Many of us do one job while feeling that deep down we are hiding an artist — a writer, painter, or perhaps an actor — longing to get out and be recognised. However, in the case of Fuman Dejahang, 32, otherwise known as Fuman Da, some would say that things have worked out the wrong way round.

He was a TV actor, appearing in such hits as London’s Burning (he was firefighter Hi Ho Silver), Ramses the Great, and earlier Grange Hill and Only Fools and Horses, but always harboured a longing to be a carpenter.

Mr Dejahang said: “Its in my blood. I come from a family of carpenters and joiners and have always loved making things out of wood.

“I may go back to acting, too, but at the moment I love what I am doing.”

And what he is doing is running Crown Pavilions, a company which produces beautifully crafted gazebos that are now finding their way into some of Britain’s best gardens, many owned by people who never accept second-best.

In fact, Mr Dejahang revealed that one of his most recent customers could even be described as Britain’s ‘trickiest.’ He was Duncan Bannatyne of BBC TV’s Dragons Den, who recently took delivery of a gazebo, made at Mr Dejahang’s workshops near Watlington, for the gardens of his spa hotel near Hastings. But Mr Dejahang was unfazed.

He said: “Attention to detail and quality, getting it right, is what we are about. We aim to be the best and it suits me because I love luxury and I love things done well.

“If we do get something wrong, we go back again, and then again if necessary, until we get it right. That is how we work.”

He started the business of making top quality pavilions four-and-a-half years ago at Hampton Court — the business is called Crown Pavilions of Hampton Court — and moved into the Watlington workshop a year later.

This move has not, however, stopped the company from continuing to win awards at the Hampton Court Show, as indeed it has also done at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Then he had a turnover of just £100,000 a year. Now he has hit the £1.25m mark, with five employees.

He believes aesthetically pleasing objects should also be practical and functional and he makes all his products with that principle in mind.

For example, the pavilions produced are either made of Canadian western cedar which, he admits, is more expensive than its European equivalent but will last for decades, or from Scandinavian redwoods which have similar properties of longevity.

And all the woods used are certificated by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) as having originated from sustainable forests.

Mr Dejahang said: “I love the outdoors, which is probably why I chose outdoor objects to make. I particularly love cedar because it suits outdoor constructions so well. It is sometimes called the tree of life because it lasts so long.”

We discussed the cedars of Lebanon for a while before he dropped into the conversation that he himself is of part Persian, and part Irish, origin.

“When I think of Persia (now Iran) I think of beautiful gardens”, he said.

He is not alone in his family in loving the outdoor life, enjoying the sun, and eating al fresco. His wife Natalie shares his interest, as do his sons Cameron, seven, and six-year-old Dillon.

Indeed, watch out for young Cameron. He attends the Jeremy Bates’ Tennis School and may be a future Wimbledon star.

And why would an actor turned carpenter choose Oxfordshire for his workshop?

Somehow, looking around, the question seemed superfluous. A hare loped along the edge of a copse nearby and a red kite circled overhead. I added: “Apart from the rural beauty of this place.”

Mr Dejahang said: “I grew up in East Moseley near Hampton Court, and we still have an office there. But I’ve always loved Oxfordshire and it’s in exactly the right place for reaching trade shows in either Birmingham or London.”

He added: “As a child we often used to go to Oxford to visit the Playhouse.”

Perhaps it was there that the lure of showbiz first took hold of his psyche.

Be that as it may, marketing and raising the profile of his business is now a number one priority. He remarked that it is no good doing anything, however well you do it, if no-one knows you are doing it.

With that in mind he has recently joined forces with sales director Damion Merry, who has experience of the trade show circuit and liked what Mr Dejahang was doing.

Certainly there are customers who like it, too. Some might say that Duncan Bannatyne could be called the nation’s most demanding customer.

His verdict on the top-of-the range £11,400 Wentworth Pavilion was: “It is already proving a popular choice for weddings booked in 2010/2011, and is a welcome addition to the grounds, proving to be a talking point for hotel guests.”

He added: “I would definitely recommend Crown Pavilions as they were efficient, professional, and the workmanship was excellent.”