About

John makes traditional basket designs that were once common in the UK’s agriculture and fishing industries. These sturdy forms serve as log baskets or as attractive, high-quality storage solutions for domestic use. In addition to traditional designs, John accepts commissions for made-to-measure and bespoke pieces when time allows.

John began basketmaking at the age of 25, driven by a desire to work with his hands, work with wood, and master a traditional craft. After exploring various crafts, he settled on basketmaking, finding it the most fulfilling. He started learning the craft with Geoff Forrest, then studied traditional basketmaking with Colin Manthorpe in Norfolk and Virgilijus Bauzys in West Kilbride. Basketmaker and artist Lise Bech also profoundly influenced him, deepening his understanding of willow and of making a living from basketry. Many of John’s designs draw from Colin Manthorpe’s notebooks and The Journeyman’s List of Basket Sizes, a book originally created to standardise pay for basketmakers’ union members that inadvertently preserved details of how to make distinctive traditional British baskets.

John is deeply grateful to Colin Manthorpe for sharing his extensive skills and knowledge during his later years and retirement. Colin taught John the rare skill of crafting the Quarter Cran Herring Basket, a technique now uncommon in the UK. John continued annual training with Colin until Colin’s death in 2019.

Please see John’s Basketmaking Tuition page to learn more about training with John

^{John is a member of The Basketmakers Association & The Scottish Basketmakers' Circle. John is a Yeoman Member of The Worshipful Company of Basketmakers}

^{John & Colin Manthorpe}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For distinction, John was made a Yeoman Member of the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers in 2021