Episode 9 Paul Martin's Handmade Revolution

Britain has a long and proud craft heritage,

with traditional skills being handed down from father to son,

and mother to daughter, over many generations.

But some of these traditional skills are under threat.

Many risk disappearing for ever.

If you want to help stop that decline, then join me,

Paul Martin, in my Handmade Revolution.

ALL: Hooray!

We've been searching the country for Britain's very best amateur makers.

Working with our hands gets us in touch with ourselves.

And we'll be finding out just how important their items could be.

It'd be fantastic to have my work recognised like that, yeah.

'What they don't know is one of them will be given a life-changing opportunity.

'A chance to see their work on display, at the spiritual home of handmade.'

Today's Judges' Favourite is...

Today, we're at the Amberley Heritage Centre in West Sussex.

For centuries, this whole area was at the centre of the wool trade,

so dyeing, spinning and weaving were all local traditions.

Nowadays, Amberley is home to a host of inspirational craftsmen

and craftswomen, who, like me,

are all committed in keeping

traditional skills alive.

'This is about finding the antiques of the future

'and I'll show you how to make a start in the ancient art of weaving.'

Here we go.

Not my fault, guv!

Hundreds of you have responded to my invitation to come along today

with a piece of your work, to show us what you're made of.

As you can imagine, with some difficulty, we've whittled it down

to five talented finalists,

who will go before the judges.

But remember, only one can be selected as Judges' Favourite.

The stakes could not be higher,

because one of today's hopefuls will be given the life-changing

opportunity to see their piece on display,

alongside the world's finest collection of decorative arts.

I've been amazed at the response.

But before we meet this week's finalists, let's meet the judges,

who'll decide whether they've got what it takes.

Mary Jane Baxter is a writer, teacher and milliner who is passionate about handmade.

I just know there's real talent out there.

I can't wait to see what we discover.

Entrepreneur Piyush Suri is the force behind an organisation

that champions up-and-coming designer-makers.

I know there's so much talent out there.

I see it every day.

It's going to be brilliant seeing all this wonderful creativity and skilled workmanship

Britain has on offer. I'm very excited.

And our head judge, Glenn Adamson, is head of research at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

Britain should be proud of its long history of making things by hand.

I hope to meet people who honour that past,

but are also exploring the future of craft.

So, who's got the outstanding talent?

'First in line is 51-year-old English Language lecturer, Nicole Pohl.

'Outside the classroom, she's been trying her hand at weaving.'

-Upcycling - bang on trend.

-For once in my life, yes, thank you.

THEY LAUGH I am, yeah.

How did you get into this?

I started weaving a couple of years ago, but I'm also interested

in the environment, sustainability,

upcycling.

-Upcycling has become very fashionable now...

-It has.

-..but before the Industrial Revolution, it was a fact of life.

-It was.

Everybody used to reuse their products.

And so...

I just want to know a bit more about your product choice,

like material choice. Why plastic, only?

Because... Actually, if you look very carefully,

you see old fabric pieces, as well,

which I found and can't use any more,

so I use a combination of plastic and these bubbles,

and fabric.

So, not only with your work you're enjoying it, you're also sending a message to people...

Yes, there was a point...

..to try to upcycle and recycle whatever they can?

Everything I use here is recycled,

so there's an old T-shirt inside...

and the ribbon, I found.

These bubbles are out of a skip...

from the Architecture Department where I work.

Every single bit is recycled.

You said "weaving".

Isn't it a very complex process to do?

No, this isn't complex at all.

And I actually brought a little sample along.

This is a peg loom.

It's quite a primitive loom, but anyone can do this.

I'll just use these to demonstrate.

What you do is,

I just weave it like this, around,

and you can do it in all colours, with all fabrics.

Where did you get this loom? Did you make it yourself?

You can make this yourself, absolutely.

You need to have sticks with little holes in them,

where you put the warp.

You could make it yourself. I got this second-hand.

Are you selling these products?

No. At the moment, not,

because this is my hobby, so at the moment, I give these objects to my friends.

If you want to make it more commercial,

don't you think you have to use a table loom?

I've never tried that with plastic. I would love to try that out.

I've only done it with a peg loom, up to now,

because of the thickness of the material.

It would be very good,

-because it would be more sturdy.

-Yes.

The fabric would be better, with the plastic,

because of the pressure you apply to that...

-That's true.

-I do think that would be more commercially viable for you.

-Fantastic! Good luck!

-Thank you very much.

I think that was a really good tip,

with mixing materials, to try it on a different loom.

I didn't think about that.

I have to admit, I do like Nicole's originality.

She's helping the planet with her recycling.

Look what can be achieved using simple techniques

and cheap materials.

I can see these bags being sold in small boutiques,

perhaps with a price tag of £30 to £40.

But will the judges think she's got what it takes?

Our next self-taught amateur has been working with a much more traditional material.

45-year-old David Barker is a full-time parent who spends

the very little spare time he has working in wood.

David, when I look at stools,

I think of milkmaids and milking.

So, convince me that this isn't for a milkmaid.

The inspiration is really simple.

Early in May, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure.

So I spent an evening on the internet,

researching all the natural ways to reduce it.

And meditation was one of them.

So I thought, "I'll make a meditation stool."

I had a bit of timber in the garden and had the sticks, and I made it.

Let me get this straight.

You'd never attempted doing anything with wood before?

I'd done bits and pieces. I've done things with my hands.

I used to be a potter,

and I worked with a sculptor for a short time, a few years ago.

So I've always done stuff with my hands.

But I just have a good feeling for the material.

The way I approach it is a feeling for the material.

What type of wood is this made of?

These sticks are from a local woodland,

that belongs to someone I know.

They're just hornbeam sticks,

which I'd taken the bark off, simply because I felt like it.

They've been sitting there in my garden for a while, so I sort of had the materials.

The top is a piece of driftwood. I live near a tidal creek

and this driftwood plank

had come in on the high tide about a year ago.

I liked the look of it, so I picked it up, put it in my garden where it sat for a year.

How is it jointed underneath?

What's this technique called here?

This is just a tenon and mortise, so the hole is drilled,

the top of the stick is shaped with a spokeshave...

until it's about the right fit.

And then, hammered in with some glue.

Then the top is cut off, flush, afterwards.

I see.

What I like about this, David,

is driftwood pieces are often left quite raw and unfinished,

but you've taken the decision to smooth it.

Does that add or detract to that natural feel, in your opinion?

I'd never thought of anything. I just did that because it felt right.

The way I work with the material is,

I sort of feel into the material in the moment, as I'm making it.

It's not coming from a design type of thing,

it's more like coming from a feeling type of thing.

So, when I had the piece of wood,

that's just what I felt to do with it,

when I got my plane out and I started planing it.

I don't think it through, I just go with the feeling of the moment.

As a meditative object,

something to soothe and calm, it's doing the business for me.

I wonder, though, if perhaps,

as a business,

if you use feelings very much to create,

it probably isn't a business proposition for you.

Is that a fair thing to say?

Um, I don't know. I wouldn't want to make 30 of them.

I have made one, actually, more -

because somebody really liked it and wanted one,

so I have actually made another one. I'm not going to be a factory.

It's a very emotional thing for you, in a way?

Yeah, and sometimes,

you have to wait for the piece to speak to me,

as much as me imposing my will on the piece.

It's a two-way... It's a relationship.

David clearly has a close relationship with his work.

For me, it's a classic design that's fit for purpose

and harks back to the way all furniture was once made.

David's motivation is not making money,

but a lovely piece like this might sell for £250.

I think it's great. I think it's essential to our nature

to get in touch with our hands,

so it's great if we encourage more people to do it.

Working with our hands gets us in touch with ourselves.

Today's crafted pieces could easily become tomorrow's antiques.

The market is still buoyant for beautifully crafted things.

Upmarket auction rooms all around the world are crammed full of discerning buyers,

all eager to add to their collections.

It was an emotional reaction to the mass production, back in the late 19th century,

that led to an exciting new era in design -

the Arts & Crafts movement, led by the English artist William Morris.

Arts & Crafts is one of the major contributions

that the United Kingdom made to the art world

which is a recognised style,

with a history, with a philosophy behind it.

It really is very significant.

They wanted to bring together

the artist, the maker, and the person who bought the item.

It was common back then for amateurs to take classes

and then decorate items that were factory-made.

This is a wooden box that has been painted

by an artist, not necessarily the maker of the box.

It's difficult to be 100% sure,

but we feel that this is made in the United Kingdom.

It has been hand-decorated in ink,

and then it has been hand-coloured.

There is little bits of gesso,

which is plaster applied to give it a bit more texture,

then we have some gilt detail on the top.

The box is well done.

It shows the charm, if you like,

of people who came to art and design

who weren't necessarily professionals.

The estimate on the box is £1,000 to £1,500.

The value, I think, reflects the amount of attention to detail,

and the amount of art and effort that has gone into it.

It'll be interesting to see what this box, made by an unknown

and decorated by an amateur, will make when it goes to auction.

Lot number 241. Arts & Crafts painted gilt and inscribed box, showing here.

800 on the telephone. 1,100.

1,200. 1,300.

1,400. 1,500.

It's at 1,600. Fair warning. All done. 1,600.

It seems people are willing to pay a considerable amount

of money for the work of a talented amateur.

Will we find anything good enough for the salerooms of the future

from our makers here today?

Our next Handmade Revolutionary, Onorio D'Epiro,

works as a cash office assistant.

But this 27-year-old likes to stay creative.

Yes, this man likes to think outside the box.

Onorio, what have we got here?

Er, let me show you.

SHE LAUGHS

-Unpack it bit by bit.

-Yeah, sure.

-I'm intrigued by this.

-OK. Pieces out.

That looks like a pair of legs.

Legs.

The main piece...

My first question has to be,

what on earth is it?

It's a little rusty robot.

So, tell me a little bit about him,

as you pop him together.

It's a concept I had when I finished university,

which was about four years ago.

I sculpted it in about a week.

And it's just a cute little robot that's just been playing in the rain.

-I took you a week to make him?

-Yeah.

What's it made of, Onorio?

It's made of polymer clay, which is baked in the oven.

Then I put a rust finish on it, using glue and sand.

I have to say, for something made of polymer clay,

it has quite a sophisticated finish.

I've seen things made of clay before, but nothing like this.

You're a trained model maker, I take it?

Yeah, I went to university

and studied model design and special effects.

I was unfortunate not to be able to get a job after I finished,

in the field of model making,

but I've carried it on, cos it's a hobby of mine.

Where did you get inspiration for this little chap? He's quite a character.

I don't know if he's scary or safe. I'm not quite sure.

He's a little bit evil-looking, isn't he?

I like stop-motion films

like Wallace & Gromit and Nick Park's animation.

I also like the work of Tim Burton.

That sort of dark, cute sort of feel to it.

-It's a dark humour in a way, isn't it?

-Yeah.

What would you like to do with your objects?

Do you see them as craft pieces,

or do you see them

as perhaps something that will take you into the animation industry?

Erm, I've had a lot of people say to me it'd be nice to have it animated,

but I'm not trained in that.

If someone would like to work with me and help me animate it, that'd be brilliant.

It's quite a hard object

to sort of begin to assess.

So, what's your dream, then?

Probably either to work in the industry,

to get a job in model making and work on films and things,

or possibly set up my own little studio

or little website where people would buy my work from me,

or even exhibit in a gallery or something.

If you were going to sell something like this,

what sort of price would it command, do you think?

I don't know. £300, something like that?

-Right.

-Yeah.

I have to say, Onorio, it really is a true one-off.

You've almost converted me to strange-looking model figures.

So, congratulations.

I would never have thought it's something I would have said!

I think she was a bit confused by it, but I hope she liked it in the end.

Onorio's robot shows that handmade pieces can have a contemporary edge.

Although £300 seems a lot to ask.

But its inventiveness

gives this little fellow real appeal.

Now, being crafty

doesn't have to be difficult, it just takes a little imagination.

Down here, next to the resident potters,

visitors to our Masters & Makers Day, young and old alike,

have all been given a lump of clay.

They've all been asked to make a little figure from it,

so let's go and see how they're getting on.

Hello, everyone.

I can see the kids are enjoying it.

What about the parents?

-The big kids, yeah.

-How are you getting on?

All right. I'm not quite sure what it is.

That doesn't matter at the moment.

The thing is, it'll evolve,

and it'll transform into something.

I think it's great fun to do something completely different.

It takes your mind off of everything else

you've had to think about during the week.

-It gets rid of all the stresses, doesn't it?

-It does.

Imagine doing that on a weekly basis, maybe.

Going to evening classes, or something like that.

This is something kids do all day long.

-They love playing in mud and wet sand.

-We've forgotten to play, haven't we?

Yeah... Oh, look at that!

Where are the wet wipes? Mum, help!

We can see making things is an absolute joy, it really is.

It doesn't matter what it looks like, it doesn't matter

if it turns out slightly rough around the edges and looks naive.

All the better, for me. Who knows?

Maybe these little ones could be the talent of the future.

Head judge Glenn is always on the lookout for new and gifted artists and makers,

ensuring no talent has slipped through the net.

He's found some makers

who have brought along some examples of their work.

I must say, ceramics is my absolute favourite kind of craft.

So I was really delighted to see these.

Can you tell us about the ceramics you've brought in for us to look at?

I've been making ceramics for about five years.

I didn't want to make art, as such, but I've always loved ceramics.

I've always collected them.

So this is not wheel-thrown, but built with coil?

This is hand-built, with coils, that's right.

So, a coil's a long piece of clay that you bend...?

You roll out, like this,

and you gradually build up and up...

trying to get, not a perfectly symmetrical shape,

but symmetrical enough.

-That's a wonderful pot.

-Thank you!

I saw it from a long ways off and fell in love with it.

Kim, can you tell us about your plate?

Unlike Anne's pot,

this is not, of course,

rolled out.

This was made in a mould, plaster mould.

So, I rolled out a flat piece of clay, big.

And then...

slid it into the mould.

Just not the easiest thing to do.

The pattern is taken from grasses,

and it is, in fact, done freehand...

really, just with a needle.

In historical pottery,

we would call this "grafito", which is the Italian for "scratching".

What's wonderful about this technique is it's so quick and so expressive, as well.

It really is like a drawing on the surface of the pot.

Which I'm not really very good at, but I'm learning, as I say.

-Not so bad!

-THEY LAUGH

DUCK QUACKS

If you want to join my Handmade Revolution,

you can find out more information on...

bbc.co.uk/...

ALL: Handmade!

You never know, it could be you, pitting your skills

against other talented amateurs for that coveted reward.

29-year-old Katherine Womack is keen to give up her day job

as an agency worker.

She wants to get out of the office and into the forge.

What an unusual piece - it looks like a transformer.

Where did you get this inspiration?

I got the idea when I went camping with some friends,

and they gave us a wheel rim to have the fire in,

but it was sat on the ground.

It filled up with ash at the bottom and the fire went out, and I thought,

"Why not put some legs on it?"

Tell me a bit more about this piece.

I'm fascinated by this.

I just noticed that it's a spider.

It's basically forged-steel legs,

which are all hammered out with a power hammer.

They start of as plain, round, ten-mil steel,

then they're hammered down to a point

and bent in a vice to get that shape.

Then welded-on underneath, a couple of points where they're welded.

Then the same way to make the fangs on the front,

and the end of the poker on the back.

-So something can...

-Yup. Built-in poker.

-That's fantastic!

The poker slots into two little holes underneath

you can slot the poker into. When you're not using it, you store it out of the way.

It's metalwork you specialise in?

Yeah, blacksmithing and forge work.

Tell me a bit more

about your forging process.

How do you do it?

It's basically lighting a fire with some coke,

sticking a bit of metal in till it's red,

and hitting it with a hammer till it looks how you want it to.

Do you have to control the temperature, or do you do it as it goes along?

You do it by colour.

I don't even know what temperature a forge runs at.

If it's a sort of nice, orangey yellow colour,

that's the right temperature and hit it away,

and as soon as it starts to cool down, stick it back in the fire again.

So it's more of traditional methods you're using?

It's a lot of traditional methods in the forging,

but we cheat a bit.

We use things like power hammers, which will do the work of...

Traditionally, you would have had a young person with a sledgehammer,

whereas nowadays, we use a power hammer.

Saves the 14-year-old's arms, basically!

So how did you get into blacksmith?

I'd always wanted to have a go.

When I was a little kid I was the one putting a poker in the fire

and trying to get it go red so I could hit it.

And got introduced to an old friend of the family who has his own forge and he took me on and he said,

"Right, have a couple of lessons with me," and took it from there, basically.

-How long have you been doing this?

-Erm, just over 18 months now.

So, I see a necklace around your neck, as well.

-Is that something you made?

-Yeah, I made this for my boyfriend

and I do a lot of little twisty necklaces.

I make them to friends for birthdays and Christmas, things like that.

What fascinates you more, making jewellery pieces,

small jewellery items or making big sculptural pieces?

I like everything. I like making big sculptural pieces -

it's nice to have something that's going to be displayed publicly

but I also like making little things

as just, sort of, little tokens for friends.

So, are you looking into commercial prospects of that

-and getting into commercial...?

-I would like to do it for a living but you never really make it

and I know a lot of blacksmiths who have other jobs to make money.

You never hear anybody say, "That's the blacksmith's Porsche!"

In commercial aspect, how would you price your work?

Something which is very unusual,

which is not available in the markets?

If you are going to price something to make it

you generally work out how much time you're going to spend on it

and charge by the time you spend doing it.

If that seems like an extortionate amount then you charge a bit less!

With your work I do think that you could be very good at making large,

unusual objects, which is, I think, your forte

and, as you can see, the spider... Are you fascinated with spiders?

Terrified of them!

I've been terrified of spiders since I was tiny

but somehow I, I just found this rim in the workshop and I just...

Something about it just lent itself to being a spider

so I thought, "I'll have a go at that," but I'm TERRIFIED of them!

I think it's great, I think we're going to head back

to more things being handmade in the future.

I see metal railings that are hundreds of years old

and it's nice to make something that you know that, if the scrappers don't get it,

it's got a permanence to it and it could be around for a couple of hundred years.

Catherine's enthusiasm is inspiring.

Recycling old scrap wheels is brilliant

and, of course, they don't cost the earth.

I reckon she could get £100 for her fire pits

but I know that Catherine's not just in it for the money,

it's her passion and her creative outlet.

But blacksmiths were essential to society for hundreds of years.

Not only was he the local toolmaker and engineer,

he was sometimes called upon to act as dentist, doctor and even undertaker.

Now, I'm not sure Catherine would relish that challenge

but it's great to see her putting a modern twist on this age-old skill.

And, finally, today, here's 66-year-old accountant Anne Burke

with something a bit more delicate.

Anne, I have to admit,

when I heard that you were going to be showing me a beaded necklace

I didn't have very high hopes.

But I have to say, I'm quite impressed by that.

-Can I try it on?

-Certainly.

It's got a little magnetic clasp there, so very easy to put on,

which is a really good thing.

I mean, it doesn't quite go with the dress, unfortunately, but...

it seems to lie very nicely.

And you use quite a lot of unusual techniques.

Talk me through some of the techniques you've used.

The leaves are a variation of a St Petersburg chain

and apart from that the rope itself is a twisted herringbone.

Now, it all sounds terribly technical to me.

How do you go about learning these technical stitches?

It doesn't sound very easy.

Mainly from books, erm...

unless you are lucky enough to have a local beading group.

And how did you get into the craft of beadworking?

I have an older brother who lives in the States.

He's a civil engineer.

He lost two of his fingers in an accident,

they reattached his fingers

and to make him use them they introduced him to beadwork.

We went to visit them and he took me to his bead store,

and we walked into this vast warehouse.

A whole emporium of beads!

-Full of beads and that was it, I never looked back!

-It was love at first sight, really!

It's really very beautiful, some of the work in this.

I mean, there's beadwork and beadwork, but this is so intricate.

It's finding out HOW to do it as well and how you make even like this

where you've got the petals that curve.

Getting lost in something like this allows you to switch off completely

-from the workaday world.

-Yes. Yes.

Would you say, Anne, this is very much a passion project for you?

What do you want to do with it?

It's very, very difficult to sell items,

so I really just do make them for pleasure, I make them for friends,

for family, as gifts, and that's really the best you can do.

-Have you ever sold any pieces of your work?

-I do sell the odd piece.

I have a friend who has a dress shop

and she occasionally sells pieces for me.

You look at the work of some fashion designers

and they incorporate beadwork into the beautiful embellished necklaces

and bibs now, they're very fashionable.

So, there is a demand for this sort of work.

I guess, one of the questions would be

how long would it take you to make something like this?

-That probably took 30, 40 hours.

-30 or 40 hours?

So, if we start pricing that up

it makes for a deservedly expensive piece,

you know, on sale in a high-end boutique.

-Somewhere like Liberty's, in London.

-It's a very limited market.

A limited market, perhaps, but nonetheless, as I say,

fashion designers are using this sort of piece in their collections.

So, I suppose it's tricky, isn't it, to know where to take this next.

I mean, do you imagine you'll carry on doing it for pleasure

or would you like to take it to a slightly more professional level?

I would like to take it to a more professional level.

I mean, I work as an accountant

so it's totally the other end of the scale.

In the future, with full retirement,

then maybe it might be something you can spend more time doing?

Well, in theory, I retired six years ago! THEY LAUGH

You're one of the new age of people who never retire, Anne,

that's what it is!

It's very difficult to find people

who can either show you how to do something,

or teach you how to do something.

Most of what I learned was from books.

Just to encourage more people to get involved in it would be wonderful.

Potentially, Anne's work could sell from anything from £50-£200

in high-end boutiques

but her skill, attention to detail and talent

is really hard to put a price on.

My revolution is about celebrating our nation's skills

and there's nothing more essentially British than cloth making.

Earlier, we met Anne weaving recycled bags,

something we could all try,

but I've come here to the Black Mountains, in South Wales,

to meet a master weaver who transforms the simplest of materials

into something extraordinary.

There is a rich tradition in textiles

that spans the whole of the British Isles

but this particular area is home to a breed of sheep

whose fleece is perfectly suited to spinning and weaving,

and it's been renowned for its weavers for hundreds of years.

The industry became heavily mechanised

all over the United Kingdom

but its roots are firmly in the domestic sphere.

This little house is just the kind of setting for a cottage industry

of the 19th century

and it's here that master craftsman Stuart Neil weaves his magic.

Stuart, there's a lot of work here in your studio,

that's quite evident, it's jam-packed!

But what do you specialise in? What do you enjoy making the most?

Well, I mean, the flagship is the throw

because we market that under the Welsh name of gwrthban.

It was a traditional bed cover, if you like.

Sometimes a farmer would bring the fleece to the mill, get it woven

and then have the finished object back,

you know, as part of an exchange.

-Right, I see, like a bartering system.

-That's it, that's it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

So, this is an essential piece of kit

in traditional Welsh farm houses, and cottages, and mill houses?

Yes, I mean, it's really interesting.

At one time, if you go back 300 years,

the family would be involved in the textiles.

The womenfolk would spin,

the children would card the fleece, ready for spinning,

and then the husband would weave.

And, also, in farms, very often,

if you were an agricultural labourer, when you were being hired,

if you could weave you had a better chance of being employed

so it was very much a cottage industry.

Now, these particular patterns, these, sort of, geometric forms,

repetitive patterns, that's so typical of a Welsh throw, isn't it?

Well, it's typical of South Wales and I picked it up

because there was a mill very locally in Abergavenny,

run by Lady Llanofer, who was a very famous lady,

she insisted all her employees spoke Welsh.

She was hated by half the community and loved by the other half!

But she set up this mill to provide cloth for the poor of the parish.

Cloth production in Wales dates from the 14th century

as a natural by-product of sheep farming in the region.

Stuart's workshop is in the village of Pandy,

which means fulling mill,

fulling being a technique used to wash impurities from woollen cloth.

And cloth from Lady Llanofer's mill survives even today.

Somebody said, "Oh, I've got this piece of textile,"

and I was analysing, thinking, "Oh, could I...? I could repeat that!"

-So, this is early 1900s?

-This is 1920.

This is so typical to the region of South Wales,

this particular pattern.

-I can't wait to get started, actually!

-Oh, heck!

-I really can't!

I actually want to go home today with something that I'm proud of.

Something tangible that I can show everybody and say,

"Look, if I can do it, you at home can do it."

-Oh, right-ho, then. Yeah.

-OK?

-Yeah, OK, right.

-Traditional skills, using traditional methods...

-We'll have a go!

-..taught by a master!

-Oh, crikey!

So, this is the first stage, really, stage one.

Spinning raw wool into yarn?

-That's right...

-This is how it would have traditionally been done?

-It was, all, it was...

-A cottage industry?

Yes, the womenfolk were in charge of this.

There's a Welsh folk song where the girl's love has gone to war

and she's being chided because she's not concentrating on her spinning.

Are you going to sing it?

Oh, no, no, no, I'm not!

THEY LAUGH

When I'm looking at that there's, sort of, mixed hues going on there.

-Is that different sheep?

-No, no, no, it's just the breed,

the breed actually produces these variety of colours

and you either separate them when you're spinning or you mix them.

I love that. Can I have a little go at this process? Do you mind?

Yes, yes, I'm... See how you, what you make of it!

-I've got...

-You're going to have to talk me through it.

-Yeah.

-You see, you're getting lovely lumpy bits, there.

-I know, is that bad?

Well, no, you're never reproduce that later on.

However much you try, you won't be able to do lumpy

and sometimes you would like to do lumpy!

-Treasure your lumpiness!

-OK, gosh, it's difficult!

-Mmm.

-Tease this out with both hands.

-That's right.

Uh-oh...

I'm getting the feel for it, now. Oh! It's just come off.

-That's all right. Just...

-Oh, I'm sorry about that.

-No, no, no!

-But I guess these things happen and it's all part of the process?

-Yeah.

The next process is to set the yarn.

This is where different coloured balls are mixed.

It's a very important stage

as it helps set the final pattern of the cloth.

Oh, I'm on a roll now!

It's like a giant game of Cat's Cradle...

-Follow what's already there.

-OK.

..one that takes four hours to complete!

-Let go of everything. Just pull... There we are.

-Gosh, yeah!

You've got to do a lot of calculation before you start.

You can't just say, "Oh, here's some threads, oh, I'll make a wool!"

-You've really got...

-Can't, really!

No, you can't! You've really got to plan it.

-We have to get this upstairs, then?

-Yeah, and that's a challenge.

-So, you grab that...

-Take that?

Yes, that's right and then pull it through.

Well, Paul...

is not the finest bit of chaining I've seen

but I do compliment you, that is pretty good.

Thank you. Thank you.

This is a lovely piece of kit.

How old is the loom and where did you get it from?

Oh, it's about 120 years old.

-It's seen some life, then? It's seen action?

-Oh, it has.

On the back there are some dates

from, obviously, apprentices from 1929.

-They're not inexpensive.

-If you had to buy a one of these today what...?

-Oh, £10,000.

-Really?! That much?

-Oh, yes. Oh, yes, yes.

And you just simply pull on the chord and just... It whacks across...

-And that's it?

-..and there you go.

Change...and back it goes.

-If you look, you see those shafts are lifted now and then I...

-Yeah.

-And then you've got a different set of shafts lifting.

-Yes, yes.

-And now it's a different set of shafts lifting again.

-Yes.

-I mean, that goes through...

-Then that just repeats itself?

-Yeah.

So, the next time you put your foot down it's the other one.

Well, I think it might be time for me to get my hands on the loom.

Throw your shuttle.

Cor, I can't do it as well as you! That was pathetic!

-No, well, you, you will get...

-That was absolutely pathetic!

Right, now through the shuttle back.

-That's better!

-Yes!

-And pull back?

-Er, yes, beat up.

Throw back?

Change shed.

Back, beat up.

I mean, relax into it, don't... You're very tense.

I am, I know, I'm very nervous!

Here we go.

-No, you didn't change the shed then.

-Oh!

Send it back.

You have to have an awful lot of weight on your forearm

pushing this forwards in order to get that shuttle to move across

and at the same time you can't move

because your leg is on this piece of wood, which is opening the gate.

-It's...

-It really is complicated!

-It is, it is.

You've been doing this, in this room, on this loom for 20 years.

-Yeah, yeah. I mean...

-And you're not potty!

Have you had moments where you think, "I'm going mad doing this"?

Yes, I've cursed and I've actually...

I mean, sometimes it's better to walk away

and to just leave it for a few hours.

Ah!

It's not easy, this, it's not easy, Stuart, is it?

-It's not my fault, guv!

-No, it isn't.

-A bit of a pause, folks.

-These things happen, don't they?

-Yes, they do.

You can see here, look, I've just gone wrong

and that's probably about six times across,

because it's lost its shape there.

I can see the pattern evolving in front of my eyes.

-I'm quite pleased with that.

-Your little quirk...

-It's almost Arabesque...

-That's your signature, that's Paul Martin.

HE LAUGHS

I'm really, really happy with that. I love the blue colour, as well.

-Well chosen, that's my favourite colour.

-Well, there we are.

Unroll your piece now.

This is possible, go out and find yourself a master and start making.

-This is it, cutting your piece off.

-Fabulous.

-Thank you, Stuart.

-There we are.

-Look at that.

-Look at that.

A moment I've been waiting for. Ta-da!

Look, isn't that fab?

Fantastic, thank you so much.

I feel like I've had a hand in every stage of making this.

OK, it's hard work and it takes a long time to make this

and you do need a loom like that at home, but you can, if you want,

sit at home in front of the telly, do some winding on

and do some spinning, all traditional skills and methods.

I think you should be proud of that. It's such a real achievement.

Thank you. I'll certainly treasure this, that's for sure.

But now, it's crunch time and I'm truly impressed

at what's being made behind the closed doors of Britain.

From among hundreds of applicants, these five talented amateurs

were chosen to go before our panel of judges today.

But only one of them can be nominated Judges' Favourite.

None of the finalists know what could be in store for that person.

An opportunity that could change their life and now,

it's the moment of truth.

OK, guys, here we are with our five finalists.

I've had a look at them already and saw a couple of things

that would be great to have at the V&A,

but maybe we could start by telling me a bit about your conversations with the makers.

So, Piyush, go ahead and start for us.

We have Nicole, who has a strong message of recycling and upcycling,

which is trendy at the moment. She uses old plastic bags and different materials

to create bags. She weaves on a small pegged loom,

but also now she is looking into working on a table loom and making

a better fabric out of it.

I just wanted to be here and get inspired.

If it comes out that I am the Judges' Favourite

that would be brilliant, but it's more important to be here, I thought.

And here I have Catherine, she's a blacksmith,

she uses different materials and here,

she's used a wheel hub to create a fire plate

and, guys, if you can notice, it's a spider and can I just tell you,

that she's absolutely terrified of spiders.

She doesn't pre-decide, whenever she sees an object

and it comes to her mind that this should be the final outcome of it.

-She goes with the flow.

-So, whatever it suggests to her?

-Exactly.

I think he liked it, I think he was quite impressed with it.

It's a bit unusual, not something you see every day.

So, you literally put logs in this light a fire...

-a flaming spider.

-Something that won't be in my house,

-but, yes, I think it's innovative.

-Maybe in the back yard!

OK, Mary Jane, how about you?

I spoke to Onorio, who's a model maker,

and this little fellow, he made with the idea

-of perhaps using it in animation at some point.

-I see.

It is made of polymer clay and it looks very heavy,

-but it's not, actually.

-It looks like metal.

-It does, yes.

-I love the texture.

It's interesting, he uses bits he's found to add to the design.

We've got a rust, sort of, finish that he's invented himself,

it's quite interesting.

If I was chosen as Judges' Favourite it would be fantastic.

My parents would be really proud of me. Yeah.

Once-in-a-lifetime experience, I guess.

This is David's meditation stool

which was made from a piece of driftwood

and you can see the heartwood and the sapwood in the piece.

I think it's interesting, because often drift wood is left quite raw,

but he's obviously refined it, so that was the detail I quite liked.

If I was chosen as the Judges' Favourite,

then I would be very happy.

It would, I suppose, be an affirmation of the stuff

and the things I've made and my creativity.

And then this piece here,

a beautiful necklace with very fine detailed beadwork.

You know I like girlie stuff, so it sort of appealed to me.

A beautiful floral design, lots of very intricate work

and this lady got into beading because her brother hurt his hand

and she took it up to sort of keep him company.

It would mean an awful lot to me, it would confirm that I can do what I am trying to do

and that what I try to do is appreciated by other people.

Yes, you can tell she has a big repertoire, doesn't she?

Yes, she does, and she gets lots of inspiration from the garden

and her flower displays and she loves colour

-and I think that's quite clear.

-Too much bling for me, though.

-For you, maybe.

-Too much bling!

Well, it's an interesting group of objects,

because we have a couple of things, the beadwork necklace

and this little figure here, which look like something they're not,

so beadwork that looks like flowers,

and then this rather amazing use of polymer clay to look like metal,

but then these other three objects are very straightforward.

You can really tell what they're made from,

so it's all very direct craftsmanship.

They're all expressive of their makers' ideas and passions, so...

I would go for something which has more surprise factor in this case.

Some of the things are very obvious

and a couple of them have a surprise factor, so for me

I would go for something that is quite interesting to see.

-Mary Jane, what do you think?

-Oh,

it's a difficult one this time.

I mean, there are some little oddities amongst what we have

and it is going to be quite hard to choose.

Very different things, from very different ends of the spectrum

-and my mind's not quite made up yet.

-OK.

I think I have a pretty firm idea of what I think.

I'm really impressed at what's on display here.

There is a lot of talent and attitude and remember at this stage,

none of the finalists know what is at stake -

a chance to have their work on display

at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

-So?

-I've got a possible frontrunner.

We are running out of time, the judges need to make a decision.

-I know where you are heading to.

-OK.

Shall we get Paul involved in the decision, then? What do you think?

-I think so, yeah.

-OK.

-It would be a good idea.

-He can be the tie-breaker for us.

-OK.

So, you know what I'm going to say, have you reached a decision?

I'm afraid we haven't, Paul, we could really use your help.

It seems they're split.

Mary Jane is clearly undecided.

-You're not convinced.

-No, I am. I...am.

Glenn really loves the workmanship from one of our finalists

but he's pulled toward something he thinks is more inspired.

We're thinking about here, the amount of skill involved

and also inventiveness.

Piyush thinks one of the frontrunners lacks originality

and he has a definite favourite.

I think I'll go for the concept one.

This is genuinely a tough decision.

But after some deliberation, we finally have a Judges' Favourite.

-We've reached a decision?

-Yeah.

-Good.

We have agreed. I think it's time we called in the finalists.

Well, you've all done extremely well to get this far

and I've been so impressed with your work, the diversity

and the attention to detail and the skills, so thank you.

I can now reveal who the Judges' Favourite is,

but before I do that, let me tell you what's at stake.

It's the chance to have your work put on display

in the shop at the V&A,

at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London,

the spiritual home of Arts & Crafts.

Now, that is a wonderful showcase for your work.

So, good luck. And whatever happens to the outcome,

well done to all of you, OK?

Now, we only have four finalists in front of us today.

Nicole sadly couldn't be here,

but her work has been included in the judges' final deliberations.

And I can now reveal who the Judges' Favourite is.

So, it gives me great pleasure to announce

that today's Judges' Favourite is...

Onorio with the model. Well done.

Well done. Original. Totally original.

Well done to all of you, as well, because that was close.

Onorio's rusty robot is definitely unique.

This piece just grabbed our attention -

it's original, it boasts precision craftsmanship

as well as the surprise factor. Onorio must have some mastery

to turn children's modelling clay

into rusty metal. We think he may be a bit of an alchemist.

It's been so encouraging to see so many talented makers today

using such a diverse range of materials

and some of them will have a bright future ahead of them.

This is just the start, come and join in the fun,

join our Handmade Revolution.

See you next time.