Living National Treasure

The last bicycle maker in the Midlands: 'Our founder wanted small numbers and high quality. We've stuck rigidly to that.'

Tessa Waugh discovers why the company has stayed faithful to the first designs.

The political cartoonist: 'Politicians hate how I depict them, but they'd hate it even more if I ignored them'

Peter Brookes, political cartoonist at The Times, is a savage commentator and the spiritual successor to the likes of Gillray and Hogarth. He spoke to Rod Gilchrist.

The traditional fence-maker who has been turning out wattle hurdles for nearly 25 years

Traditional hazel fencing – or 'wattle hurdles' as they're properly known – is as popular as ever, a beautiful hand-made alternative to cheap, mass-produced panels which have taken over the world. Tessa Waugh meets Simon Fowler, an artisan who has spent a lifetime honing his craft.

The Saw Maker still turning tools by hand: 'Cabinet makers love these – a lot of doctors and surgeons buy them'

Not all saws are mass-produced in Far East factories. Kathryn Bradley-Hole spoke to the craftsmen at Thomas Flinn, a Yorkshire firm who still do things by hand.

The Yorkshire institution that sells 200,000 mince pies and 26,000 Christmas cakes each year

Tessa Waugh explains why Bettys, a Yorkshire institution founded in 1919, is the finest baker and confectioner in Britain.

The fan maker: ‘If you can fold a piece of paper, you can do it’

Caroline Allington is one of three people in the UK known for the heritage craft of fan-making. She explains to Annunciata Elwes about this intricate art.

The trombone maker: ‘There’s been a lot of trial, error and scrap - but after 10 years, we got there'

Michael Rath, founder of Rath Trombones, explains to Kate Green why the powerful, sonorous trombone is both tricky to play and to create.

The cricket bat-maker: 'People don’t believe it takes so much to achieve the final product. We don’t want to rush anything'

Andrew Kember has a huge waiting list of people clamouring for his Salix cricket bats, but he insists on keeping his operation just the way it is. He explained why to James Fisher.

'I didn't even know what a cooper was': Hanging with master cooper

Alastair Simms is one of Britain’s few remaining traditional coopers. John Goodall caught up with him to talk about barrels, birthdays, and beer that tastes of plastic.

The master arrowsmith: ‘Without arrowsmiths, there wouldn’t have been Agincourt’

Hector Cole is one of Britain's last remaining master arrowsmiths – a craft which lies at the heart of many moments which have shaped our history and national identity.

On top of the world: The painstaking, intricate art of globe-making

After years as little-used antiques hidden in dusty libraries, Bellerby & Co is putting handcrafted globes back on the map. Katy Birchall talks to the man with the whole world in his hands.

Boon & Lane: The only British company still producing handmade hat blocks

Boon & Lane supplies bespoke wooden and cast-aluminium hat blocks to leading milliners.

The wheelwrights who’ve been in the business for 700 years – and who work for The Queen

Mike and Greg Rowland hold a royal warrant from The Queen to keep her carriages in trim – and it's a true family business. Victoria Marston caught up with them.