A HANDMADE oak rocking horse has been donated to Little Harbour children’s hospice in St Austell after hours of work by one man from West Putford creating it from scratch.

John, 77, a retired heating engineer, had always been a keen woodworker and, on moving to West Putford 11 years ago, met and had lessons from a professional wood turner living in the same hamlet.

Eight years on and John is now a fully-fledged woodturner, who even built his own workshop that he works in, and a member of the Guild of Rocking Horse Makers. John has made seven horses in total, five of which have stayed in the family and get passed down through the generations, sometimes being restored by John along the way. The first horse that he made 30 years ago, originally for his first grandson Miles, has now been passed down to John’s first great-granddaughter.

In 2021 John set about making his seventh rocking horse which he made to donate to Little Harbour children’s hospice on completion.

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