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Essex Bodgers Walled Garden Meet Sat 9th September

Calling all wood botherer’s, willowy woolly weavers, turners, tanners, leatherworkers, stickmakers, dragon riders, folksters, strummers, Rangers, and of course, Bodgers!

Our last meet was fantastic. We’d not had one for a while, so it felt extra special. Even a torrential bout of rain near the end didn’t dampen any spirits. We retreated to the log cabin, hit the biscuits, and carried on carving.

We had a visit from Ali Asadi (@carvingandturning on Instagram) who came with a lathe, gave a couple of our newer members their first go, and then turned one of his marvellous lidded boxes. Deborah, Andy, and Bowl Mike ventured out from London. We had three Davids, Ranger Dave, Chief Insp Dave Wilkins, and Pink Panther Lathe Dave, who didn’t live up to his name as was without the Pink Panther. Mike showed us how he retrieves his pencil from an ankle pocket he made for his carving jeans. Wendy (who dislikes coffee) ate several cappuccino biscuits. Ranger Dave brought some Willow, Bowl Mike brought some Birch, and CI Wilkins brought a huge bounty of various wood. I snagged a lovely bit of Birch ideal for a ladle and a couple of Bird Bowls. I also accidentally broke the Duck Bowl I was making, but such is life. Plus this wood stuff grows on trees!

If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse. If you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is concrete, so treadles cannot be pegged down.

Our meets don’t just have to be about making wood chips, we encourage members to bring other crafts to the meets, be that spinning a yarn, weaving a basket, making a tool sheath from leather or bark, and even decorative methods for our wooden items. Feel free to showcase your other craft skills as we are interested in sharing and learning a wider range of skills as we grow as a group. If any members would like to lead a session of various crafts for the group, possibly a paid one day course, please get in contact with me and we will see what we can arrange for the future.

About the venue

The venue has toilets, kitchen, and is accessible to wheelchairs. I will supply teabags, coffee, sugar and cows milk. Please bring your own non dairy milk if needed. If anyone wants to bring biscuits, cake, snacks to share that would be nice, but bring your own lunch, bowl/plate, drinking vessel, and cutlery please.

Members have suggested a contribution for Tea/Coffee a few times, so I have decided to ask for a contribution of 50p. Obviously if you bring all your own bits, there is no need to chip in.

Free parking is available in the walled garden. Follow the main driveway all the way down, past the public car park and the “no unauthorised vehicles” sign, then the Walled Garden’s big gates will be on the left. Toot your horn to let us know you’ve arrived.

Here is a "what 3 words" ink to the location: https://w3w.co/sizes.soup.puddles

Google maps link to location: https://goo.gl/maps/f6rYfb92p6n43Uz99

Hope to see you there,

Richard Roberts - Group Coordinator APTGW Essex Bodgers

APTGW Membership

Our meets are free of charge to members of the Association of Polelathe Turners and Green Woodworkers.

Non members are welcome to join us a few times to see if it’s something they’d like to pursue further. We then ask that folks join the APTGW (this is a requirement for the insurance the APTGW provides to locals groups like us). It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.
For just £20 a year you get:

  • A quarterly Gazette with news views and articles on all aspects of green woodworking.

  • Attend the UK Bodger's Ball always held in mid-May (this is chargeable, but a bargain!)

  • Win prizes for your creations at the many craft competitions at the ball

  • Meet hundreds of other Bodgers and Green Woodworkers

  • Learn new skills in masterclasses

  • Attend and participate in the Annual General Meeting which is held at the Bodgers Ball

  • Vote on how the organisation progresses and elect, or even stand for the committee!

  • Have the opportunity to purchase very reasonably priced insurance for teaching or demonstrating

Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/join-us

Earlier Event: August 26
Essex Bodgers Walled Garden Meet
Later Event: September 23
Essex Bodgers Walled Garden Meet