What do catflaps and some of the finest carpentry in the land have in common? Bruce Hodgson, that’s what.
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The man who founded Artichoke is our guest on the Country Life Podcast this week, talking us through the history of the brand, as well as his own personal journey as a craftsman, and what the future holds for heritage crafts.
Bruce’s journey to Artichoke wasn’t what we’d call traditional. After ‘being asked to leave’ school, and a brief stint in the army, he returned to the thing that made him happy as a child. But it wasn’t straight into the Country Life Top 100 for him — he spent 15 years working as a carpenter before Artichoke became synonymous with elegance, timelessness and quality.
I'm jealous of him, in a way. I always loved working with my hands and making things when I was at school, but it was always a subject that was treated as a hobby, rather than a career. We as a nation have a rich history of building beautiful things, although in recent years it would be hard to tell...
So while Bruce may have set up Artichoke to make beautiful things, he’s not done yet. Not satisfied with creating one of the country’s most well-respected interiors companies, he’s determined to put making and craftsmanship back into the spotlight.
Whether it’s little steps, such as re-framing woodworking away from being just ‘a hobby’ and to be taken more seriously as a career, to larger projects such as the Inspiring Makers conference, apprenticeships, work experience and the Artichoke School of Furniture, it’s clear that in Bruce, making has a fine champion.
Episode credits
Host: James Fisher
Guest: Bruce Hodgson
Editor and producer: Toby Keel
Music: JuliusH via Pixabay
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