Dear TT&CC members, friends and other selected contacts and particularly those unable to attend January’s meeting for whatever reason.
January’s Club Night.
Bearing in mind both the ongoing Omicron worries and the necessary precautions we required of attendees to avoid either catching or spreading the virus, the turnout for January was better than expected. I would estimate low 20s, with at least one potential new member showing up.
Liz and Jacqui signed in the attendees and took the subs and not only maintained all the record keeping for the evening but also looked after our needs in the refreshment break during Kate’s absence.
Whilst Mike again ran the raffle, always providing a welcome boost to Covid ravaged club funds, sincere thanks to all those who donated prizes and bought tickets. Luckily my ticket was the last one to be called, unluckily the only prize left was the one I’d donated! I left it for next month’s raffle!
The sale table had a variety of bits and pieces available plus some remaining scraps of Milton Abbot church bell tower Oak.
Peter Brinsden (chair) opened the meeting and welcomed all those present to our first club night meeting of 2022 with New Year good wishes.
Further announcements were made including the importance of attending February’s AGM, this will have a fundamental bearing on the club’s future wellbeing and survival.
Peter also mentioned (as informed by Liz Padmore, churchwarden at M.A. church), that Milton Abbot church online shop sales of our club members work had raised around £800!! (Primarily Mike King!! 👑 Outstanding). It was further suggested that, with a final “push”, over £1,000 was easily within our grasp and could get a few lines of positive news in the local rag for both the church and our club.
I wonder if Tavy Links might also be persuaded to do a feature article?
Mark provided us with a practical demonstration of a Japanese style cylindrical tight-fitting loose-leaf tea box with an inner lidded compartment. This was as shown to him some time ago during a Mark Sanger tutorial. Many thanks Mark, always something new to learn.
Owing to complete ineptitude by me, the competition wrongly requested entries for a lidded trinket box. Better informed members, perhaps realising my error, resulted in only 3 competition entries arriving on the judging table.
1st place, me!!😃.
2nd place, Mike King👑.
3rd place, Sorry, don’t know 😭.
The ‘I Made This Table’ had a good variety of members produce on show which, during our half time refreshment break, encouraged lively conversation about wood, techniques and finishing products used.
News.
I suffered a DIY accident which resulted in a broken big toe on my left foot, Ouch!!😭
David Trewin has undergone some minor surgery, our Best Wishes to you for a quick recovery.
There are many woodworking and woodturning tutorials available from the likes of Record Power, Oliver’s Woodturning, YouTube (Grandpa Amu). Some are definitely better than others, most of them impart either some entertainment or some knowledge. I came across a new program series on Sunday nights on Freeview TV channel Quest, titled Kings of the Wood, it’s worth a look to admire different woodworking skills and techniques. You might be able to find it on iPlayer.
Plymouth Woodturners sent out an invite to a Colwin Way demo, unfortunately the invite came a bit too late to be of any use. A shame, it would have been a good day’s tuition and pasty, tea/coffee all for only £6.
A volunteer work party from your Committee recently had a good clear out and tidy up of our cupboards and library box, whilst also doing an overdue audit on or club’s equipment and accessories.
Elaine has been approached with a request for a number of 5 and 7 inch diameter wooden spheres of good quality and roundness. The enquirer will supply the wood, anyone interested in the job contract please get in touch with Adam Benjamin on 07961 055351 or email him at <[email protected]>
Forthcoming Attractions.
Monday 21st February is our next club night.
This is perhaps the most vital night of the year for our club and is when we hold our compulsory AGM and renew our membership and contact details. I urge all members to make the extra effort required to attend and renew your membership and details. The membership fee is still only £25 per annum, cash only please!!
NB, several of your committee members are willing to stand again (including myself, if you’ll have us!) and other positions have already found well qualified nominees who only need to be proposed and seconded to fill positions becoming vacant.
The overriding Big Issue is who will step up and take on “The Chair”. The club cannot be run without one and it is both unfair and unconstitutional to expect the current holder to continue indefinitely. I can guarantee that any suitable “chair nominee” will receive the wholehearted support, help and backing from the full committee.
The club’s future is in your hands. It’s up to you to make it the success it deserves to be.
As soon as the AGM is done it will be ‘Hands On’ time, all the lathes will be out for some shavings to be made!
There is no competition this month, instead it’s a ‘bring-and-buy’ – don’t dump it, recycle it, bring in your unwanted items, it might be exactly what another member has been searching for.
I regret to say that pressing family issues need my attention elsewhere at AGM time; nevertheless, I hope all goes really well and, if not before, I’ll see you in March!
Lastly – Covid precautions.
Omicron infections and deaths are coming down very quickly every day at the time of writing, so hopefully the worst is now well and truly behind us. Nevertheless – Do not come to the meeting if you have the slightest doubt about your own health or wellbeing.
Do come if you’re fully vaccinated.
As before, we will provide hand sanitizer, adequate space and ventilation, face masks are no longer compulsory and it is therefore up to you whether one is worn or not.
Best Wishes to All.
Simon Boghurst.
TT&CC BogBlog writer,
(& still currently a committee member!).