Page 20 • The HERALD • 12th March 2026 v SAY YOU SAW IT IN THE HERALD v The Square, Fawley, Southampton SO45 1DD T: 023 8112 3112 E: office@zebra-ltd.co.uk All Plumbing Works Undertaken Full Bathroom Installation Toilet Fix from £75 Fully Insured Free Quotes No Job Too Big or Too Small PLUMBING & BATHROOMS MR SWEEP THE CHIMNEY SWEEP keep it clean - keep it safer Open fires, wood burners, stoves etc. Both private and commercial properties Member of the Guild of Master Sweeps Tel: 07971 280906 www.mrsweeplymington.com email: mrsweeplymington@gmail.com 38 Bath Road, Lymington SO41 3SB • Re-Skimming • Rendering • Coving • Dry Lining • Tacking • Artex Covered • Floor Screeding www.tbrownplastering.co.uk Call: 07919 183989 Friendly • Reliable • Professional • Free Estimates YOUR JUST INDOOR WINDOW CLEANER HOUSE CLEANING ALSO CALL JEN 07398 422924 New Forest Scaffolding All aspects of scaffolding undertaken • Extensions • Chimneys • Re-Roofing • New Builds etc For a friendly, local, reliable service and a free quotation Telephone: 07734 476855 www.newforestscaffolding.co.uk Full Liability Insurance Lychette Cottage, Roughdown, Blackfield SO45 1XG HANNAH’S ELECTRICS Your Local Female Electrician NEED AN ELECTRICIAN? From simple upgrades to complete house re-wiring - and everything in-between, Hannah’s Electrics is the perfect choice. A trusted tradeswoman with sensible rates covering Southampton, New Forest & Waterside areas CONTACT HANNAH 07585 778136 W: www.hannahs-electrics.co.uk • E: hannahelectrics@gmail.com Like us on Facebook From Forest to Fretboard: Handcrafted Instruments by a New Forest Marque Maker e New Forest Marque emblem is synonymous with quality New Forest produce – notably food and drink. However in recent years the Marque has welcomed and supported businesses from a wide range of categories which meet its criteria for local provenance. One group proudly championed by the Marque is a small niche of New Forest cra ers that gather, produce or grow their materials within the special landscape. ese include wood workers, potters, and textilists, who live and create their wares locally, obtaining at least 25% of their materials from the land in order to meet the criteria for the New Forest Marque stamp. One such talented member is Alex Potter – a designer and maker of handcra ed guitars and traditional musical instruments. Professionally known as A.S. Potter Instruments. From his workshop in the pretty village of Sway, Alex spends his time cra ing each instrument from scratch using carefully selected local timbers, hand tools and heritage techniques. Each guitar showcases great skill and attention to detail, but Alex’s process aims to delve deeper than any one instrument and is rooted deeply to the landscape of the New Forest. Where guitar making is traditionally reliant on tropical rainforest, old-growth or otherwise endangered trees from far ung corners of the world, Alex takes pride in using sustainably harvested, New Forest grown Senegal, spruce from America (among many others), all imported to a factory in China to be made into a guitar before being shipped to the UK. If I can use an ash tree cut in Brockenhurst, processed in East Boldre and then further re-sawn in my workshop in Sway, that timber has potentially travelled less than 20 miles from tree to guitar. Using local, recycled and considerately sourced timbers does present challenges, but it also produces instruments with unique characters. Buying local puts money into the local economy, certainly, but it also reduces airmiles, increases supply chain transparency and helps manage environmental impact. This is one of the reasons why I am a member of the New Forest Marque.” It is the independent local businesses like Alex’s that embody the ethos of the New Forest Marque and all that it stands for. ese are the inspiring makers who care deeply about the environment and are committed to protecting it. Together, as a strong supportive community of like-minded producers, we can help ensure the New Forest and its unique and wonderful qualities are present and celebrated for years to come. As well as custom-made designs, Alex Potter also o ers repair, maintenance and restoration services, and also teaches classes in instrument making and traditional carpentry. For more information visit: aspotterinstruments.com timbers such as walnut, ash and yew. He regularly sources from local businesses who share his sustainable ethos, such as fellow woodcra masters and Marque members BearWood - who are devoted to creating a new life for salvaged New Forest timber that would otherwise end up as rewood or woodchips. By Alex’s own admission his output is too small to change the world of guitar making on his own, but by demonstrating the beauty and character of these local timbers he hopes to show that a more responsible, considered, local approach can produce wonderful instruments. Alex explains: “A typical guitar might be made from rosewood from India, mahogany from Alex Potter testing one of his handmade instruments in his workshop (Credit: A.S.Potter Instruments) Alex Potter in his workshop (Credit: A.S.Potter Instruments)
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