Another good club night - February 2006

Can any of you think of a word to replace Wow, I can't use it for two reports on the trot. So how about……………(thinks)…………BRILLIANT! That will do. I don't know where the time goes. I think somebody has seamlessly knitted 7.30pm and 10.00pm together. It all starts with the usual "I've got plenty of time" thing, and ends with the "where are my keys I'm going to be late" bit. Anyway, I arrive with the hall full of members all over the place lifting, placing, talking, writing, testing and setting up. I have two boxes of, now this is where I take a moment to check my grammar. (Somebody wrote a couple of sentences using the of and off and the to too in order that I get it right. So I apologise now if I get it wrong as it all looks Greek to me) So where was I. Are yes, I had to boxes too take with bits in as tonight was going to be busy taking details and chatting about our forth coming open weekend and such.

Mike was taking members names that came forward with varying forms of help for the day at a table half way down the hall, so it was obviously best to set up next to him. Steve saw me and used my empty box to put his coat in so now we are established squatters for the night. The competition pieces had been placed which included five novices this time, the numbers are gradually increasing which is encouraging. The lathes all set up and the tea and coffee prepared just in time for Don to call order and we where away. First we had some serious club business to sort out, do we move or do we stay? Don suggested that we think about it through the evening and take a vote later.

So with that one out of the way for a while Don mentioned a couple of other bits then introduced our demonstrators for the evening. Robin Lacy did ring tool work, Brian Mitchell showed us waxing on gold and John Hilton did a tear drop bowl, and very successful he was to, well it was bound to be, he didn't have to use the timber I supplied this time. (You had to be there to appreciate that one) So off or of they went turning and chatting away. I instantly got into discussions about all sorts of things and that's pretty much how it was for me all night, didn't even get chance to take the pictures for this report. The members had a good evening looking at the plans for the new hall, Mike a I measured the hall and calculated the difference in square ft, the new hall is about one third bigger, that surprised most of us, its all to do with ceiling height you know.

The demonstrators where kept busy with questions and some guys had a go, and that's not easy with an audience. Don explained the scaled drawing he had of the other hall to try various ways of seating people. Colin has agreed to run the clubs open day raffle for members and we had a number of prizes donated, our open day is really coming together now. Arthur and Jo did the teas tonight and as others have it was all cleaned up and tidied away with the money counted and handed in. Its nice to know the Chair and vice chair don't have to do the teas any more.

After tea break we had the last brief for the hall relocation and with no more questions Don asked for a vote, the members unanimously voted to move, so more on that one later.

It was then back to the demonstrators to wind up their projects and to start clearing up. The raffle was drawn as the lathes and chairs where put away. I got a number come up this time, good job to, I was wondering what was happening as I hadn't got a draw in months. All the competition items where collected and I sometimes forget the gallery, I'm not sure if anybody else displayed but Steve, John and I had items on the table just for members to see and chat about. John Horn is a regular participant to this and presents us with some original ideas so a big thanks to him. So with the hall all tidy again it was the last bits of chat and names to collect for our move on Saturday and there goes another good club night.

Boots - Feb 2006