Teenager hopes to change into wheelwright apprentice in Lincolnshire

A teenage lady is hoping to enter the male-dominated ranks of the wheelwrights – specialist craft employees who make picket wheels.

The commerce was initially established to take care of chariots, carts and gun carriages, however now the principle focus is on veteran vehicles.

Sophie, 15, helps wheelwright Daniel Garner at his workshop on the Revesby Estate in Lincolnshire.

He plans to take her on as an apprentice and put her by way of a joinery qualification at an area faculty.

Mr Garner, 47, mentioned the job of a wheelwright had developed over lots of of years.

“Any wooden wheels, from the days of the chariot through to your haywains, your horse-drawn vehicles, right the way up to your vintage and veteran cars which will take you up to the late 1920s or early 1930s.”

He was hopeful there was a safe future for the enterprise.

“There’s always cars and vehicles coming out of storage and people are having them restored,” he mentioned.

“We’re also going through the stage of the early restorations which were done in the 60s and 70s and are now having new wheels again.”

The Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights estimated there have been about 25 working wheelwrights however not all have been absolutely employed.

The organisation mentioned it was not conscious of any feminine wheelwrights.

Sophie mentioned she was excited to be working alongside Mr Garner as she liked guide work.

“Being a wheelwright is more like hands work, rather than being in a classroom so I enjoy that more,” she mentioned.

“I like working with different types of wood and tools.”

Sophie’s love of horses additionally attracted her to the craft.

“The carriages interest me and the history behind them and what got me interested in the carriages was the horses.”

Mr Garner was filled with reward for his younger trainee and described her as “very, very interested” and “very motivated”.

“She’s very much a hands-on sort of person and just wants to get involved, to be honest,” he mentioned. “Not every child wants to sit in front of a computer.”

Mr Garner hopes to ascertain a bespoke wheelwright apprenticeship for Sophie, however, failing that, will ship her to Lincoln College for a bench joinery qualification.

Several members of the Veteran Car Club of Great Britain lately paid a go to to Mr Garner’s workshop.

Chairman, Robert Hadfield, 68, mentioned: “We can’t be without Daniel because there aren’t many people around who could rebuild wooden wheels of the cars that we have, so we need Daniel as much as he needs us.”

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