These old tools belonged to my grandfather and my father and are now sometimes used by my husband.
My maternal grandfather was a carpenter and like many young Irish men of his generation he went to America in search of work. Unusually, he returned home from New York and, with the money he had earned there, set about extending the cottage he'd left into a two-storey farmhouse. I imagine that traces of his craftsmanship remain in the
staircase and other pieces of carpentry around the house.
My father was a builder and he too went overseas in search of work. His
time in south Wales left him with a love of classical music and opera. He too left his stamp on the house.