Gosport craftsman wows Macy’s store in New York in 1996

David Postin had spent the previous 12 years handcrafting wooden horses based on traditional designs at his workshop in Newgate Lane. 

He made rocking horses, miniatures and fairground hoses, as well as ship figureheads and animal carvings. To carve and paint three of them takes two and a half weeks. 

Famous customers included musician Phil Collins, who bought a 3ft fairground horse for his wife. 

The former lawn-mower engineer got hooked on horses after making one for his son and started his business in a garden shed. 

Macy’s approached him to produce some miniature fairground horses which cost £225 each.  Each horse was unique and he looked on them as works of art. 

‘They are a status symbol and tend to only be sold in good quality shops,’ said David.

‘There are only three good rocking horse makers in the world and I am definitely one of them.’