Living National Treasure

The flint knapper: ‘They used to make prisoners do it, but I do it for fun and manage to make a living'

John Lord is one of very few people in Britain who makes a full-time living out of only one stone, in addition to aiding universities and museums with lithic work.

The Miller: 'A Victorian miller could walk in and know exactly what to do'

Not many people in Britain can say that their workplace operates exactly as it did 200 years ago. Karl Grevatt can. He spoke to Tessa Waugh; portraits by Richard Cannon for the Country Life Picture Library.

The poppy maker: ‘I was very weak, very emotional and in a bad place when I started, but I’m back to my old self again now’

Wish Lloyd battled a traumatic childhood, the army, an athletics injury and homelessness to find his place at the Poppy Factory, making the poppies we wear every November.

The gravedigger: Digging graves by hand, putting aside emotions and his hopes for his own final resting place

Alan Munnery has spent the last 20 years working as a gravedigger at one of Europe's biggest cemeteries, which happens to be just outside Woking. He spoke to Tessa Waugh; portraits by Richard Cannon.

The Dorset button-maker: Easy to learn, cheap to source and fun to create

Born in the heartland of Dorset button-making, Jen Best's yarn shop doubles as a classroom where she passes on her knowledge to anyone wanting to produce their own unique creations.

The stone conservationist: 'You can’t beat good old-fashioned hand tools that differ little today from those used centuries ago'

The hill shepherd: ‘I’m not sure where the shepherds of the future will come from’

Graham Oliver is proud of the profession handed to him by his grandfathers but with his children choosing different career paths, he doubts the future of shepherding. Tessa Waugh reports.

The luthier: 'You don’t know if you’ve been successful until you put the strings on. That’s the moment when it comes alive'

Tom Sands brought the lessons he learnt from the California king of guitar-making back to Britain, where he makes stunning, personalised instruments for his clients. Tessa Waugh reports, photographs by Richard Cannon.

The wine merchant: ‘We supplied George III’s Coronation and have been official supplier to every reigning monarch since’

Buying director Giles Burke-Gaffney discusses the history of Justerini & Brooks, as well as their exciting plans for the future of the wine industry. Photographs by Richard Cannon.

The Windsor chair maker: 'What fascinates me is that a wooden chair can feel so lovely and comfortable. They just wrap themselves around you.'

Jim Steele has been making Windsor chairs by hand for a quarter of a century. He spoke to Tessa Waugh, with portraits by Richard Cannon.

The putcher fisherman: Flying the flag for a dying way of life

Chris Cadogan, as the only remaining fisherman to practice this medieval method on the Severn, laments the decline of the industry he has dedicated his life to preserving. Tessa Waugh reports, photographs by Richard Cannon.

The racing-yard manager: ‘The hours sometimes get on top of you, but when you get the winners, it’s all worthwhile’

A cabinetmarker by trade, Richard Leadley followed his love of horses to his current profession. Tessa Waugh reports, portrait by Richard Cannon.

The wool-spinner still using an 1899 loom and a method handed down for 230 years

Toby Tottle embraces the traditional process of textile production in Mainland Britain's only surviving district woollen mill.

The sheep-shearer: 'If you tell people what you do, they often don’t know what it involves'

Sheep-shearers are a dying breed, but Ashley Story relishes the back-breaking work. He spoke to Tessa Waugh; portraits by Richard Cannon.

The beekeeper: 'There are few things better than a full comb of capped liquid gold'

The neon sign maker: 'Piccadilly Circus was our answer to Vegas – now it's all pixellated screens'

This week's Living National Treasure is Marcus Bracey, the man behind the neon signs that light up our cities. He spoke to Tessa Waugh; portraits by Richard Cannon.

The Scyther: ‘We were up in arms about Poldark – his swing was all wrong’

Scything was almost forgotten until Aidan Turner’s turn in Poldark, but Nigel Adams says there’s still a place for it. He spoke to Tessa Waugh; portraits by Richard Cannon.

The costume-prop maker: 'I think of myself as a problem solver with a bit of artistry chucked in'

Tessa Waugh meets Alan Smith, head of costume props, footwear and armoury at the RSC.

The model ship maker: 'It's been my life's work - I wouldn’t swap anything for the pleasure it gives me'

Philip Reed has dedicated most of his life to building model ships; he explained why to Tessa Waugh. Portraits by Richard Cannon.

The hedgelayer: ‘There’s nothing better than seeing a nicely laid hedge’

Tessa Waugh meets Tina Bath, who’s been laying hedges in Somerset for 32 years.