Tom
Tom Banks
Birthplace: Newcastle, England
Hometown: Aviemore
'It was a rough ex-mining town I grew up in. There wasn't much for kids to do there. I found myself drawn towards getting out of there and getting into the countryside. I now live in Aviemore where I'm known as Wooden Tom. I make a living partly from making wooden items and also from teaching woodcarving. Trees give me a living now. I need 5 Birch trees a year to survive. That pays the mortgage, my internet, my holidays... everything.'