UP! - North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

The From man software
to read
who loves
stones
IT Expert expert letter goes back carver to the Joss future lends a steady hand...
YOU may have read the work of Joss Nankoo. He’s demonstrations hosted by Joss.
not an DIGITAL-AGE author. Joss is IT a expert skilled Christine craftsman Brewster and alsowent
“I used to teach at Thames Valley University, so
an avid ‘back-to-the-future’ reader like many of to us discover – but of fresh stones. digital that part came easily, but the important thing for
“There dexterity are so and many a second different career types in of hand-made stone – me is it helps to retain traditional stonework
Portland, willow Purbeck, basketware. York, sandstones, granite and crafts. I always try to use local materials and
slate to name Although but a few…. successful and contractor you have to in know the IT sensitive methods in my work,” says Joss who has
them sector, all very, working very well with if you blue-chip are going corporates to work in thea degree in building surveying, and is a member
them. south-east, You have to Christine be able had to look always at a enjoyed piece of of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
stone, leisuretime read it, see handicrafts its individual such character as quilting and and and the British Register of Accredited Memorial
then visualise dressmaking. how it She will even end up, found before time ever to be you a Masons.
set a hammer conservation and chisel volunteer on it.” with the Berkshire, Joss got into stone letter cutting by accident.
Thatcham-based Buckinghamshire Joss and is an Oxfordshire expert stone Wildlife letter While working for stonemasons in Canada in the
carver, Trust. but his talents extend far beyond the 1990s, the need came for a letter cutter with a
carving of Then, house in 1993 nameplates she took and part gravestones. in a
steady hand and a head for heights. Joss
That’s two-day why he’s basket-making been assisting church course. “I groups just and volunteered. Soon he was 300ft up a church
parish got councils hooked within on this the centuries-old AONB recently, craft passing steeple working on restoring Latin stone
on his and knowledge started to and go advice to lots about of training the
inscriptions.
condition, courses, restoration including and some repair in Poland of localand
“I found I had a natural ability for it. My
stonework. Ireland. I used to make baskets for friends, creativity, attention to detail and personal pride
developed The free condition my own stripey surveys, styles, funded and by then the developed the work into a passion. When I got
began AONB’s to Sustainable get commissions.” Development Fund, back to England, I directed my energy and
have She generated gained City significant & Guilds qualifications,
interest enthusiasm in this direction and began focusing
was about asked the ‘hidden to give basket-weaving
heritage’ of my work on letter cutting and stone restoration,
demonstrations churchyard headstones and private andlessons,
eventually evolving into my own business Stone
and prompted now regularly workshops runs and basket- Art Memorials.”
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