Wood you look at that! Shropshire engineer's stunning wood-carved creations
An engineer who turned his hand to woodcarving is preparing for his first ever art exhibition, after chiselling out a new hobby during lockdown.
Phil Caswell first picked up a chisel during the Covid-19 pandemic, when restrictions halted work for his engineering consultancy business.
The 56-year-old turned to woodcarving to stave-off the lockdown boredom.
Phil, who lives in Tern Hill near Market Drayton, said: "When Covid came along it hit my business hard and all my pre-booked work was cancelled as I could no longer go to factories around the country.
"This meant I was at home permanently as nobody wanted to risk an outsider coming onsite.
"I was bored, so I thought I'd give woodcarving a go."
It soon became apparent that Phil was harbouring quite a gift for whittling - and when restrictions eased, he took his wares to a fair.
Fairs turned into festivals, and now, Phil is getting set for his first ever exhibition.
He said: "I'm nervous about the exhibition, but also excited.
"None of my family are arty, but I have a lot of design experience: lots of working with 3D models making aircraft parts and automotive parts, but I haven't done anything like this before."
Phil's handiwork, which includes Viking and Celtic-inspired carvings, will be on display at Jones's Coffee House in Market Drayton throughout February.
