Owners of Guernsey Woodcarvers, John and Janet Le Mesurier, are retiring from the business in December. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0650905)

GUERNSEY Woodcarvers will close unless it is bought. After 30 years of trading out of converted St Saviour’s barns in Les Issues, John and Janet Le Messurier are retiring from the wood-carving business and selling up shop.

‘We have decided to call it a day. We are both at retirement age and the time is right,’ said Mr Le Messurier, who is 65.

He said it was a wrench to be leaving his labour of love. ‘It’s sad for us. We love the work, but it is a lot of hard work – it has been seven days a week for many years,’ he said.

He took up the trade after the first time he tried it at an evening class.  He became so inspired that he gave up his 14-year career as a carpet salesman overnight.

‘When I got home, after the first class, I knew it was what I wanted to do for a living,’ he said.

‘We started by setting up a little stall in the old Guernsey market, then at the Friquet Butterfly Centre, then we converted this property, which had been derelict,’ he said.