Guardian readers might have been enjoying Jon Henley’s series of articles on traditional craftsmen in the Saturday edition. I spent yesterday with Jon first at the workshop of Mike Turnock the last sievemaker and then in the afternoon at my own workshop. The feature on Mike will be in this Saturday’s edition and the one on me in 2 weeks…
I am sure folk who have been following the progress of the Heritage Crafts Association will be delighted to know we have been offered use of the V&A for our press launch and forum in March. Mark Jones director of the V&A is as concerned about the loss of hand skills as we are. On a personal level his daughter…
Rural crafts are being featured this week on Radio Four’s Farming Today Program and for those who are not up at 6am to listen you can listen online using BBC iplayerJust click the link then drag the slider to 9.25 when the feature starts. We hear quite a lot of press on good stories in the traditional crafts at the…
We get second hand copies of the Saturday Telegraph from my mother in law, the weekend section sometimes has nice craft stories. From yesterdays paper I spotted a separate magazine called “Telegraph Luxury” and on the cover it announced “The exquisite craft of the cobbler, the jeweler and the trunk maker.” That sounded like a fine article to me, no…
Back in February the Heritage Crafts Association were contacted about a new BBC TV series on traditional crafts. Mastercrafts fronted by Monty Don is now on its way and details are on the BBC website here http://www.bbc.co.uk/tv/comingup/mastercrafts/ Here is a trailer
So Monday in the House of Lords and Wednesday stood in the rain sawing up logs to make bowl blanks, my life is nothing if not varied at the moment. Today I cut up a sycamore log and I can tell from the blanks that it will make really nice star bowls. I have been out of stock of them…
Yesterday I spent in London talking to as many people as possible trying to pass on the message that traditional crafts in Britain need a little help. At present they fall outside the remit of all government departments and all public agencies. This means no funding and no support. The Landscape has Natural England as lead body.The Built Heritage is…
On the train to London again tomorrow for a meeting with Dr Jo Reilly, Head of Participation and Learning at the Heritage Lottery Fund. We are hoping she may be able to help us with some funding for the Heritage Crafts Association. Saturday is HCA committee meeting day so I stay in London, back home for Sunday then down for…
I have just finished three really rather special quaiches. These are made form burr maple which is a most wonderful wood. It is what most of the original medieval mazer bowls were made from. I love those old bowls and have tried to capture some of their presence in these quaiches. Here is a 13th century mazer from Canterbury. And…
Since I became aware of the web every few months or so I scan around to see what happens if you look for traditional craft on the web. I have always been hugely impressed and inspired by the things I see going on in other countries and rather saddened by the lack of information on British traditional crafts. The situation…
