WSWT Newsletter, December, 2009
Christmas/Winter Solstice

Club Notices

Members were reminded that subs are overdue and if not with David Parfoot pronto, places will be offered to members on the waiting list.

Jim Young thanked the committee for electing him chairman for the coming year. He has previously held the job of events organiser for several years and has been vice chair for the past two. However, he will be standing down at the end of this year. World travel beckons! But does he know how much it costs to take a lathe and wood store long haul?

Member Ron Inglis has recently received a letter of thanks from the Children’s Hospice Chestnut Tree House for donated items. Ron has plans to do the same for St. Barnabas House (adult hospice) and has blanks, kindly given by Les Baker, on offer. He is also happy for members to provide their own blanks!

Keith Greenfield (who wears a lot of hats on our behalf) is looking for additional members to play a part in next year’s West’s Wood Show (Fri/Sat 7/8th May). After offering to assist in manning the AWGB stand some years ago, the role has grown to include our own exhibition and demonstration! If you can help – an hour or so can make a difference – contact Keith on 01403 791115 or by email. Keith is also the source of named sweat/polo shirts and smocks and can probably arrange delivery by reindeer for a small extra charge.

Tom Bradbury, Tom Streeter, Dave Unsted, Dave Dean, Robin Read, Tony Twine, Don Pollard and Keith Greenfield regularly attend the Amberley Museum events and other external fairs. Their collection pot for WSWT has accumulated ca. £450, for which they were duly congratulated! An even more ambitious fund raising scheme is being planned. More details later.

Brian Bailey, after 14 years much appreciated service, is to stand down as ‘Kitchen Steward’. He has provided the refreshments that keep body and soul together for the second half of our meetings, and tidied up after us all these years. Thanked and applauded for his efforts on our behalf, he and his wife, who has a recurrence of cancer, have our sincere best wishes for a successful outcome.

Meeting Report

While the competition was being judged by Ted Hickford and Denis Blaydes, we were treated to a fascinating and enthusiastic insight into the art of furniture conservation (undisguised repairs) and restoration, where disguise is the essence! Tom Bradbury, one of our top turners and Amberley coordinator to boot, forsook his banking career a while back. When looking for a part time job, he quickly found himself working full time in furniture repairs! Great care is needed when dismantling (damage limitation), while a huge inventory of old wood, nails and screws, a knowledge of timber and traditional materials (especially glues) – and lots of patience are also paramount. He stressed that when selecting timber for repairs, the matching of grain is far more important than colour; colour can be fiddled, the wrong grain cannot be disguised. No little ingenuity is required to replace carved items (Tom exemplified this with the story of a replacement mahogany table leg) while the end game of assembly (care with speed before the glue sets!) and finishing (use of corrosives, French polishing) were also addressed. All in all, an informative and entertaining interlude, with a touch of the uncanny….just as Tom made the comment ‘accidents do happen’, the judges behind him (Ted actually – – Denis was innocent) allowed a box lid to escape to the floor!

The Open Competition

Always the most difficult to judge, the wide variety of items on show was again a very challenging task for Ted and Denis. However, they did provide an entertaining and constructive critique and agreed the listing below!

Competition Results
First Second Third
Beginners Peter Brown Peter Legge Peter Whitmarsh
Intermediates    Robert Brady Terry Hooper
Tom Steeter 		 
Advanced Gary Parkinson    Charlie Martyn    Dave Newson
Bob Eastabrook

Congratulations to all those who took part!

Various Help

Help Needed to turn 10 ‘straight forward’ stair bars in 1½inch pine. David Parfoot would have happily done it, but they are to be 35inch long! If you can help, contact David on 01903 751064 or by email

Help Given. Thanks to all those who made the Pre Christmas meeting a success, especially Judy Reed, stand in competitions sec, judges Ted Hickford and Denis Blaydes, speaker Tom Bradbury, and last, but no means least, Joyce and Val for the sausage rolls and mince-pies.

Help Promised Val is to take over from Brian in the kitchen. Thanks!

Finally

The Chairman and the committee send their best wishes for Christmas and the new year of 2010. Where did that that decade go?
With some changes in membership, and addresses, it is possible that the newsletter will not get to everyone as it should. If you hear of problems, contact Mark Hughes. 01903 872840 or by email