Faced with the prospect of spending his entire working life looking after the financial dealings of other people, James Bradley turned a childhood passion for the varying textures of wood into a business that today, boasts the Australian Government as one of its satisfied clients.

The relaxed and very pleasant James Bradley has all the hallmarks of an English country gentleman; fair, tall, youthful and with a resonant voice that immediately demands attention. He should be a radio announcer, you think as he greets you personally at the door of his Launceston factory and ushers you into his office. But this casual approach belies the seriousness with which he approaches his craft.

"I see myself as a furniture manufacturer rather than a strict furniture designer", says James frankly. "I didn't start out to be, however. In fact, I started my working life in the London Stock Exchange, but was never really happy with being involved in the financial market. In a very real sense what I've ended up doing with my life, I suppose, stems back to my having been exposed to antiques and furniture as a child. My grandmother ran an antique business in England with a restoration workshop as part of its operations, and even as a small boy I became fascinated with the sort of creativity that was possible using woods as a medium.