Chips off the old block
9:28am Saturday 21st January 2006 in News By Matt Jackson
Jamie Skerton with dad Simon and grandfather Arthur Ref: 200604-20
A SWINDON family is carving out its place in history by training the latest generation of carpenters.
Jamie Skerten, 17, is doing a carpentry apprenticeship at Swindon College and is following the footsteps trodden by his ancestors for centuries.
Jamie's father Simon Skerten, 38, was named Apprentice Of The Year for 1984 while he studied at the college and is able to trace the family trade back 10 generations.
Simon said: "The Skerten family have been working as carpenters in the area for years I can count eight generations off the top of my head.
"The family is quite rare because we are both carpenters and joiners. Normally tradesmen tend to be one or the other, but we are all equally happy with both."
Before Christmas Jamie and Simon were joined by Simon's father Arthur, 69, on a project in Old Walcot, which had even greater historical relevance.
Simon said: "It was great for the three of us to work together.
"We built a roof for an extension on a house, and discovered while we were working that the original stairs had been built by my grandfather, Frederick William Skerten."
Simon said he was proud that Jamie had continued the family trade.
He said: "I never pushed Jamie into following my line of work, even though the things he used to make as a youngster were amazing."
Father and son work happily side by side, but Simon revealed that it was different when he was an apprentice.
He said: "My father and I couldn't work together until I reached my mid-20s. We used to argue, although now we get on very well, as Jamie and I do."
But Jamie said that it was daunting opting to become a chip off the old block.
He said: "It's a bit intimidating there's so much history to live up to.
"But it didn't put me off. It's something I always enjoyed, I knew I wanted to do it since the times when I watched my granddad working."
Arthur said: "It's great to see a young person taking up an apprenticeship.
"I trained during the 1950s and it seems far rarer to see someone taking up that commitment."
When asked why he thought the Skerten family had such a strong carpentry ancestry, Simon was stuck for words.
He said: "I think it's just something in the woodwork."
