Another good club night - March 2006

Tonight was our first meeting at our new location in Bedhampton. The setting up of the chairs, monitors, speakers, competition table, lathe and camera's was started slightly earlier than normal to allow us to try various combinations and to lose those hazardous cables. With it all done the members started to arrive, those that hadn't been to the hall before had a good look round and I'm sure they where pleased with what they saw. The two tea guys set up with the new instructions so as to be ready for half time and raffle tickets where on sale, both for our club night and our open day members raffle.

As usual the time flew past and it was time for Don to address the members, it was agreed by all that this new venue was the business. After some encouraging words to the members from Don and myself about our open day event due this coming weekend, it was over to Ken to introduce our demonstrator for the night, and with a few kind words he passed over to Stuart King. Stuart King has to be one of my top favourite turners to watch so I'm well pleased and make myself comfortable with my note pad and pen.

Typically Stuart started off with a bit of humour as he explained his order of practice for tonight's demo. He had to make a change to his original programme as there was a hitch with his chuck and our lathe, but this wasn't a problem, it just gave him the opportunity to add a bit more humour and some back ground to what he was about to turn. So with the piece mounted in the chuck he began to turn. He decided to turn a wobble bottom bowl, now your thinking, so what's to see, a 100mm dia footless bowl, how can that be interesting. Easy, give it to Stuart King to turn and you'll see.

He turned a nice shape and just lightly sanded the inside, he then turned and textured the out side and put some notches around the bulging part with the gouge and mallet, quite randomly, no measuring required. Once finished it was stained and finished producing the cutest little wobble bottom pot imaginable, how easy was that? This was passed around the hall and it was time for his next piece. This had an interesting story behind it, somewhere the other side of the world Stuart saw this guy turning a piece about 4.5" tall with a cross on the top, he turned it in about 10 mins but on a bow lathe. That's one hand pushing the bow back and forth, one hand using the one and only tool and supported it between his two biggest toes? Stuart just managed to make a copy in the same time on our lathe, by the way, both where turned to a high standard. So who still thinks they need those extra tools now aye? With that done it was time for the mid way break.

The next project was a small bud type vase and some flowers mounted on a dry twig placed in the vase. Now I've seen Stuart turn these flowers before and he can turn them out at quite a rate, and typically if it doesn't turn back how he want's it he transforms it into another flower giving all the relevant names and shapes as only Stuart can. Very soon we where presented with a lovely vase with eight different flowers mounted and it looked beautiful. As you would expect, the right size vase, the right size twig and perfectly scaled flowers and colours. All during the demonstration Stuart chatted away explaining this and that, answering questions and this time we where privileged to have a renditioning of an old chair bodgers song as well, what more can you say.

As you can imagine the members applauded loudly, they knew they had witnessed a true professional doing what he loves to do, and making it all look so easy. Well done Stuart, you've done us proud tonight. With that finished Ken thanked Stuart and received another loud applause from the members. It was then time for those last minute announcements and the raffle. Now it has to be said there was some concern over us having two raffles going tonight and our monthly one suffering because of it. Well, some well chosen words where put in our newsletter for the night and Don explained what it was all about. Surprisingly enough, we had I think, a record amount of club night tickets sold, so there you go, you have to try these things and rely on the members to support you. Sadly I didn't have a ticket come up tonight and I didn't hear a shout from Derek's direction either so I don't think he did either. Talking of records, we had a record number of new faces tonight, as well, and it was good to see John Davis, a professional turner with us again. He's been suffering abit with his health lately so it was good to see him out and about. So with the draw over it was the chairs stacked, lathe away and the sweeping up, the kitchen was tidied and clean, Don did thank the guys who did the tea break tonight, I almost forgot that. Finally the henry was passed around with the last few tables being folded away. Stuart King presented us with the little bowl and vase of flowers for a weekend prize and then it was the usual goodnights, lights out and locking the doors, and there goes another good club night.

Boots - March 2006