Chair-seater Kenneth Mason works in cane, rush, willow, reed and cord, and can repair practically anything.

There can be few households where a cane- or rush-seated chair or a stool with a collapsed bottom hasn"t at some time been part of the furniture. Gone are the days when a travelling chair-seater would knock on the door from time to time,. but help is at hand nevertheless. Chair-seater Kenneth Mason can be found at a Twickenham garden centre where, in good weather,: he works outside on the patio surrounded by plants. In winter, he retires to the warmth of his workshop. Formerly a wooden-toy maker, Kenneth started recaning 25 years ago when his father-in-law gave him two chairs with worn-out seats. What could have been an irksome gift turned into a complete career change, and Kenneth has been busy ever since. He uses cane from South-East Asia, a rattan palm which can reach as high as 400 feet into the forest canopy, working it while damp in order to avoid splitting. Kenneth, who also works in rush, willow, reed and cord, can repair practically anything. When the V & A Museum opened its 20th-century gallery, he was asked to recane all the pieces on display, but he finds a simple domestic footstool or headboard is just as satisfying a job.
Kenneth Mason, The Cane Workshop, Squires Garden Centre, Sixth Cross Road, Twickenham, Middlesex TW2 SPA, (0989) 943 4869. Prices vary according to the scale of the job: a typical cane dining-chair seat costs from £50.