It’s my last name so it’s not that unusual!

I have been some kind of professional woodworker for most of my adult life. Dad was a woodworker, his Dad was too, so it’s always been the family trade.

I was born and raised in the North of England where I eventually studied Furniture Making at Leeds Collage of Art. After graduating I spent 5 years working at the college in the furniture department, and eventually became a course tutor.

After meeting the girl who became my wife, we spent the next 8 years living in Asia, specifically Thailand and Hong Kong, but decided to move to be nearer her family in Virginia, USA, where we have lived for the last 4 years or so.

The Parkes Design Company will be a place where I can showcase the various small batch products I intend to design and make, and hopefully let me achieve the lifelong dream of having a sustainable woodworking business of my own.