Tom Jubb

Interview with Tom

• What is the most embarassing job you have ever had?

• I'm saving embarrassing jobs for retirement!

• Whats your favourite thing about working at Carpenter Oak?

• There's no boss, who is the boss?

• What is the best project you have worked on and why?

• My house, because it nearly broke me! Then we got to live in it, now someone else gets the pleasure because we moved to Cornwall. The best Carpenter Oak jobs have to be Batchelor for the challenge and the staircase, also Alderwood for values and simplicity. The house was built in the New Forest by the forestry commission for local commoners. All the timber (Douglas Fir) for the frame was felled from the site the house was built on, we cut the frame in Brian's cow barn down the road (with the cows, the rain, the wind and sub zero temperatures). I seem to remember Don had to do a runner from the raising of the frame as Natalie was going into labour! The whole job carried a good energy.

• When not in the yard what do you enjoy doing?

• Surfing: I never get to do it because my kids are 1 and 3. I love hanging out with them though. Soon they will hopefully be waking me up for a dawny!

Biography

Initially trained as a marine biologist I defiantly took the indirect route into carpentry and timber framed buildings. Inspired by my dad (joiner and house builder) I ditched the snorkel and bought a hammer! After training, working and gaining experience with various timber frame companies I finally settled at Carpenter Oak in 2007. Work ethic, fellow workers and challenging projects all contributed to a brilliant workplace in a great part of the world. My career-driven (also very thoughtful) wife has recently taken employment in the right direction - even further West! This means I now operate from a small office in Falmouth, where thanks to cyberspace, I can continue to work on a freelance basis as part of the Carpenter Oak design team and effectively contribute as a foot in the ground in Cornwall!