Mastering the intricate skills of the clock repairer has resulted in a rewarding new business venture for John Vincent.

After a varied career in fishing, farming and social work, a severe back injury left the 51-year-old from Orkney out of work.

"I knew it was time for a change," John said. "But although I was interested in antiques, I never considered repairing clocks."

His outlook changed when Christine Linklater, a disability employment adviser at Jobcentre Plus in Kirkwall, suggested he sign on for an intensive 12-month course in horology, a chance to learn exactly what makes a clock tick.

Now, with support from Orkney Enterprise, John has set up Vincents - his own clock repair business. 

The local enterprise company, part of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise network, backed the venture with a £1,200 grant and a £200 monthly "wage" under the Business Start-up scheme.

"To get a wage for your first 10 months in business is absolutely brilliant," John said. "It takes a lot of the pressure off and is letting me develop my skills, expertise and product range.

"Before I took the horology course, I'd had chronic back pain for months and I was a bit lost as to what to do with my life.

"The course itself was a bit daunting at first. They checked out my dexterity by asking me to make a tiny spare part for a clock. But once I settled into it I found it was something I really enjoyed."

Back in Orkney after a year at St Loye's Foundation in Exeter, John is finding he is a man in demand - with news spreading by word of mouth about the new service he offers.

When a customer has a timepiece in need of repair, he visits their home, checks out the problem and removes the clock mechanism for a thorough check-up and service at the Vincents workshop.

The clocks he works on date back as far as the early 1700s. They were built to last but, after many years of faithful time keeping, are often in need of a little tender loving care.

"People get very attached to their clocks," said John, who is a member of the British Watch and Clockmakers' Guild. "They've often been in their family for generations and it's quite a privilege to work on a much loved heirloom.

"Back in the workshop, surrounded by the relaxing sound of clocks ticking, I find myself thinking about the men who made them all those years ago. There was no electricity then, everything had to be done by hand, and it's remarkable what they could achieve."

As well as offering a repair service, John has invested in the equipment he needs to manufacture parts like the hands for grandfather clocks - and pendulum bobs made from lead covered in gleaming brass.

These he plans to sell on visits to clock fairs out with Orkney and through a specialist shop in the south of England.

Orkney Enterprise development manager Harvey Stevenson said: "John is offering something unique in Orkney and we were delighted to be able to support him.

"The Business Start-up scheme is designed to help new businesses get off the ground through what can be a difficult initial trading period.

"John is hoping to export his expertise out with Orkney, as well as offering a service within the islands themselves, and we saw his new venture as something well worth