The Bodger’s Ball was a great weekend; plenty of interesting demos, folk to talk to and time for to relax with a beer. A wonderful setting too at Lower Brockhampton in Herefordshire. Too many things to write now so here’s just a few highlights.
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Watching Andy Hayes hewing timbers for a traditional aisled building and talking to him about the french system of apprenticeship and his hopes of establishing something similar within the Association of Pole-lathe Turners. |
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Sean Hellman carving a beautiful fan bird to win the half-hour challenge while also entertaining his audience in his own inimitable style. |
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The crosscut saw challenge with Matt Jarvis looking very serious and Dan acting as official timekeeper and log holdfast. I’ve been collecting up old saws, including a 5ft crosscut, for years and learning how to sharpen them. It’s great to find out that other’s have been doing the same. |
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The ash grows well in Herefordshire and there were plenty of straight clean lengths available for demos and racing. We don’t have such good ash in Cumbria so I took the opportunity to split a log and shave it into rake heads. Thanks to Mark Allery for letting me use his kit. |
