About Me
Position in Club: Past Chairman
My fascination with woodturning started at school. I returned to the craft as part of my physical and psychological recovery from a work accident which left me paralysed with severe spinal injuries. Although I could not walk, I could use a lathe and woodturning played a key role in my rehabillitation. Luckily I didn’t cut my spinal cord and eventually I got the feeling back in my legs and started the long process of learning to walk again. Using the lathe pushed me to stand for longer periods and woodturning gave me a purpose and sense of achievement. After three major operations and seven years of rehabilitation, I was fit enough to return to full time work.
Having benefited so much from woodturning, I want to help others by teaching woodturning. I have worked for a canoe & kayak manufacturer for 24 years as Operations Manager in Clevedon. In June 2017 I won a bursary from the worshipful company of Turners in London to help get training and improve my skill base. (thanks to John Smith and Greg Keenan for this).
I work on the weekends at my studio at Clevedon craft centre and the name is Chesil Woodcraft as this was where my turning took off when I lived in Dorset right next to Chesil Beach.
My Workshop
My Work
This is just some of my work. Just click on the images below to enlarge them.
