We took a break from scraping and sanding and popped in to see the amazing arts & crafts fair at Hyde Hall. We met Nicholas Hobbs, designer, craftsman and constructor of architectural furniture for Lincoln Cathedral. Amazing stuff. Not just the quality, but the story of integrity behind each piece. Most of Nicholas’ work remembers the famous figure of St Hugh, probably best remembered as the builder of Lincoln Cathedral, but this was only one of many of his achievements. St Hugh was born in Burgundy, France in 1135. He became a monk in the Carthusian order when he was 15. He became a scholar and was a gentle but assertive man. In 1178, King Henry II founded the first Carthusian monastery at Witham, Somerset as a way of saying sorry for the murder of Thomas a Becket. He appointed Hugh as the prior of the monastery. Hugh made his mark from the start by refusing to move into the monastery until the king had built homes for the villagers. He became Bishop of Lincoln in 1186 and built a new cathedral there.

Pictured is the irrepressible, passionate Nicholas with models of the pieces he has designed and built.