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Antique Furniture Restoration & Conservation Silver Restoration & Conservation What Makes Antique Furniture Valuable
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About Cal
A brief history follows In 1976 Cal trained as a Designer and Maker of Fine Furniture at the Shrewsbury College of Art and Design. His tutor was John Price a former pupil of Edward Barnsley of the world famous Cotswold workshops. John Price pioneered a long held ambition to teach traditional fine furniture making and design. His fledgling course at the Shrewsbury Art School started with 4 students in 1976. It grew into a nationally renowned course in fine furniture making. It is now offered as a 3 year degree course. About the fine furniture making course at Shrewsbury College of Art The course was open to all who showed an interest and an aptitude. Interestingly and quite rightly, many women showed an interest in this work as a career and made up a large proportion of the students. Formerly, furniture making had seemed to be a male only occupation. The students who populated the course came from all types of backgrounds, all bringing with them a burning ambition to study fine furniture making of the Cotswold tradition. People who joined the course did so with the intention of becoming self-employed designer craftsmen and women. Students ranged in age from 18 to 64, some coming from such diverse professional backgrounds as Engineering, Architecture and the Armed forces. Many of John’s students achieved their ambition and are still practicing as Furniture Maker/Designers today. Cal was asked by John to assist in the teaching of the course. This he did on a part-time basis whilst also pursuing his interest in antique furniture restoration and conservation. Cal was also involved as a tutor on a course offered by the college on behalf of the Council for Small Industries in Rural Areas. Council for Small Industries in Rural Areas intensive course for apprentices Craftsmen would send their apprentices for intensive training in traditional cabinetwork and furniture history. This course was used to supplement the training given by their masters at their respective workshops. Tutor of Antique Restoration at the Shrewsbury College of Art and Technology Cal also worked for several years as a tutor of antique furniture restoration offered by the college as an evening class. An unorthodox apprenticeship at the age of 26 in Antique Furniture Restoration Cal was able to further his interest in antique furniture restoration by working for a local well established and respected firm of cabinet makers in Shrewsbury. Here he was taught the trade by Warren Jones of CJ Prichards over a period of 5 years. Cal’s Workshop at the Old School Longnor Cal established his own workshop during the 1980’s in the Shropshire village of Longnor at the foot of the Stretton Hills. His clients included English Heritage, The British National Trust and many private clients from Shropshire and overseas. On emigrating to Australia in 1989 he sold his workshop as a going concern to Richard Higgins, a cellist, who wanted a change of lifestyle. Recent History Cal recently returned to England for a working holiday. Whilst there, he worked at various workshops including that of one of his earlier pupils, Chris Ayres, who runs his own successful restoration and conservation business in Shrewsbury. Being able to experience other craftsmen’s workshop techniques and solutions to common problems was a very interesting and valuable educational opportunity – a very refreshing experience. Brisbane February 2002 Cal established his workshop in Brisbane Australia in February 2003.
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