I had my first blacksmithing lesson last week in the forge at Surrey Quay’s farm on the bank of the Thames in Rotherhithe. For years I worked in fabric trying to defy gravity until I realised I needed metal frames to support the structures I was making.

During a storm, avoid flying swirls of soot and sparks in your eyes and ignore horizontal rain.

The first 2 hours of making a half penny snub end scroll

Today the anvils are so cold I’m having to work much quicker and heat up the bar more frequently as the anvil is sucking the heat out of the bar.

How to make a steel black waxed heart.

These are the lessons I’ve learnt after a further three hours in the forge.