It was part of an open day for the college I was applying to and when I saw hot glass it was instant. I knew I wanted to work with this material. I think it is like that for a lot of people – you are either scared to touch it or cannot get enough.

No, each approach has its place. I need both to create the pieces I make. The fluid, unpredictable form of the material when it is hot, and then the time for cutting and polishing the work, making decisions when it is cold.

No, I rent facilities and then I take the work back to my cutting workshop. This works well for me but it means I have to be organised and use my time wisely when working at the hot glass stage.

Most people do not understand the cold finishing process. Once you cut glass it is rough and chipped, not shiny, and it needs to be polished back up. This can take a long time and if I do it right the end result is that you would never know about this stage.