I have made quite a
few longbows over the years, purely as a hobby and as gifts
for friends, but it was not until 2005 that I
began making longbows professionally. I started Green Man Longbows
in 2007, specializing in self yew English longbows and war bows.
I have worked with
wood for many years. At the age of 23, after completing my apprenticeship, I spent 3 years
working for a large antique dealers, restoring antique pine
furniture. After that I spent a couple of years making and
selling furniture and wood turnings.
A few years after that
I got a job maintaining 45 acres of Sussex woodland, which
involved a variety of 'green wood' projects and also
supplied the wood for a couple of very nice Ash longbows.
During this period I also undertook several years of part
time study in fine art and British history.
In 1995 I decided to
return to full time education and I moved to Bradford in
Yorkshire to begin a 4 year degree in archaeology. It was
while I was at university that I met my partner Kerry and we
have been together now for 11 years.