miss him terribly. He has been an enormous help to us since finishing university, working in the shop, helping with deliveries and helping his dad in the workshop. He's not too far away so no doubt he will be back on a regular basis for Sunday lunch.

Our youngest son is in his last year of A levels and has applied to university to study sculpture and environmental art. He is a budding sculptor and has already sold some of his creations. He loves working with wood so if you are on Instagram, and would like to support a budding artist, then please do follow him @whimsicalwoodworkss (note the two ss on the end) He takes after his dad for art as I can't draw a straight line with a ruler! We love that he has so many ideas buzzing around but he is taking over his dad's workshop.

We are feeling positive about 2025. I think more people are looking for quality and understand that quality isn't cheap, and cheap isn't quality. We will always put quality, sustainability and attention to detail first. Its what we do. So a very Happy New Year to you all and please do get in touch if you have any questions, queries, are looking for new or re-upholstered furniture, or would like one of your pieces re-upholstered.

A customer visited us last year enquiring about making them a pair of leather wing chairs. They had ordered a pair from a company, and they were very unhappy with the quality so had decided to send them back. We don’t make wing chairs, but we do make an Edwardian style armchair which suited their Victorian home. Their request wasn’t straight forward. They wanted a higher seat, no cushion and to be upholstered in leather. Mark was reluctant at first. It would mean redesigning the chair which would take time and upholstering them in leather costs more and takes longer.

This did not discourage them much to Marks surprise. After visiting Mark at the workshop and talking the whole thing through, we agreed to make them. The legs would need to be longer, the rails changed to tie the springs to, the springs 3” higher than we usually use and they would be firm. This is what they wanted which would help with mobility.

The fun then began. Mark stared making a prototype to figure out where the rails would go in comparison to the seat height. This took time. The front legs had to be higher, the back legs higher but ensuring the difference between the arm height and the back was the same distance to the normal chairs we make. Time consuming, head scratching and working out time had to be factored in. It’s not just as simple as using bigger timber. We had to order wider beech to make the back legs which all come out of one piece, as the 4” wasn’t wide enough to get the extra length. This took a while to arrive, and some had to be sent back due to inferior quality. We were beginning to wonder if someone was trying to tell us something. The ordering of the leather was the next thing. Pillar box red was required, and the leather company told me it was due in stock in a couple of days. Six weeks later it arrived. We were beginning to wonder if these chairs would ever arrive with the customer.

Individual close studding is the only way to finish leather. We don’t cheat and use stud strip, so 1500 brass studs later, they were finished.

The customers patience and understanding of the job Mark had said yes to was very much appreciated. They knew it wasn’t a simple job. This morning they were delivered, and I’m pleased to say they were delighted, and probably relieved that they had finally arrived. We were too.