Heritage Crafts - Red List of Endangered Crafts - UK

[Ollie78]

Here in the UK the people most likely to be buying furniture for instance are also having to pay half their income on a mortgage because housing here is overpriced compared to EU countries, starting with the price of land being much greater and then the profits made by the large house builders (my thoughts totally unsubstantiated by any evidence other than my experiences of moving 18 times in 20 years, including living in Austria and France). Many countries also seem to value their traditional crafts more.
Another big problem is careers advice, although quite a time ago my son was advised to become a car mechanic, no other jobs suggested although he showed some promise making things, we sought out alternatives he would like - and he gained an apprenticeship as a silversmith - with a 2 man award winning silversmith workshop in the next village and day release to a top London Art college. How many youngsters are advised to look at traditional crafts as a career?

What you say about careers advice is so true. When I was at school we had an aptitude test and I had somehow scored well.
So, when I asked what career it indicated for me they told me I could do anything I wanted which was entirely unhelpful and as I had no particular goal or dream it just left me adrift.
At the same time there was virtually no use of the fairly well equiped wood and metalworking classrooms we had.
Only because my Dad had a fairly well appointed garage/workshop and my great uncle built ash frames for old Bentleys did I get exposed to making things and working with my hands at all.
I hope this has changed now. I will expose my kids to as many different types of work as I can.

Ollie