Tom: We both learned from our fathers, and we learned by watching them doing it around the campfire. We began crafting at the age of 12, and we are in our seventies now so it’s a lifetime of skill. Generations of skill really.

James: Tinsmithing, as practised by Travellers, is a highly mobile craft that doesn’t depend on nails. Instead, rivets, also made by tinsmiths, are used to attach handles. Seams are made by folding and hammering the metal and vessels are shaped using tinsmithing stakes.

Tom: Yes, it was our way of feeding ourselves, trading our craft. When we grew up travelling around the different parishes, there were lots of tinsmiths. It was an everyday occurrence. Tinware was essential to life in the days before plastic. It was a lovely way of life.

Well, we are some of the last Traveller tinsmiths left in the country, so yes it is in danger. It’s nearly gone. I’d like to see some of the Traveller younger generation taking it up and keeping the tradition going. We aren’t going to be around forever.