Life can take some strange twists and turns none more so than for Chris Baylis, founder of The Real Wood Furniture Company, based in Woodstock.

From Berkshire pole vault and triple jump champion at 16 an athletics career cut short by injury to guitarist playing venues such as the Marquee Club and the Hammersmith Odeon in various bands to respected dealer in and acknowledged authority on antique English country chairs.

And Chris didn't stop there. He is now a successful furniture designer and runs a business that makes and markets high-quality furniture from one of the loveliest shops in the country. But music isn't forgotten. Chris is enjoying continued musical success thanks to the recent re-release of his 1991 album, The Guitar Orchestra, in Germany.

If you tell Chris that he has a charmed life the answer would be "yes but not without a lot of hard work along the way".

Chris left college intent on a career in music but not wanting to be broke, as so many of his musician friends were.

A few false starts, freelance translating (following a degree in German and Swedish with economics), lettuce picking and other bits and bobs led to a driving job for an antiques dealer who was big' in country chairs.

Within days, this dealer asked Chris to become his runner', (a term for someone in the antiques trade who roams the country buying on behalf of dealers).

While doing this, Chris developed an eye and a love for the simple, but elegant, country chairs that he was buying. Soon he was buying chairs and country-style furniture for himself.

The dealer Chris worked with retired from the trade in the late 1980s and Chris found himself 'not so suddenly' as a major supplier to the antiques trade of matched sets of restored country chairs Windsors, rush seated ladder back and spindle back chairs, kitchen chairs, and so on.

Chris founded The Real Wood Furniture Company some 14 years ago in response to some of his antique dealer trade clients resisting the inevitable rise in price of certain styles of chair that were becoming increasingly hard to source and commensurately more expensive.

He sought out cabinetmakers and polishers who were prepared to work to his exacting standards and The Real Wood Furniture Company was born, as suppliers to the trade of beautifully made, traditionally styled country chairs.

From here there was a natural progression into making tables, dressers and cabinets, drawing on the skills and experience of style and proportion gained through the years of handling the best antique pieces.

Ultimately, making for the trade became an unsatisfying experience as the trade clients typically wanted their furniture made to a price, but Chris's philosophy was much more about making it to a quality.

The way forward seemed clear if daunting if Chris could access a retail end market, then he would be able to make his furniture to the standards he wanted, in the hope that he would be able to access a market which would appreciate the same standards of quality and design.

After some shaky early times, Chris has established a solid business in Woodstock.

With a fair wind blowing and the help of a bank manager who unusually in this day and age "had the faith", he has moved into premises which he has lovingly restored and which serve as an excellent and large space to display his unique furniture collection.

In between times he has designed a new furniture range, a departure from the traditionally-based designs which remain the core of The Real Wood Furniture Company's offerings, but which point towards a positive and vibrant future.

In the last few years the company has gained an enviable reputation for quality and service, only possible through the experience of many years handling fine furniture, the hours put in and attention that Chris still contributes to the business.

The next project is an album of cello and guitar music and more innovative furniture design!

For more information about The Real Wood Furniture Co call 01993 813887