In 2007, I participated in Ted Noten's international workshop, 'Heroes', held at the Birmingham City University School of Jewellery. Participants, who were contemporary jewellers from all over the world, were matched with professionals from Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, all of them distinguished crafts people in their own right.These 'Heroes' represented an indispensable body of knowledge and experience in their specialised fields of work, which could well be lost when, over the next few years, they begin to retire.

'Heroes' set out to question fixed attitudes within the crafts and design communities, and initiate a new and hopefully enduring dialogue by simply working together.The results of the collaborations between artisans and artists were a tribute to all involved and were illustrated within a publication; ISBN:9781904839231.

I was matched with the late Tom Alcott, a Goldsmith who worked in a small workshop which had remained unchanged and uncleaned for over fifty years! Our collaboration manifested as a brooch made by us both, the materials for which were discovered and provided by Tom's working space.