Another good Saturday morning.

I’m excited this morning; well I’m always excited on a Crafty Turners day, who wouldn’t? but today I’m more excited than usual, you’ll find out more later.

We are all set up and we have our required committee meeting before we start, everybody signed the book and had a copy of the last minutes, it went very well, everybody understood what was going on and then it was over to this mornings matters.

I mentioned a few things and then the surprise…the girls didn’t want to announce it so I did, we had been awarded a £500.00 grant from Radio Solent…many thanks to all at the station, very much appreciated. So the usual “it’s a workshop not a play ground” and everybody got stuck into crafts and turning.  

I forgot the sticks for the boys this morning but Angy as always had something to keep them busy, it was pressed out ply animal parts with a plan of course, kept them all quiet for quite a while. A number of light pulls were turned for the children’s ward, Thomas made a goblet and Sam made a lovely Yew mushroom, he was very pleased with it.

Bit light on members today so I had time to go round and chat to everybody, still let my tea go cold before I drank it,……I know…..I’m a hopeless case. We had the usual Banana cake and drinks mid way through, Alex helped Sue in kitchen this morning as Jordan was turning a light pull with Eric.

I think we have an idea of how the 3 girls can introduce themselves on the web site, more on that project later as it develops. The second half of the morning was cool, calm and collected, nothing like the usual meetings we have, I think everybody took advantage of the seemingly quieter meeting. Lots of sewing at the craft table, its nice to see young people sewing patterns, we should look into mixing the sewing with the turning somehow.

Well I think that’s it for this meeting, just to say Ron and Bill couldn’t make it so we had less adults here as well, oh and before I forget Lucile the Blacksmith popped in and introduced herself, Kieran, Sam and I are going down to Southsea this weekend to see what she gets up to, maybe there is something there for Crafty Turners?

As per everybody helped pack away, sweep and vac the hall, Jordan helped me load my van as he was coming back to my workshop for the rest of the day, its so rewarding to have the lads wanting to help with the loading and unloading and to spend time in my workshop, there’s not always a project in mind but they know there is always something exciting to fiddle around with.

So with the van loaded and the doors and windows checked it was off to the chippy and the workshop, and there goes another brilliant Crafty Turners meeting……

PS Jordan turned a 12 inch Oak bowl for his mum in my workshop, he cut the blank some time ago when we wanted the off cut to machine a finger hold used in rock climbing (more on that another time) it was a very old and dry bit of Oak.  As soon as the blank was cut he put his name on it and its been under the bench ever since, that is till today, he saw it as we unloaded and decided to turn it today, it was getting quite late so no pictures of it finished, but Ill get one for all to see, its an interesting design, I’ve not seen anything like it before, but that’s Jordan for you, when you least expect it………POW………  

Mick

January 2011