WSWT Newsletter, January 2010

Meeting Report Sunday January 3rd, 2010

Don Pollard started proceedings with apologies for absence from chairman Jim Young whose wife had been taken ill and with the further bad news that projectionist Bill Whittaker had broken a leg in a recent fall in the icy conditions. Bill will be in plaster (not “plastered” as reported in the snail mail version of this newsletter)for 8 weeks; we wish him well and look forward to seeing him on stage again later in the year.

Ron Inglis thanked members for contributing items for his Hospice war chest of turned items and blanks; no doubt he has space for more!

Then the lathes got up and running; five real ones, one virtual (used by Jimmy Clews) plus sharpening wheels. As promised, natural edged items were the target, and lots were made during the course of the morning.

We had great demonstrations from Peter Brown, Dave Dean, Alan Fielding, Keith Greenfield and Tom Streeter and two exhibitions of work. I also saw Dave Dean sharpening various tools with great skill. The items exhibited by Charlie Martin and Alan Fielding were very special and Alan’s large bowl in London plane (lacewood) was to die for!

Thanks to you all for making it such a good start to the New Year

Next Meetings

Charlie Martyn will be demonstrating colouring techniques on February Sunday 7th.

The March meeting will have the Natural Edged Item competition at its core, and we are reminded the edge can be with or without bark! Remains of knuckles, nails, skin and bone, however decorative, are unlikely to find favour with the judges, although a sympathetic 0.1 of a mark could possibly clinch a tie break…

Old Nonsense

Anyone any idea where the first ten years of the new century has gone?
The webmaster wishes to point out that the new century began on January 1st 2001, NOT January 1st 2000.

The editor was lucky enough to win a prize in the raffle at the December meeting and wisely chose a box of very upmarket crackers (Waitrose, no less). They were not labelled ‘prophetic’ but at the family Christmas lunch my cracker came up with the perfect gift. A small bag of new marbles! As one of the ‘children’ queried “How did Waitrose know that you had lost yours when you hadn?t even gone to the shop“?

Having spent newsletter space in the past ribbing Ted Hickford for needing reminders to turn up on the first Sunday of the month, it is pleasing to record that he is obviously a new man in 2010! In a confidential interview with WSWT Newsletter he confessed to turning up early for the year’s first meeting – on the Saturday!

Members Lists

We used to publish a list of members each year to every one but ceased to do so when it was thought we might be contravening the data protection act. Several members have asked for an up-to-date one and current advice is that we are at liberty to circulate within the club. When we have finished updating the 2010 list (end of January) it is planned to distribute names, addresses and telephone numbers (where we have them) but not email addresses. However, if anyone specifically wants to be excluded from the circulated list, please contact David Parfoot or a club officer before, or at, the next meeting.

And Finally

A big thank you to Don Pollard for his role as MC at the meeting. Not quite faultless, as he failed to provide the editor with another winning ticket in the raffle!