A FATHER has set up a carpentry business inspired by his daughter, with each piece bearing a carved lily.

Gavin Kirkbride, 31, has wanted to be a carpenter since he was a small child and saw mice carved in his grandfather's ashtrays.

The ashtrays were made by The Mouseman of Kilburn, Robert Thompson, and, aged 15, Mr Kirkbride left Northallerton Grammar School and went to work there for 15 years.

When his daughter, Lillie, was born, he decided to strike out on his own and create a world-renowned business that would be his legacy to her.

Lillie, who Mr Kirkbride calls his little tiger, is two, and has already been through a lot in her short life.

She was born with hip displacement and since she was five months old, has under- gone operations to reposition her hips.

On October 12, she will go into The James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, for a third round of procedures, which will result in her wearing a cast over her hips and legs.

Mr Kirkbride's business is called Lily Handmade Furniture.

Each bespoke piece of furniture is hand-carved out of solid oak and carries as his signature and mark of pride -a hand-carved arum lily, a symbol of peace and serenity.

He said: "I was quite happy at the Mouseman until I had Lillie, and I wanted to have something to leave to her.

"She is two years old now. I left nearly a year ago and set up on my own.

"I just wanted to have my name out there as a craftsman in my own right. Everyone has to start somewhere.

"I make what people want. It is all totally bespoke.

"People can come with an idea and I make it how they want it making."

Each piece is painstakingly made by Mr Kirkbride. A bookcase can take up to two weeks to make and a television stand can take a week. About 30 to 40 hours of work can go into a chair.

Every arum lily takes about one-and-a-half hours to carve and, instead of crafting the flower and attaching it to the piece, Mr Kirkbride carves the lillies on the piece itself.

More details of his work are available on his website, www. lilyfurniture.com

He can also be contacted on 01609-773827.