Thanks chaps, design is my own yes it was made to broadly fit the style of the TV stand next to it and still fit in the gap between the stand and the fireplace.
The timber came from my usual chap in Cleckheaton and I rooted through his whole pile of 3" 8 foot long boards of maple and this was the only one with any significant ripple. Seeing as this pile came from a job lot acquired from a defunct cabinet makers firm years ago I don't think he will be getting more any time soon.
It would appear that all the decent ripple maple gets snaffled by the yanks and the timber yards over there can get good cash for it