APTGW - Essex Bodgers Meet Sat 7th December

Aten ladaw a shakram ga [Jingpo] - (Greetings of the season)

News -  by Wendy of the Wool:

The weather at our recent meet up was wet and windy, so we stayed in the classroom where it was much warmer. David Wilkins continued working on the spoon he started at his lesson with Richard. He also showed us the latest Tomte’s he’s been carving too. Kirstie worked on a wooden puffin, Rich worked on a Damson spoon. It was lovely to see the progress Ranger Dave’s made with the Santa’s he’s been carving. Steve also continued working on the spoon he started on a lesson with Richard. We also welcomed Jamila back who brought along a spoon she started at a class at London Greenwood. Bob worked on a spoon and we were grateful for the fact that he knew how to use the heater (he is also one of the Walled Garden Volunteers) so we were nice and toasty (thanks Bob/Brian). Wendy continued felting a little dog, managed to only stab her finger once and didn’t break any needles this time. As always there was much talk of tools and methods, plenty of tea, chat and banter. We’re looking forward to some festive snacks at our next meet on 7 December which will be our last for 2024.

Word Of The Week: History of the Walled Garden

The name Bedfords is thought to derive from a John Bedford or Bedforde who owned land in the area in 1362. The tenement of Bedfords was acquired for the Gidea Hall estate in 1412 by Robert Chichele. The neighbouring tenement, Earles, was added to the Gidea Hall estate by the Cooke family after they bought Gidea Hall in 1652. In 1659 Bedfords and Earles were sold together to Joachim Matthews of Gobions. In 1688, Joachim's son, Sir Philip Matthews, sold Bedfords and Earles to Simon and Sarah Rogers.
A succession of London Merchants owned Bedfords from that point on, though none are thought to have lived there. It wasn't until 1771, when Nathaniel Houlton sold Bedfords to John Heaton, that Bedfords had a permanent resident and Lord of the Manor. Soon after buying the estate, John Heaton began rebuilding the house as a two storey brick mansion. It is assumed he erected the walled garden too, sometime between 1777 and the 1805 1 inch Ordnance Survey Map which shows the walled garden.
Nash's Seats (1819) describes "a well-stocked walled Garden with Greenhouses, Hot House, and a Pinery of considerable extent". The pineapple house and fernery were later additions, present by the 1860s. Heaton's 2 acre garden was enclosed in 12ft high brick walls and is aligned slightly east of south. This position offers a wide variety of growing conditions for example the south-facing walls are suitable for growing warmth-loving crops like peaches and apricots, whilst the cooler soil at the lowest part of the garden is more suited to moisture loving crops like cabbages and late peas.
In 1870 the estate was sold to Henry Stone. After Stone's death his widow sold Bedfords to Romford Urban District Council for £9,000 on the 31st of March 1933. The Council then opened Bedfords as a public park in 1934 with the mansion house being used as a museum and art gallery. Following serious deterioration the mansion house was demolished in 1958.

Members Services (See Listings at bottom of page)
A new section of our Newsletter where local members can offer charged services to other local members. For example: Craft Courses, Tool Repairs, Lathe building, Lathe for sale etc. If you have a service you would like offer here, please reply to this email.
Listings will be approved at our discretion and are limited to local sole traders. There are no listing fees. We do not take responsibility over any transactions, so please be mindful of where your money is going.

Regular Bits n Bobs:
If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly concrete, so treadles may not be able to 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 secure parking is available within 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.

See site map, and map links near bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please email me at  essexaptgw@gmail.com if you have any questions.

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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.

Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/joinus

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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

Members Services

Sharpening Service - R2 Wood
I’ve launched a sharpening service for greenwood carving tools, offering APTGW members a 5% discount. Covering Sloyd and Spoon knives, Axes, Adzes, Gouges and more. Please contact Richard at info@r2wood.co.uk to enquire.

Gude ol manmeri bilong bus [Tok Pisin] - (Hello forest people)

News -  by Wendy of the Wool:

With leaf fall all around, the branches of the cherry trees that lead up to the classroom bare, our last meet was a chilly one but not wet. Thankfully Bodgers instinctively know when additional hot drinks and biscuits are required for strength and warmth.
In amongst the chatting and cheer, Mr Wilkins continued with his spoon carving lesson with Richard (when he wasn't intriguing people with little presents and items he'd brought along which this time included a sheep's skull for Zed Outdoors and a little carved and painted Tomte). Jamie and Ranger Dave were in the final push before Christmas carving their festive Santas. Bob was back and has settled in nicely, delivering cheek and banter as if he's been with us for months!  Wendy needle felted a little robin.
We welcomed a new face – Jamila – who popped in with her adorable doggy and some delicious Baklava to meet us all and have a cuppa and who we hope to see again soon.
We were also joined by Lisa, our basket weaving friend who we haven't seen for a while so it was lovely for us all to catch up while crafting.
And last but by no means least, we bowed, we curtsied and were honoured to be visited by none other than the Bodger King himself (he has the t-shirt and hat) Darren Hood, current Chairman of the APTGW. Hilarious tear causing conversation filled the rest of the afternoon and before we knew it, it was time to pack up and go home to warm up.

Word Of The Week: Nålebinding

The term "Nålebinding (Danish and Norwegian)" -  'binding with a needle' or 'needle-binding’. It is an ancient fabric creation technique, also known in English as "knotless netting", "knotless knitting", or "single-needle knitting”.
The technique is distinct from crochet in that it involves passing the full length of the working thread through each loop, unlike crochet where the work is formed only of loops, never involving the free end. It also differs from knitting in that lengths must be pieced together during the process of nålebinding, rather than a continuous strand of yarn that can easily be pulled out. Archaeological specimens of fabric made by nålebinding can be difficult to distinguish from knitted fabric. Historically needles were made out of wood, antler, or bone.
Nålebinding is still used to make bracelets by women of the Nanti tribe, an indigenous people of the Camisea region of Peru. Nålebinding also remains popular in the Scandinavian countries, as well as in the Balkans.

History
The oldest known textile fragment of Nålbinding dating from c. 6500 BCE was found in Nahal Hemar Cave, in the Judean Desert. Another made of lime bast fibre, from the Ertebølle period c. 4200 BCE was found in Tybrind Vig, a Mesolithic fishing village in Denmark.
The oldest known samples of single-needle knitted clothing include the color-patterned sandal socks of the Coptic Christians of Egypt (4th century CE), and hats and shawls from the Paracas and Nazca cultures in Peru, dated between 300 BCE and 300 CE.
Nålbinding predates knitting and crochet. Historical samples have often been misidentified as knitting due to how similar they can appear in the finished products if made using the Coptic stitch. Often a textile historian will need to closely follow the path of the yarn itself to identify the item as either knitting or nålbinding. This is possible by knowing the textile structures created by the two crafts and identifying those within the fabric or by looking for a frequent use of joining of strands.
Nålbinding was used during the Viking age of 793–1066 CE in Scandinavia. This was an effective method for them to create sturdy, serviceable garments.
A famous piece of nålbinding is the 'Coppergate sock' found during an excavation of the Coppergate area of York. A clear Viking influence in the textiles was found in the finds in this area. This was a wool sock that had been created using a technique never before recorded in England. The sock was slipper-like in style and would have covered the whole foot.
Nålbinding was used in some regions of Northern Europe until the 1950s, when it most likely declined because of the changes in the textile industry and almost disappeared. It later gained renewed interest among many textile historians, archaeologists, craftspeople, and reenactors, so that it is today an exotic but well-kept handicraft tradition.

Members Services (See Listings at bottom of page)
A new section of our Newsletter where local members can offer charged services to other local members. For example: Craft Courses, Tool Repairs, Lathe building, Lathe for sale etc. If you have a service you would like offer here, please reply to this email.
Listings will be approved at our discretion and are limited to local sole traders. There are no listing fees. We do not take responsibility over any transactions, so please be mindful of where your money is going.

Regular Bits n Bobs:
If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly concrete, so treadles may not be able to 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 secure parking is available within 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.

See site map, and map links near bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please email me at  essexaptgw@gmail.com if you have any questions.
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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.

Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/joinus
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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

Members Services

Sharpening Service - R2 Wood
I’ve launched a sharpening service for greenwood carving tools, offering APTGW members a 5% discount. Covering Sloyd and Spoon knives, Axes, Adzes, Gouges and more. Please contact Richard at info@r2wood.co.uk to enquire.

Moni anthu aku matabwa [Chichewa] - (Hello wood people)

News -  by Wendy of the Wool:
The last meet was quite busy: Tea, biscuits, and banter were consumed in large amounts - we welcomed back some familiar faces who we haven't seen for a while – Carl, Kevin, Pete (and Bess) and Jackie. Recent joiner Bob returned and got on with carving a spoon – he seems to have quickly got back into the swing of things.

Richard and Dave Wilkins continued to have a spoon carving lesson, Bowl Mike worked on a couple of bowls.  Kevin carved out some blanks for future spoons. Jamie and Ranger Dave continued their festive build up of Santas who are coming along nicely I've been reliably informed that a Sleigh of Santas is the collective noun for a group of Santas (I would have thought a Sack of Santas might be more appropriate!).

Word Of The Week - R2 of the Wood:
Riving/Cleaving:
Riving or cleaving is an ancient technique to process lumber for making wooden objects, some basket weaving, and to make firewood. Unlike wood sawing, the wood is split along the grain using tools such as a hammer and wedges, splitting maul, cleaving axe, side knife, or froe.

Carpenters use a wooden siding which gets its name, clapboard, from originally being split from logs—the sound of the plank against the log being a clap. This is used in clapboard architecture and for wainscoting. Coopers use oak clapboards to make barrel staves. Split-rail fences are made with split wood.

There are a range of traditionally made baskets from Ash or Oak, made by pounding the wood with a mallet and pulling long strips from the log.

Splitting firewood from logs that have been pre-cut into sections (rounds, bolts, billets), can be done by hand, using an axe or maul, or by using a mechanical log splitter. When splitting a log by hand, it is best to aim for the cracks (called checks), if there are any visible. Some types of wood are harder to split than others, including extremely hard woods, as well as types like gum which an axe will often bounce off of, and chestnut, which is typically so twisted it's near impossible to get a clean split, but any type of wood, having large knots or twisted grain can make it difficult to split.

The advantages of splitting wood along its grain, rather than sawing it is that the wood is much stronger. Due to this, it was historically used for building ships (e.g. drekars) and traditional skis. A defining feature of shakes, which are like shingles, is that they are split rather than sawn and because the cell structure of the wood remains intact may be more durable, and similarly trunnels when split are stronger than when sawn.

Members Services (See Listings at bottom of page)
A new section of our Newsletter where local members can offer charged services to other local members. For example: Craft Courses, Tool Repairs, Lathe building, Lathe for sale etc. If you have a service you would like offer here, please reply to this email.
Listings will be approved at our discretion and are limited to local sole traders. There are no listing fees. We do not take responsibility over any transactions, so please be mindful of where your money is going.

Regular Bits n Bobs:
If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly concrete, so treadles may not be able to 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 secure parking is available within 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.

See site map, and map links near bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please email me at  essexaptgw@gmail.com if you have any questions.

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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.

Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/joinus

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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

Members Services

Spoon Carving Lessons - R2 Wood
Learn Spoon Carving split into 3 separate lessons, held on different set days as shown below.
Lesson 1 covers axing out a squared blank.
Lesson 2 covers spoon design and axing the outline of our spoon.
Lesson 3 covers the knife work to finish our spoon.

There are three options to choose from:
One Lesson - £50 - offer price £40
Any Two Lessons - £90 - offer price £75
All Three Lessons - £130 - offer price £110

Lesson Dates:
Sat 09 Nov Lesson 1 - 2 places available
Sat 23 Nov Lesson 2 - 2 places available
Sat 07 Dec Lesson 3 - 2 places available
All prices are per person. Offer is only for paid up APTGW members on the dates shown above. Guests are welcome, but will pay the regular price. Please contact Richard at info@r2wood.co.uk to enquire or book.

Sharpening Service - R2 Wood
I’ve launched a sharpening service for greenwood carving tools, offering APTGW members a 5% discount. Covering Sloyd and Spoon knives, Axes, Adzes, Gouges and more. Please contact Richard at info@r2wood.co.uk to enquire.

APTGW - Essex Bodgers Meet Sat 26th October

Mokuzai oyobi sen'i rōdō-sha no minasan, kon'nichiwa [Japanese] - (Hello wood and fiber workers)

News -  by Wendy of the Wool:

The Walled Garden's Autumn Celebration took place on Sunday 6 October with Richard demonstrating spoon carving and selling spoons and other woody goodies, Bowl Mike carving bowls, David Wilkins giving his general cheek to the public and Merlin demonstrating turning on his pole lathe. Jamie also popped down to show support in the afternoon which was appreciated! Although we didn't have the glorious sunshine of 2023, we were lucky not to have any rain until just after we packed up. A nice day was had by all and it's great to see the garden on its busiest day of the year.
A new face, Bob, One of the Garden's volunteers, approached us at the Autumn Celebration mentioning that he had done some carving some time ago and had some tools that he may want to sell as he no longer uses them. Bob then popped along last weekend to one of our group meets and it seems he may actually be thinking about taking up those tools to do some carving again in the future after some nice chats with the Essex Bodgers.

At the last group meet we welcomed back Chris who had a spoon carving lesson with Richard along with David Wilkins. We were dodging the rain with a few stop start showers and then quite a downpour in the afternoon – so we took refuge in the classroom and poly tunnel.
The rest of us continued with our individual projects – carving bowls for Mike, detailed Santa carvings for Dave the Ranger and Jamie, and Wendy worked on yet another head draft for the needle-felted dog she is working on.
As usual we enjoyed many hot beverages and chats and were graced with a visit from the Tunnocks Fairy as well!

Word Of The Week - R2 of the Wood

Oak Apple:
An Oak Apple or Oak Gall is a large, round, vaguely Apple-like Gall commonly found on many species of Oak. Oak Apples range in size from 2 to 4 centimetres (1 to 2 in) in diameter and are caused by chemicals injected by the larva of certain kinds of Gall Wasp in the family Cynipidae. Oak Apples may be brownish, yellowish, greenish, pinkish, or reddish.
The adult female Wasp lays single eggs in developing leaf buds. The Wasp larvae feed on the Gall tissue resulting from their secretions, which modify the Oak bud into the Gall, a structure that protects the developing larvae until they undergo metamorphosis into adults.
Oak Galls have been used in the production of ink since at least the time of the Roman Empire. From the Middle Ages to the early twentieth century, Iron Gall ink was the main medium used for writing in the Western world.
Gall nuts are a source of tannin in the production of Iron Gall ink. Tannins belong to a group of molecules known as polyphenols and can be taken from different parts of plants such as leaves, pods, fruits, and Gall nuts.
Along with Gall nuts, other important ingredients in the production of iron Gall ink include iron sulfate and gum arabic. The reaction between the tannins from the Gall nut and the iron produces a complex that gives the iron Gall ink its color. The gum arabic makes the ink more viscous and helps bind the ink to the writing surface.

Members Services (See Listings at bottom of page)
A new section of our Newsletter where local members can offer charged services to other local members. For example: Craft Courses, Tool Repairs, Lathe building, Lathe for sale etc. If you have a service you would like offer here, please reply to this email.
Listings will be approved at our discretion and are limited to local sole traders. There are no listing fees. We do not take responsibility over any transactions, so please be mindful of where your money is going.

Regular Bits n Bobs:
If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly concrete, so treadles may not be able to 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 secure parking is available within 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.

See site map, and map links near bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please reply if you have any questions.

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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.

Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/joinus
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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

Members Services

Spoon Carving Lessons - R2 Wood
Learn Spoon Carving split into 3 separate lessons, held on different set days as shown below.
Lesson 1 covers axing out a squared blank.
Lesson 2 covers spoon design and axing the outline of our spoon.
Lesson 3 covers the knife work to finish our spoon.

There are three options to choose from:
One Lesson - £50 - offer price £40
Any Two Lessons - £90 - offer price £75
All Three Lessons - £130 - offer price £110

Lesson Dates:
Sat 09 Nov Lesson 1 - 2 places available
Sat 23 Nov Lesson 2 - 2 places available
Sat 07 Dec Lesson 3 - 2 places available

All prices are per person. Offer is only for paid up APTGW members on the dates shown above. Guests are welcome, but will pay the regular price. Please contact Richard at info@r2wood.co.uk to enquire or book.

Sharpening Service - R2 Wood
I’ve launched a sharpening service for greenwood carving tools, offering APTGW members a 5% discount. Covering Sloyd and Spoon knives, Axes, Adzes, Gouges and more. Please contact Richard at info@r2wood.co.uk to enquire.

APTGW - Essex Bodgers Meet Sat 12th October

Akkam jirtu hiriyyoota koo mukaa - (Hello my woody friends)[Oromo]

News -  by Wendy of the Wool:

It was a beautiful day to spend in the outdoors at the Walled Garden at our last meet. The sun shone, the squirrels scurried, the birds twittered, butterflies flittered and if you listened carefully you could hear the chop, chop, chop of axes, chortles of chuckle laden banter (and the occasional bellow of Brian, the resident Bedford's Park Stag). David Wilkins and Potty Steve had a spoon carving lesson from Richard.  Poor Ranger Dave had a bad back and had to call it a day at lunch time (hoping he's feeling better now). Bowl Mike worked on some bowls, including a bird bowl and kept us entertained with stories about is recent trip to Helsinki.  Wendy worked on head number 3 of a dog she is making. No, she's not making Cerberus the three headed hellhound, it's just draft number 3 as it's taking a lot of trial and error trying to get it right!

With thoughts now centred around Sunday's Autumn Celebration at the Walled Garden, we look forward to welcoming Merlin back to the garden to demonstrate his pole lathe skills, bowl carving from Bowl Mike, Richard with his spoons and snowmen, and David Wilkins with various wooden wares. Keep your fingers crossed for good weather and you'll hear all about it in the next update.

Words Of The Week - Mike of the Bowl: Ricasso and more:
When researching Puukkos, after my Helsinki trip, I came across a new term; Ricasso. It is the unsharpened section of a knife blade nearest the handle and, as you all know, is not a feature of sloyd knives or Puukkos. While you're probably already aware of the feature, now you can name it. On a similar vein, Aglet; you know what it is but not what it's called. It's the tube, or ferrule, at the end of your laces. Finally my favourite archaic term, and one reserved for classical sculptures (or down the local gym), Callipygian; having well shaped buttocks. MotB

Spoon Carving Classes with R2 Wood
I’m doing a special offer on Spoon Carving days for APTGW members, held on our regular meet days at the beautiful Walled Garden. The lessons are intimate with just one or two pupils, allowing plenty of undiluted attention.

There are two options to choose from:
Solo Lesson - Regular price £80 - Offer £60
Two pupils booked as pair - Regular price £60 - Offer £40

Lesson Dates:
Sat 28 Sep Fully Booked
Sat 12 Oct Fully Booked
Sat 26 Oct 2 places available
Sat 9 Nov 2 places available
Sat 23 Nov 2 places available

All prices are per person. Offer is only for paid up APTGW members on the dates shown above. Guests are welcome, but will pay the regular price. Please contact Richard at info@r2wood.co.uk to enquire or book.

Sharpening Service
I’m also launching a sharpening service for greenwood carving tools, offering APTGW members a 5% discount. Covering Sloyd and Spoon knives, Axes, Adzes, Gouges and more. Please contact Richard at info@r2wood.co.uk to enquire.

Regular Bits n Bobs:
If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly concrete, so treadles may not be able to 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 secure parking is available within 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.

See site map, and map links at bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please contact me  if you have any questions.

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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.

Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/joinus

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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

Tervetuloa puunveistäjät - (Welcome woodcarvers)[Finnish]

News -  by Wendy of the Wool:
The Weather Gods were on our side for our first September meet, bathing the garden in glorious sunshine. Richard gave Potty Steve a spoon carving lesson, while the rest of us sat by the classroom getting on with various projects. Ranger Dave kept us enthralled with stories about the deer at Bedford's Park and local areas, while working on a bowl and later joining Jamie working on Santa figurines. Sue worked on finishing some spoons, and Wendy continued with felting a small dog, whose head is proving to be quite difficult. 

Spoon Carving Classes with R2 Wood
I’m doing a special offer on Spoon Carving days for APTGW members, held on our regular meet days at the beautiful Walled Garden. The lessons are intimate with just one or two pupils, allowing plenty of undiluted attention.

There are two options to choose from:
Solo Lesson - Regular price £80 - Offer £60
Two pupils booked as pair - Regular price £60 - Offer £40

Lesson Dates:
Sat 28 Sep Fully Booked
Sat 12 Oct 1 place available
Sat 26 Oct 2 places available
Sat 9 Nov 2 places available
Sat 23 Nov 2 places available

All prices are per person. Offer is only for paid up APTGW members on the dates shown above. Guests are welcome, but will pay the regular price. Please contact Richard at info@r2wood.co.uk to enquire or book.

Sharpening Service
I’m also launching a sharpening service for greenwood carving tools, offering APTGW members a 5% discount. Covering Sloyd and Spoon knives, Axes, Adzes, Gouges and more. Please contact Richard at info@r2wood.co.uk to enquire.

Word Of The Week - Mikko of the Bowl:

Puukko:
A puukko is a small traditional Finnish general purpose belt knife with a single curved cutting edge, solid hidden tang, and usually, a flat spine. The basic components of a puukko are a handle and a blade along with a sheath, which can usually be attached to a belt, but sometimes to a shirt or coat button. The traditional length of the puukko blade is the same as one's palm width, usually 90–120 mm (3.5–4.7 in). Carvers, huntsmen and leatherworkers favour shorter blades; woodworkers, carpenters and constructors longer ones. The blade of the historical väkipuukko ("strongknife") may be up to 500 mm (20 in). The väkipuukko more closely resembles a seax or short sword than a true puukko, although it has inspired the leuku of the Sámi people.

Both factory-forged and hand-forged blades may be laminated: a thin layer of very hard steel (traditionally crucible steel made from limonite iron) is sandwiched between two layers of softer metal, which makes the blade less brittle and facilitates repeated sharpening. Before the 19th century, almost all iron in Finland was made from limonite on charcoal blast furnaces, which yield very pure and high- quality iron suitable for crucible steel. German silver steel was and is a popular core-steel material. Today both carbon steel and stainless steel are used. The blade can be lightened and strengthened by a fuller.

The traditional material for the handle is curly (masur) birch. Also great sallow root, birch bark, antler (especially elk and reindeer), scrimshaw and bone are used. Often the handle is made from various materials between spacers. Today, however, industrially made puukkos often have plastic handles.

Puukkos are most often used as carving tools for decorative and fire-making purposes, and to clean fish and game. Some puukko designs have a slightly upwards-or downwards-curving point, depending on the knife's purpose. A hunting puukko's tip is often curved downwards, to make the skinning and gutting of an animal easier and less messy. Fishermen's puukkos sometimes have a small dovetail on point, to help in gutting a fish.

In Finland and northern Scandinavia, many take great pride in carving their puukkos' handles themselves. Over generations, this knife has become intimately tied to Nordic culture and, in one version or another, is a part of many national costumes. A good puukko is equal parts artistic expression and a tool. Making it requires many different skills: not only those of a bladesmith, but also those of a carver, a jeweller, a designer, and a leatherworker to make the sheath. Some fine puukkos have blades of pattern welded steel, and forging a blade using crucible steel was considered the hallmark of a master smith.

Regular Bits n Bobs:
If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly concrete, so treadles may not be able to 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 secure parking is available within 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.

See site map, and map links at bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please contact me  if you have any questions.

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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.

Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/joinus

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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

Bonjou sculpteur bwa - (Greetings wood carvers)[Haitian Creole]

News -  by Wendy of the Wool:
We were very excited to return to the garden after a bout of flu and then a well needed holiday. Unfortunately, the sun had other business to attend to – it was raining when we arrived but it didn't last long.
Richard held a sharpening clinic this week, for those new to sharpening. Star pupil Jamie gave his Mora 106 its first sharpen and did a fabulous job.
Ranger Dave and Jamie also continued with practicing Santa figurines, Mike of the Bowl worked on (you've guessed it!) a bowl, David Wilkins worked on a spoon and produced a lovely little curly shaving during the process. Henry returned and brought along his newly built shave horse together with some honey from his bees and some beeswax products. Richard's chopping block is on its last legs and so he took home a big log to make a new one which is in progress. Potty Steve worked on a spoon? and has also had a haircut as has Richard.
As we fall into autumn (see what I did there) thoughts turn towards the Walled Garden's annual Apple Day which takes place on Sunday 6 October this year at which the group will have a presence demonstrating and also selling woody wares. Please come along to witness this lovely event if you are available even if you aren't demonstrating as you'll get to see how many people in the local area enjoy the garden and see some of the garden volunteers dressed up in period costume as Lord of the Manor and Head Gardener. Plus, the pizza oven is usually fired up for some epic pizza plus tea and cakes!

Word Of The Week - Rich with the shorter long hair:
Chatoyancy:
Chatoyancy, also called chatoyance or the cat's eye effect, is an optical reflectance effect seen in certain gemstones, woods, and carbon fibre. Coined from the French œil de chat, meaning 'cat's eye'. The chatoyant effect is typically characterised by one or more well-defined bands of reflected light, reminiscent of a cat's eye, which appear to glide across the material's surface as the chatoyant object or observer shifts position.

Chatoyancy in wood occurs in various species – particularly hardwoods and the various types of Nanmu woods of China and South East Asia, particularly where stresses from the weight of the growing tree result in denser patches, or where stresses cause burl or bird’s eye. This ‘figure’, which has a striking three-dimensional appearance, is highly prized by woodworkers and their clients alike, and is featured regularly in furniture, musical instruments, and other decorative wood products. Figuring takes on a variety of forms and is referred to as flame, ribbon, tiger stripe, quilting, wibbly wobbly, ooh I’ve had too much to drink, among other names.

Regular Bits n Bobs:
If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly concrete, so treadles may not be able to 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 secure parking is available within 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.

See site map, and map links at bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please contact me  if you have any questions.

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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.

Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/joinus

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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

Hola sabuesos de herramientas - (Hello tool hounds)[Spanish]

News -  by Wilkins of the Wood:
Missed you all who made excuses not to attend. Only 3 of us, Dave the ranger, Mike the bowl and me. We managed to get lots done, Dave ranger carved the characters, I roughed out the spoons, and Mike his bowl, and in true democratic fashion we took turns to make tea. The bees, Blossom and butterflies were out enjoying the sun!

More News -  by Rich of the long curing Kuksa:
Myself and Wendy of the wool were absent from the last meet as we were up a tree for four days. We weren’t roughing it, but in the lap of luxury (it’s been a while). We stayed in a two storey treehouse, situated in an old Oak tree in Ongar. Aside from the wondrous accommodation, we had a beautiful view that was regularly filled with birds of prey, Spitfires from North Weald, daily passing of a herd of Deer, and plentiful Dragonflies resting in the old Oak after a tiring hunt around the pond. We didn’t want to leave, but home we came, eager to catch up with you all at the next meet.

Word Of The Week - Rich of the long curing Kuksa:
Withy: A withy or withe (also willow and osier) is a strong flexible willow stem, typically used in thatching, basketmaking, gardening and for constructing woven wattle hurdles. The term is also used to refer to any type of flexible rod of natural wood used in rural crafts such as hazel or ash created through coppicing or pollarding.

Places such as Wythenshawe and Withy Grove (both in Manchester) take their names from the willow woods and groves that grew there in earlier times.

Several species and hybrid cultivars of willows (often known as osiers) are grown for withy production; typical species include Salix acutifolia, Salix daphnoides, Salix × mollissima, Salix purpurea, Salix triandra, and Salix viminalis.

Regular Bits n Bobs:
If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly concrete, so treadles may not be able to 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 secure parking is available within 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.

See site map, and map links at bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please contact me  if you have any questions.
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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.

Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/joinus

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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

APTGW - Essex Bodgers Meet Sat 17th August

Cari lavoratori del legno - (Dearest workers of wood)[Venetian]

News -  by Wilkins of the Wood:

Richard had been taken out by flu, but the meet still went ahead, thanks to the 2 Daves. 3 stalwarts attended, 2 Daves, and 1 Chris.. Spoons and characters were carved, no pressure because no boss person 🤣🤣.  And we supported our Olympic team by flying the flag (photo is proof).

Word Of The Week - Brought to you by Mike Of The Bowl:

Swanskin:
More for wooly than the woody types as it is an ancient form of wool felting to produce tough, warm, water resistant cloth for seamen, soldiers and the like. I saw samples at Sturminster Newton flour mill, which in earlier times had the duel function as floor mill and fullering (another interesting word) mill.
Info from the link below describes the experimental archeology involved in recreating this interesting cloth.
https://feltingandfiberstudio.com/2021/10/28/experimental-archaeology-swanskin/
If you Google it you'll find a modern form of the material used in printing.

Regular Bits n Bobs:
If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly concrete, so treadles may not be able to 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 secure parking is available within 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.

See site map, and map links at bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please contact me  if you have any questions.

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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.

Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/joinus
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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

Dearvvuođat meahcceolbmot - (Greetings fellow wood folk)[Sámi]

News -  by Wendy of the Wool:

Although the weather forecasted a cloudy day on Saturday, we were treated to some lovely sunshine and the garden was looking absolutely glorious! This being England, we were soon given a sudden shower which had us all scurrying into the classroom with our precious tools!
We also welcomed a new joiner, Jamie No.2 (our 2nd Jamie). This brings the current tally to 4 Dave's, 2 Sue's and 2 Jamie's. If you meet anyone called Chris, Richard, Wendy, Mike or Carl, please do encourage them to join the group. 
Richard, Chris, and Jamie No.2 worked on spoons. Jamie No.1 and Ranger Dave worked on gnomes and I (Wendy) felted a squirrel.
Just before we left, in a display of amazing brutal nature, a Sparrowhawk flew down and caught one of the many Bluetits we'd had the pleasure of watching flying around earlier in the day and headed off into the trees with it in his talons!

Word Of The Week - Brought to you by Mike Of The Bowl:

Hoppus Foot - Obsolete unit of measurement for the cubic contents of round timber. It was used to price whole trees. 1 h ft is equal to 0.036 m3, and 1 m3 = 27.74 h ft.
The unit was introduced by English surveyor Edward Hoppus in his 1736 manual of practical calculations. The tables include reference to stone as well as timber, as stone can similarly suffer wastage during processing into regular pieces.
The hoppus cubic foot (or ‘hoppus cube’ or ‘h cu ft’) was the standard volume measurement used for timber in the British Empire and countries in the British sphere of influence before the introduction of metric units. It is still used in the hardwood trade in some countries. This volume measurement was developed to estimate what volume of a round log would be usable timber after processing, in effect attempting to ‘square’ the log and allow for waste. The hoppus ton (HT) was also a traditionally used unit of volume in British forestry. One hoppus ton is equal to 50 hoppus feet or 1.8027 cubic meters. Some shipments of tropical hardwoods, especially shipments of teak from Myanmar (Burma), are still stated in hoppus tons.

Regular Bits n Bobs:
If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly concrete, so treadles may not be able to 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 secure parking is available within 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.
See site map, and map links at bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please contact me  if you have any questions.
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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.

Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/joinus
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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

Karaj lignaj amikoj - (Dear woody friends)[Esperanto]

News -  by Wendy of the Wool:
In what is currently a trend for this British excuse of a summer, it was raining when we arrived at the Garden on Saturday. It got very heavy, so we stayed in the classroom, drank tea and ate cake (thank you Birthday Boy Steve!) and then we ate some doughnuts (thanks Sue!)

Rich started a short handled ladle from (direct quote from Rich) "a beautiful piece of cherry with multiple colours akin to an autumnal golden hour".  David Wilkins worked on a silver birch spoon. Steve and Sue worked on various unfinished spoons. Ranger Dave worked on making a leather case for his stitching irons, and Wendy needle felted a panda and a fox.

Words Of The Week - Brought to you by Medullary Rich:
Medullary rays - Cellular structures found in some species of wood. They appear as radial planar structures, perpendicular to the growth rings. These medullary or pith rays are essential for the radial conduction of the water, minerals and other organic substances.

Regular Bits n Bobs:
If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly concrete, so treadles may not be able to 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 secure parking is available within 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.

See site map, and map links at bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please contact me  if you have any questions.

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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.

Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/joinus

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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

APTGW - Essex Bodgers Meet Sat 6th July

Arvoisat puukansalaiset - (Dear wood citizens)[Finnish]

News -  by Wendy of the Wool:
The garden was in blooming full form on our last meet up which was wonderful to see.  The weather was mostly kind to us, we had some sun, we had some cloud, we thought it was going to rain at one point but it didn't.
We welcomed newcomer Henry this week who got stuck in and worked on a lovely handle for his hammer (excitingly he's also a beekeeper who builds hives!)
Ranger Dave worked on a scoop, Bowl Mike worked on (surprise surprise) a bowl, Steve worked on a spoon and a kuksa. Rich made a tiny spoon and a butter spreader and Wendy worked on a woolly picture inspired by seeing the aurora at the Bodgers Ball.  Mr Wilkins kept us all in check with his banter and brought along various books about carving and whittling that he's had a hand in helping put together.
General japery and chat was enjoyed by all and we saw a red kite soaring over the garden and some of the group spotted a woodpecker too!

Words Of The Week, Brought to you by the Knight of Day:
Tithe - A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organisation or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques or more recently via online giving, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural produce.

Regular Bits n Bobs:
If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly concrete, so treadles may not be able to 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 secure parking is available within 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.
See site map, and map links at bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please contact me  if you have any questions.
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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.

Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/joinus

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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

Mae'r Ardd Furiog yn aros am eich presenoldeb - (The Walled Garden awaits your presence)[Welsh]

News -  by Wendy of the Wool:
The weather kept us on our toes at our last meet. Starting off nice and sunny, it soon changed to cloudy with some dark, threatening clouds coming along and a few spots of rain that didn't really amount to much.  However, as seems to be typical of this excuse for summer, it turned out really nice when we were packed up and heading home!
We had some drama in the form of the Fire Brigade who came to investigate an alarm going off in the council depot opposite the Walled Garden. Turns out the alarm had been set off by a cat chasing a mouse. Phew!
It was a quieter meet this time with some of our regulars out and about doing other things – big round of applause to Sue Dromey who was taking part in a 24 hour swim relay to raise money to help kids with disabilities learn to swim – well done Sue!
Back at the garden, Rich made two spoons; Ranger Dave worked on bowls, Potty Steve worked on a spoon, and some knives. Jamie and David Wilkins worked on carving Christmas Gnomes and Wendy worked on some needle felted animals for a baby garland.
We also had the pleasure of seeing Fay, one of the Walled Garden volunteers, who had come to cut some hazel for pathway edging around the Dyer's garden, who was helped by David Wilkins to saw down to size, and Rich to axe them into stakes.

Words Of The Week, Brought to you by the Knight of Day:
Bummer - A truck for hauling logs.
Butt - The base of a tree.
Butt cut - The first cut above the stump of a tree.
Butt log - The first log cut above the stump of a tree.

Regular Bits n Bobs:
If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly concrete, so treadles may not be able to 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 secure parking is available within 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.

See site map, and map links at bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please contact me  if you have any questions.
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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.
Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/joinus

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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

Bună, cioplitori în lemn - (Hello wood carvers)[Romanian]

News -  by Wendy of the Wool:
We had a lovely time at our last meet. The garden is in full growth, the Nepeta is in bloom, creating an avenue of bees happily buzzing around.

Ranger Dave split a long Willow log and got stuck in carving a very long bowl. Rich, Carl and David worked on spoons. Much fun was had (including a bumped head) with a Bullroarer (those who remember Crocodile Dundee may be familiar) which David Wilkins brought along.

We also welcomed Steve’s grandson this week who brought with him lots of enthusiasm and started work on a butter spreader, we hope to see him again.

As usual there was chatting and chuckling, drinking tea and eating biscuits.

We finished the day with a visit to the deer in the enclosure in the main Park who were happily eating carrots fed to them by children.

Word Of The Week, Brought to you by the tardy one:
DURAMEN (a rare Latin word, meaning hardness, from durus, hard), a botanical term for the inner, harder wood of a tree, the heart-wood.

Regular Bits n Bobs:
If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly concrete, so treadles may not be able to 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 secure parking is available within 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.

See site map, and map links at bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please contact me  if you have any questions.

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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.

Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/joinus

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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

πρὸς ἐκείνους τοὺς ποιοῦντας - (To those that create)[Ancient Greek]

News -  by Wendy of the Wool:
On arriving at our last meet up on 27 April, we found a "stack" of planes (yes that is the collective noun!), courtesy of Ranger Dave. Like moths to a light, our Essex Bodgers flocked to have a rummage, chat and take some home to give them a new lease of life!
The rest of the meet up was spent drinking tea, eating biscuits and working on various items – Mike carried on with a bowl (a competition entry for the upcoming Bodgers Ball), Carl worked on a ladle, Mr Wilkins paused between jokes to carve a spoon or two, Ranger Dave worked on a bowl, Rich carved a spoon, and Wendy worked on the felted hat that she and Richard were making for the Mad Hatter's Tea Party Themed competition at the Bodgers Ball.

Essex Bodgers at the Bodgers Ball 2024 - by Wendy of the Wool:
From what we’ve seen on social media, those who attended the Ball at the beautiful Weald and Downland Museum had a fabulous time. We were blessed with glorious, blue skies, sunny weather, and only had a tiny bit of rain Monday morning as the last of us packed up. 
It was quite the change of pace from previous balls for most of our group's members. Rich was busy in his role on the committee, helping out with organisation, gate cover, setting up the Bodger's Cinema in the evening, greeting and helping Stuart King, who was the guest speaker after the AGM on Saturday, giving a talk about his collection of different types of carved spoons from around the world, with over 300 on display to see. He walked about 35 miles during the time we were there! 
Carl managed the Merchandise Stall, did a fantastic job and put way too many hours in. He found a great assistant manager workhorse  and crowd pleaser in Potty Steve, and had a few other volunteers pitching in. As anyone who knows Carl, he didn't just do that; arriving on Tuesday, he was constantly on the move helping out wherever needed, putting up tents and giving Stuart King a jump start when his car wouldn't start.  
Of those of us who entered the competitions, Rich had the nice surprise of winning third prize in the Non-Turned Treen category with his lovely burl kuksa! Well done Rich! 
It was also fabulous to see other members of our extended family group, to catch up with friends who we only see at the Ball or other woody events and to make more new friends from the lovely world of Bodging. But to top it all off we were treated to an amazing couple of hours of the Aurora!

Word Of The Week, Brought to you by Galileo, Galileo, Galileo, Figaro:
The term ‘aurora borealis’ was coined by Galileo in 1619, from the Roman Aurora, goddess of the dawn and the Greek name for the north wind (Boreas). The word aurora is derived from the name of the Roman goddess of the dawn, Aurora, who travelled from east to west announcing the coming of the sun. The words borealis and australis are derived from the names of the ancient gods of the north wind (Boreas) and the south wind (Auster) in Greco-Roman mythology.

Regular Bits n Bobs:
If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly concrete, so treadles may not be able to 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 secure parking is available within 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.
See site map, and map links at bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please contact me  if you have any questions.
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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.
Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/joinus

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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

Arundineto complectimini [Latin](Welcome to the jungle)

News, Brought to you by Rich of the ever growing Basketful of Unfinished Spoons:
Last meet was less busy, just 2 Dave’s, Steve, Jamie, Carl, Wendy, and myself. Jamie knocked up a spatula, Ranger Dave showed us his new adze and put it to work on a Walnut Bowl. Dave Wilkins started a spoon, and the rest of us kept on mission to finish current pieces. We are becoming completists!
Shockingly we had zero Duck action. They must be off romancing, maybe a holiday before duckling time. It was certainly the weather for it. A lovely warm 20º day, well appreciated after so many wet and cold days.
This will be our last meet before the Bodgers Ball which takes place at the Weald and Downland Museum, Chichester. 11th-12th May, with pre ball courses on the 9th and 10th. Members can login and buy tickets here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/

Word Of The Week, Brought to you by Odin: YGGDRASIL
Yggdrasil (Old Norse Yggdrasill or Askr Yggdrasils) is the mighty tree whose trunk rises at the geographical centre of the Norse spiritual cosmos. The rest of that cosmos, including the Nine Worlds, is arrayed around it and held together by its branches and roots, which connect the various parts of the cosmos to one another. Because of this, the well-being of the cosmos depends on the well-being of Yggdrasil. When the tree trembles, it signals the arrival of Ragnarok, the destruction of the universe.

Regular Bits n Bobs:
If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly concrete, so treadles may not be able to 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 secure parking is available within 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.

See site map, and map links at bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please contact me  if you have any questions.

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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.

Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/joinus

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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

che'wI' 'ej cheptaH mIw'a' [Klingon](We Honour the people of the axe)

News, Brought to you by Rich of the Basketful of Unfinished Spoons:
We had a good turn out at our Easter Saturday meet, including 3 of our 16 Dave’s. The sun was gorgeous, and the garden treated us to displays of daffodils, tulips, and birds. The Duck couple, gaining familiarity with us flew in at speed, eager for scattering of duck food.
The general spirit of the day was finishing previously started projects - Bowl Mike finished a couple of Bowls, one being a lovely bird bowl with hints of influence from David Fisher, and absolutely nothing to do with Scottish Lake Monsters this time. Sue and Carl refined in progress spoons. Ranger Dave was working on bowls from the last meet. I rebelled and started a pocket spoon out of the oh so common mystery wood. We may have had a few more rebels but I was too focussed (in between the tea, cake, chats, lunch, jokes, and Dave 2’s comedic output). Wendy made a really cool Easter egg shaped bunny, in a Studio Ghibli like style.

Word Of The Week, Brought to you by Mike of the Bowl: Brash!
Coarse. Crude. Loud. Or.... The left over bits of wood from tree felling that have no merchantable value but may have use for treen, perhaps.
I helped with a woodland management project at Raydon Great Wood in Suffolk, where the BRASH from tree felling was used to form deadwood screens. They were more like wooden Hadrian walls providing flora, fauna and invertebrate habitats.

Regular Bits n Bobs:
If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly concrete, so treadles may not be able to 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 secure parking is available within 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.

See site map, and map links at bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please contact me  if you have any questions.

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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.

Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/joinus
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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

Tervehdys, maaseudun käsityöläiset [Finnish](Greetings, rural artisans)

News - Brought to you by Wendy of the Wool:
There was a definite spring like feel in the air at our last Essex Bodgers meet.

The sun shone, bees were buzzing, the duck couple waddled over for some food and waddled off to the pond at the back of the garden. Coupled with an array of daffodils and budding plants it really seems like nature is waking up after winter. 

We were outside all day this time (although it did get chilly towards the end!) Cold was warded with cups of tea and old school treats – Jaffa Cakes, Pink Wafer Fingers and the undeniable classic Tunnocks Tea Cakes. 

Upon arrival there was some exciting tree surgery going on in the park. Ranger Dave took a trolley and came back with a bounty of Maple. 

One of our members, Steve, brought a beautiful, knife handle he'd made for a sloyd knife. We were all impressed.  Much wood chippery was created. Bowl Mike and Ranger Dave, both worked on bowls this week, and others worked on spoons. Wendy broke her favourite needle felting needle and has now learnt to use a lesser needle when carrying out experimental techniques. 

There was also talk about the recent news coverage of the Giant Sequoias that grow in the UK, with the 2nd largest group of them at Havering Country Park, which is a neighbour to our very own Bedfords Park. We will be planning a future group visit to check them out.

Word Of The Week - Brought to you by Mike of the Bowl: ”Clinch”
Passionate, a deal, joining together. In the context of wood it's an ancient method of joining pieces of wood together securely. You've probably seen an ancient door (church, castle, Wimpy house) with bent over nails on the inner or outer surface set at close and regular centres: I give you clinching. Knock an over long nail through two bits of wood then bend over the pointed end at 90 degrees and flatten into the wood surface. That's ok for a packing case or rough carcassing but for the castle door etc a further refinement is applied. Bend the pointed over a bit then bash so burying offending prick (oh missus) into door. A more secure fixing and less likely to snag your cassock or tights.

Regular Bits n Bobs:
If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly concrete, so treadles may not be able to 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 secure parking is available within 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.

See site map, and map links at bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please contact me  if you have any questions.

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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.

Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/joinus

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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

Bonjour les gens des bois (hello people of the woods)

News:
The last meet was cold, wet and steamy! A rather large Pheasant joined the Blue Tits, Parakeets, and a squirrel in a scramble for food, and the ducks came along later for an inspection. As for us Bodgers… well, we crammed inside the cabin, it was packed, and from outside the sun and the heat of hard work caused waves of steam to rise off the roof.

Word Of The Week: Frass (Noun)
Fine powdery refuse or fragile perforated wood produced by the activity of boring insects / the excrement of insect larvae.
Origin: mid 19th century: from German Frass, from fressen ‘devour’.

Regular Bits n Bobs:
If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly concrete, so treadles may not be able to 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 secure parking is available within 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.

See site map, and map links at bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please contact me  if you have any questions.

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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.

Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/joinus

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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

Hallå Hantverkare!

News:
We had a great time at our last meet. Pete brought his friend Jacqueline, who was introduced to the axe, shave horse, and draw knife. She was soon well on her way to making her first spatula!  Jamie carved a nice bum… ok, it was a valentines heart really. We also welcomed Daithí along who spliced and wove rope rings to strengthen the rim of a small bag. It was also great to see Nico, a French spooner friend from London.

29th Feb is the last date I’ll accept entries for round 2 of Spot the Difference. So whoop out the Gazette, mark it up clearly, on the page or on a pic you took, and send it in!

Word Of The Week: Hantverksskicklighet - Swedish for: Craftsmanship

Regular Bits n Bobs:
If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly concrete, so treadles may not be able to 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 secure parking is available within 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.

See site map, and map links at bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please contact me  if you have any questions.

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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.

Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/joinus

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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

Howdy Doody Bodgers!

News:
I hope everyone enjoyed the last meet as much as I. We had a new member, Dawn. Who brought along Willow to weave.. and more importantly, a huge homemade cake! Sue brought Cherry Pie, David W brought his usual humorous musings, and some sharpening rods. Wendy worked on a felted Cat head, and the rest of us made a great contribution to the garden’s wood chip mulch pile.

The Bodgers Gazette should be in your hands by now, and I hope you all give round 2 of Spot the Difference a go. The prize is 2 tickets to the Bodgers Ball, so get your eyes freshened up and your pen* at the ready!  *Other scribing methods are accepted, and a list would make my marking job faster.

Word Of The Week:
“Froe” - Origin: Late 16th century: abbreviation of obsolete frower, from froward in the sense ‘turned away’.

Regular Bits n Bobs:
If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly concrete, so treadles may not be able to 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 secure parking is available within 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.

See site map, and map links at bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please contact me  if you have any questions.

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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.

Join the APTGW here: https://www.bodgers.org.uk/joinus

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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

Hi di hi Bodgers!

News:

What a lovely return to the Walled Garden we had at the last meet. It was wonderful to see you all, especially those that we don’t see often. A few were greatly missed too, so we hope to see them at this coming meet. A few generous members brought down some nice fresh wood. We have some Plum, Birch, Cherry and few other bits for you to get your carve on!

The Bodgers Gazette should be arriving soon. We have a short article by our member Kevin, and I hope you all give round 2 of Spot the Difference a go. The prize is 2 tickets to the Bodgers Ball, so get your eyes freshened up and your pen at the ready.

Regular Bits n Bobs:

If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so if you can bring your own please do. Note for those with Lathes, our floor space is mostly 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 secure parking is available within 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.

See map at bottom of page.

Hope to see you there, and please contact me at essexaptgw@gmail.com if you have any questions.

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. It’s only £20 per year and membership runs from January to December each year.

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

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

• Connect with other Green Woodworkers, tool makers, rural crafters.

• Learn new skills in a variety of length courses.

• 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!

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

Ahoy ye Bodgers!

Dust off the tools, get the wood out of the freezer (other preservation methods are welcome), loosen up your axe arm, wax the strop, get the thermals at the ready, throw the froe in the boot, scrape the ice, and get yourself down the Walled Garden for our first meet of the year.

If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so 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 stash of wood has suffered in the summer heat. If you have any wood you want to play with or to bring for others please do.

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

See map at bottom of page.

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

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

This will be our last meet of the year. I expect it to be a bit chilly, so dress for an arctic mission! We will return from hibernation and be back at the Walled Garden on Saturday 20th January.

In wood supply news: Dave the Ranger has just dropped off some Poplar and Hazel.

If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so 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

See Venue Map Below

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

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

It was sad to have missed the last meet, but I was kept busy at Ben’s workshop, mainly making the legs for our stools. Wendy reported all went well at the Garden, and they were bathed in sunshine.

If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so 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 stash of wood has suffered in the summer heat. If you have any wood you want to play with or to bring for others please do.

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

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

Apologies for the late coming of this meet’s info, both my wife and I have been struck down with covid and I totally forgot everything besides feeling ill.

Once again I won’t be present at this coming meet. I’ll be on a Windsor stool course held by Ben Willis.  The meet will still go ahead with Wendy or Ranger Dave will opening up at the usual time.

If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so 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 stash of wood has suffered in the summer heat. If you have any wood you want to play with or to bring for others please do.

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

See Map Below

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

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 wonderful, apart from some unexpected rain, which had us duck inside a poly tunnel. David Wilkins taught Jamie to carve a bearded shelf sitter gnome, Sue cleaned up a rustic bowl, giving her twca cam it’s first bite of wood, Carl worked on a spoon from Sumac, Dave and Steve got busy exploring some willow, Wendy made several tiny felted pumpkins, and I hollowed a carved end grain cup.

I won’t be present on the 28th, I’ll be at a family wedding. The meet will still go ahead with Ranger Dave will opening up at the usual time.

If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so 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 stash of wood has suffered in the summer heat. If you have any wood you want to play with or to bring for others please do.

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

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

A meet of treats! For those who were not at the last meet, you really missed out. Apart from the usual woody fun, the Garden had a Pizza chef in to test and prep the Garden’s Pizza oven for Apple Day. He filled many tums with free Pizza, and it was superb! We also had a live solo folk music performance from Andrew Millham, including a song from his recent book, “Singing like Larks”. A celebration of birds in folk songs.

If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so 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 stash of wood has suffered in the summer heat. If you have any wood you want to play with or to bring for others please do.

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

See Map Below

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

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

The last meet was a hot one, reaching 31ºc by midday. We were thankfully shaded by the tall trees surrounding the Walled Garden, so plenty of wood chips were created. Ranger Dave begun work on a pair of Castanets, David Wilkins carved a spoon, I carved a scoop, Carl tweaked a huge server he’d started earlier, and Wendy brought another needle felt landscape to life

If you have them, bring your lathe, shave horse, and any other fun equipment. We have a few chopping blocks and one kuksa horse, so 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 stash of wood has suffered in the summer heat. If you have any wood you want to play with or to bring for others please do.

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

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