About Matthew Stroud
My first employment after leaving secondary education with A level qualifications in Woodworking in the mid 1970s was in the restoration workshops of J.H. Collings Ltd, an established antiques dealer based near Weston Super Mare in Somerset. Here, I learnt invaluable skills under the supervision of their experienced restorers.
Following on from this, I enrolled on a City and Guilds course in Furniture Design and Technology at Rycotewood College in Thame, Oxfordshire with an emphasis on Furniture design and make, but my passion remained for restoring antique furniture and I left the course to work for Michael Bull Antiques in their workshops in Oxford.
From there, I became a self employed antique furniture restorer and on moving back to the South West, over the next 20 years, undertook restoration work for numerous antique dealers in Bristol, Bath and Wiltshire including a five year period contracting out exclusively to the workshops of Bell Passage Antiques in Wickwar, South Gloucestershire.
I have found that working in conjunction with so many different businesses and individuals over the years in the antiques and furniture restoration field has enabled me to refine my skills on an ongoing basis. I am as enthusiastic about my work as I was back in my early days and feel incredibly lucky that I have a career that provides so much job satisfaction. My future aims are to continue to provide high quality multi skilled antique furniture restoration for trade and private clients as well as develop the retail side of the business.
Get in touch with your antique furniture restoration queries however small on
0117 214 0322 or 01454 228800 or email matthew@antiquework.co.uk for a quick response.