Meet Alan Paulus - Wheelwright and Traditional Bucket Maker

In the lead up to our Heritage Crafts Weekend on 26 & 27 July, we take a moment to meet some of the traditional craftspeople that will be at the event. Our first maker is Alan Paulus - wheelwright and traditional bucket maker.

“I am a Wheelwright and the only Traditional Wooden Bucket Maker in the UK with my own section on the "Red List" of endangered crafts.

As a wheelwright I make all types of wooden wheels, for carriages, carts, gypsy caravans, cannons , wheelbarrows, and even bicycles.  Currently I am restoring several market cartwheels which will then be followed by two sets of medieval Cannon wheels. 

I started making buckets professionally about six years ago, having previously made them for myself including a Hot Tub which at over 600K views remains my most popular youtube video, and according to my wife is the best thing I have ever made. The majority of my buckets end up in Museums, Living History Groups, Gunners, and reenactors. In the summer I make a range popular with Gardeners, as tubs, sauna buckets, and well buckets. However, I am constantly amazed what people do use them for. I make a shallow wooden washing up bowl much loved by photographers who use it to take pictures of cute babies and puppies, and a brine tub with a lid which has been purchased by several households, not to brine food, but in order to hide toilet rolls. 

My website is www.heritagecraft.co.uk  , my YouTube channel is heritagecraft  and on Instagram I am tom_green_craft. I periodically get "discovered" by the media I have been on Local and National Radio and most recently I was the feelgood story on the BBC news website.”