About Henrietta and Tom

Henrietta has always been interested in needlecraft and sewing after taking a tailoring course in college. However, marriage to Tom, a teacher, and 4 children delayed this interest and her career.

Tom is a cabinet maker and woodworker, who made furniture and acoustic guitars, taught woodwork in secondary schools and guitar in the evenings.

In the 1970s, Henrietta, Tom and their children moved to Scotland to open a business. Tom made wooden turned items which sold to tourists, while Henrietta wove traditional overshot patterns and made up evening skirts. Sadly the business was dealt two severe blows when first Tom, and then Henrietta, suffered serious accidents.

So, after 9 years, the business was closed and the pair returned to England. Unable to really settle into normal employment again, and now without children to support, they decided they would do something new.

They wanted to teach English in China!

They then spent 4 years living on the edge of the Gobi desert, teaching English to university students, and sharing their Christian faith with the Chinese. They have lots of stories to tell of this time in their lives.

"A falling leaf returns to its roots" is how they explained their desire to return to the UK. Their Chinese friends understood.

And so they returned to England to "retire".

But Henrietta is bored with retirement.

"I want to spread some beauty and colour into the world." was how she answered, when I asked her why she was thinking of taking on all the hard work of building another business at a time when most people would be slowing down.

And from the patterns I have seen, "spread colour and beauty into the world" is exactly what she will do.