IT does not surprise me that these days craftsmen and women are thin on the ground (Not so crafty, July 29).

What happened to basic skills being taught at schools, before entering into an apprenticeship, as in my day?

We are not all destined to become academics. In the Fifties those attending secondary schools such as Beckfield Lane Secondary Modern School, had the chance to learn woodwork, metalwork and the like as part of our curriculum in well appointed workshops by skilled experienced tutors.

These basic skills, even though you may not have chosen to follow one of these trades, stood you in good stead later in life.

On leaving school, like many others I followed my father's trade and began my working life as an apprentice cabinet maker at the York Carriage and Wagon Works.

Sad to say, the decline and eventual demise of York Carriage Works was already taking shape and we, as youngsters, were forced to reconsider our futures. Beckfield Lane School also suffered the same fate at a later date.

Now the demands for fully-qualified craftsmen is at its peak. The rewards both in cash terms and job satisfaction are endless.

Try and obtain the services of a plumber, electrician or cabinet maker when you need one...

Kenneth Bowker,

Vesper Walk,

Huntington,

York.

Updated: 10:38 Friday, August 05, 2005