Andover's Ron Caddy made Freeman of the Turners Company

The award, which is rarely bestowed, is given to show the company’s appreciation and recognition of Ron’s craftmanship.

The 77-year-old has been woodturning in Andover for more than 30 years. He previously had a workshop The Fairground Craft Centre, in Weyhill, before moving to work from home.

Speaking about how he got into the craft, Ron said: “In 1989 my wife and I went to look at machinery for woodworking and she booked onto a weekend course as a Christmas present and it’s been the present that keeps on giving.”

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Ron is also the national co-ordinator for the Young Turners training and development programme on behalf of the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain. This is aimed at 14 to 21 year olds, encouraging and developing their woodturning skills for the future of the craft.

“It is imperative, to keep the craft going, that we get young people involved and my role is to encourage them,” Ron said.

Ron’s main area of expertise is pen making and has previously been tasked with creating a pen out of a deer antler and another from a buffalo horn.

“Pens are something that people use daily. It is great seeing a piece of material converted to something that can be used on a daily basis.”

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Ron says he has “quite a reputation for quality”, with McKinsey, one of the biggest management consultancy company’s in the country, previously asked him to make presentation pens and kits for staff.

In 1993 Ron set up a club for woodturners in and around Andover which meets monthly at Longstock Village Hall, which currently has a membership of 55.

Ron was made a Freeman of the Turners Company during a ceremony in The Saddlers Hall, London, where he was accompanied by his wife Marina. He said it is “a great honour to be recognised in that way”.