In 2020, Sam Cooper and Richard Platt had the opportunity to set up a traditional rush seated chairmaking workshop located on the Marchmont Estate, in the heart of the Scottish Borders, thanks to the commitment and financial support of entrepreneur and arts-and-crafts patron Hugo Burge together with the Heritage Crafts Association. The workshop itself is brand new but their craft is traditional in terms of designs, processes and methods. The two artisans learnt everything about the craft directly from Lawrence Neal, the protagonist of “The Chairmaker” film and sole custodian of the secrets handed down by the fathers of the traditional rush seated ladderback chairs – Philip Clisset and Ernest Gimson – which are still popular in the country.
Sam Cooper & Richard Platt