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The West Sussex Woodturners We come from all walks and disciplines of life, but all have a love of wood and woodturning. Some are experienced amateurs, some are less so, some are professionals, some are beginners and it is this mix which makes the club a success. Woodturning is essentially an individual craft, thus the aim is to bring together like-minded people in order to learn and share knowledge and experience.
History West Sussex Woodturners was formed in 1988 by five Woodturners who met in each others workshops, initially to view and discuss their work and to share ideas and working practices. Inevitably more people wanted to join and the original Pulborough village hall venue became too small. We moved first to Storrington and then as numbers increased, to our present home at Sullington village hall. Regularly held on the first Sunday of each month (except New Year's Day) starting at 9.30 am. Morning only sessions are usually membership led, but full day demonstrations and lectures by professionals are featured several times a year. It is worth noting that the attendance at these usually exceeds 65-70% of the full membership. A large video screen with audio is provided to help everyone get a good view of the proceedings. |
Open House One of the most popular events, however, is still the "Open House" where up to 7 lathes, plus grinders are available for anyone to demonstrate or discuss a particular problem or technique. There is always someone who has done it, seen it, or had it happen - why try to reinvent the wheel! This together with a Members’ Corner, bring-and-buy sales, our regular features of book and video library, sales of abrasives and tooling accessories, plus "swap-shop" and raffle make for an enjoyable time browsing, solving problems and chatting to fellow members.
Sales of work are arranged to provide an outlet to the general public; venues include Petworth House, Arundel Wild Fowl Trust and Amberley Museum where, throughout the year, in the Woodturners’ Hut, we demonstrate the progress of wood turning on a modern electric machine. Membership Currently limited to 120, male and female, with ages ranging from 14 to 80+! This limit ensures our comfort in the hall, particularly on Open House days. We are proud to say that of some of our members have achieved success in national competitions over recent years.
Send to the Secretary using the Contact Us page. |
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New Appointments for 2011 - 2012: Club Officers: Chairman - Tony Matthews Secretary - Don Pollard Treasurer - David Parfoot
Newsletter Editor & Webmaster - John Byford |
Committee members: Keith Greenfield - Shop John Stepney - Events Martin Shepheard - Competitions Secretary Chris Grace |