Hugh Ridsdill-Smith
Woodwork and design have been lifelong interests of mine. My introduction to woodwork was with my father in his workshop at home. I studied woodwork, together with metalwork with Ted Mills in Maidstone and had regular lessons from Chris Hoad our local village carpenter in Marden, Kent. Woodwork runs in the family, I inherited my great grandfather’s tools and the workbench – a number of which which I use. I draw inspiration from many sources: the Design Museum is a particular favourite, but skilled work is all around. Recently I took part in a ‘Build a Tiny House’ course at the Centre for Alternative Technology. Their commitment to sustainable living is particularly important for me.I attend courses, exhibitions and trade shows regularly to keep up with the latest trends and developments.
I established WoodWorks in September 2016. Our approach is practical, and we put our clients’ priorities first – be they design, practicalilty, affordability, aesthetic or sustainability. Wood is a wonderful material, flexible, strong and incredibly versatile. Most things are possible. If you’ve got a project in mind and want to find out whether and how it will work, I’d be happy to talk it over with you.
In September 2020 I established Woodworks Learn, the teaching arm of the business. This was long an ambition of mine, using my background in teaching, coaching and informal community learning. I find immense pleasure helping people to develop their skills and to complete projects.
The environment
We focus on positive ways we can improve our environmental foot print for the long-term benefit of all. To this end we:
- work locally
- use local suppliers as far as possible
- ensure that timber and materials we buy are responsibly sourced
- reuse and refurbish where possible.
- do not own a vehicle, for choice it’s a bicycle – where necessary we use shared transport solutions such as Zipcar; Zipvan; Enterprise Rent a Car and cabs
- keep up to date with latest research around environmental issues through our support of Friends of the Earth and the Woodland Trust. Additionally, we use the Centre for Alternative Technology and the Society of Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) for further training and advice
- Design, create and adapt products of quality – designed to last
- minimise waste generation through the following:
- reduced consumption
- recycle packaging, plastics & office paper waste
- timber off cuts recycled as fuel (Any good material goes to local projects eg Men in Sheds)
- use information technology to reduce printed material
- safe and proper disposal of any waste created that is not recyclable
- use rechargeable battery power tools
- use of environmentally friendly lacquers, paints and materials as far as possible
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