Tricks of their trade: meet the UK’s most unusual master crafters

‘We cut the rushes while they’re at their full height and in flower – the stems can grow 10ft high’: Felicity Irons. Photograph: Jooney Woodward/The Observer

Felicity Irons, 54, rush weaver and merchant

Back in my early 20s I had a car accident and needed lots of treatment, which made it hard for me to hold down a job or pursue the career that I’d intended – I had a degree in drama. Between treatments, I started teaching myself how to work with rush, using a book I’d found. With the help of a business loan, I set up the Rush Matters workshop and spent the next couple of years repairing rush seating.