My life as a 'blacksmith' began in 1970 working as a 'Saturday Boy' under the watchful eye of 'Master Blacksmith' Terry Martin, who in 1971, took me on to become his apprentice, under the guidance of The Worshipful Company of Farriers.

Terry was to become my lifelong friend and mentor.

Working for Terry felt almost surreal, an adventure.

Learning a craft and a way of life, which was already under the threat of change.

The type of work we did, the clothes we wore, the life we led. It was all a product of the past and I felt fortunate to experience it before it vanished into history.

But to test myself further and to practice the things I enjoyed the most, I took myself off to Bewdley Folk Museum, where I met Artist Blacksmith Ivan Smith.

I arrived here on my 19th birthday and stayed until April 1977.

Sandy Duff was a true master craftsman, a magician when it came to forging. A quiet man, who could go all week without speaking to me...a man to be revered and respected but he would only teach what I needed to know, in order to work for him...and so, I needed to move on.