Celebration of Craftsmanship and Design

[bjm]

Received an email this morning to say this annual exhibition is now permanently closed. Haven't had the time to go the last two years but it was always a good day out.

 

[Doug B]

I also received the email this morning, very sad, always a highlight for my wife & I, hopefully someone will come forward to take over the running of the exhibition.

 

[Ollie78]

I got this too, I am gutted about it.
I missed it last year but it was always a great show, the best way to see some of the finest work in person. I always hoped to exhibit there myself when I make something good enough.
It was without fail inspirational, sort of re charging the creative batteries each year. Maybe in future these events can return, I certainly hope so.

Ollie

 

[Steve Maskery]

That is sad to hear. Real excellence.

 

[billw]

Wasn't it bought out by a young lad not many years back?

 

[bjm]

The best thing about that exhibition was you were allowed to examine the furniture, open the drawers, sit on the seats. Not a single 'Do Not Touch' sign in sight.

Jason Heap ran it.

 

[Ollie78]

The best thing about that exhibition was you were allowed to examine the furniture, open the drawers, sit on the seats. Not a single 'Do Not Touch' sign in sight.

Jason Heap ran it.

And you could chat to the makers about the work which was always enlightening.

 

[Doug B]

Wasn't it bought out by a young lad not many years back?

That was about 10 years ago I seem to remember Bill when Betty Norbury sold up to Jason Heap

 

[Peter Sefton]

Jason and Julie have been working very hard over the past few years to keep the show going but I think covid was the last straw.

 

[billw]

That was about 10 years ago I seem to remember Bill when Betty Norbury sold up to Jason Heap

Yes it doesn't seem quite that long ago because I read about it whilst going through my old collection of F&C last month!

 

[recipio]

Very sad. I used to come over from Ireland to see it. F+C has also turned into a mid Atlantic irrelevance - why do we never see the great British cabinetmakers writing in magazines anymore ?

 

[thetyreman]

sad news, does this mean it's never coming back then? this event must cost a fortune to put on.

 

[Trevanion]

why do we never see the great British cabinetmakers writing in magazines anymore ?

Because the pay is atrocious for the time taken to write a competent article.

Also, they post their work on instagram and the like now and garner more of a following from casual viewers and entusiastic woodies with a couple of pictures, a short sentence followed by some hastags than they ever would've done writing a lengthy piece in a magazine.

 

[Peter Sefton]

sad news, does this mean it's never coming back then? this event must cost a fortune to put on.

Betty Norbury who started the show 26 years ago lived locally and I assume had a low rate for renting the exhibition space from Cheltenham College. Jason and family live on the Isle of White so incur a lot of expenses in accommodation and travel. It’s my assumption the College are now much more business minded to renting the space, as they could host several weddings over the 2/3 week period. The exhibition has been living under the threat of having to move venue for the past few years, I helped them try and find an alternative space, but nothing was viable.

They are hoping someone will take the exhibition on, so time will tell. Fingers crossed.

Cheers Peter

 

[recipio]

Because the pay is atrocious for the time taken to write a competent article.

Also, they post their work on instagram and the like now and garner more of a following from casual viewers and entusiastic woodies with a couple of pictures, a short sentence followed by some hastags than they ever would've done writing a lengthy piece in a magazine.

I do hope the show will be revived. Nothing beats actually seeing the furniture and having a chat with the maker. Same for magazines vs social media - you don't get any insights into the design process from a few photographs.