You Wood Enjoy This!

I was so busy posting about ZeroWasteWeek, that I completely forgot to post about our visit to The workhouse. We last visited ten years ago
I'd read that their Summer Specials were concluding with a demonstration of woodcraft, and I figured Bob would enjoy this

The woodworker was still preparing when we arrived, so we went inside and had a good look round the Museum. Some displays had changed since our last visit, others had been re-organised during lockdown and were one-way or distanced. All the 'hands-on' stuff for children had temporarily been put away.

I shall post more about the Museum itself later. Ithas some great hostorical artefacts. After seeing all the inside stuff, we had a snack lunch in The Mardlers' Rest Café, then looked round outside. There's a fantastic new outdoor play area. And we spent ages talking to Adam the woodcarver.

He was working at a pole lathe, and had also been carving spoons.

All sorts of lovely items on sale - spoons, dragonfly tops for garden canes, butter knives with colourful handles, plant dibbers, honey dribblers ...

And don't you just love his leaf bunting? That was the safety line to stop children getting too close to the demo. The little flags were made by banging the leaves into the fabric. A collaborative project with his son and his wife.

I was fascinated by the way a 'blank' of wood is shaped and carved into a smooth spoon, so tactile, so lovely to handle.

This is 'greenwood' work - unlike Bob's use of 'seasoned' wood on his lathe.

Adam and I spent ages discussing the teaching of manual skills in schools, the virtues of 'make do and mend', and the joy of creating something from scratch - be it a spoon, a sweater or a sourdough loaf.

I could have spent the whole day watching him working,

It turns out that Adam only lives a few miles from Cornerstones - and he runs training workshops . Not only in spoon carving, but also in axe throwing, archery, paddle-boarding and more. I cannot throw dice reliably, but suggested Bob might enjoy throwing an axe.

Adam gave me a leaflet and told me to check out his website. He kindly said I could use pictures from the site on the blog too. [thank you!]

Do check out his site - there are all sorts of lovely little gifts on sale, and courses to sign up for.

My next retirement adventure? I shall be going to a spoon carving workshop at the end of the month! Not Bob, ME - maybe I won't have the knack of carving, but it will be lovely to have a go. Watch this space...