A Carpentry and joinery apprentice from Buxton & Leek College has taken a twist on the festive tradition. Unlike the traditional Three Kings visiting the carpenter, Apprentice Mason Challinor has been installing work on King Charles’ Balmoral Estate.
Mason has been manufacturing and installing cold frames as well as helping to make components for a large garden building with his employer Woodpecker Joinery Ltd, who are proud to work with the Kings Foundation and the Duchy of Cornwall.
Carpentry Apprentice Instructor Mentor at Buxton & Leek College, Stuart Rowlands, said: “Mason never ceases to amaze me with his work. He takes on each challenge with exact precision and should be extremely proud of his achievements.”
As well as his involvement in the manufacturing process at the workshop for components of the large garden building, Mason was solely responsible for the cold frames which are used to lengthen the gardening season on the estate. “I never imagined, when I started my apprenticeship, that I would be working on the Balmoral estate.
“I am immensely proud to work on the estate and showcase the quality of my work.
“Being an apprentice at BLC provides a wide range of opportunities and allows students to not only excel in traditional architectural joinery products but allows us to produce transferable skills for manufacturing specialised products.”
We are also proud to display Mason’s work at our Leek Campus where he built cases to display traditional tools used in the industry. 
Buxton & Leek College offers a variety of career focused courses across our Campuses. Find out about our programmes for all ages at www.blc.ac.uk
