Westonbirt

[mark w]

Is anyone else out there annoyed at the decision Classic handtools have made by removing master classes from Westonbirt and moving them to Cressing Temple. is there much point in going to Westonbirt? And does anyone else find the traveling to Cressing difficult?

Regards, Mark w

 

[Harbo]

Apart from the CHT Marquee, I have been disappointed with the Westonbirt event in the past, so I wont be bothered to go again except perhaps to visit the Arboretum.
CHT used to organise an event at West Dean which was fairly near to me and a very nice location.
I suppose there must be sound commercial reasons for CHT's decisions, but Cressington is a bit too far for me to visit without an overnight stop.
I will just have to make do with Yandles?

Rod

 

[cambournepete]

All depends where you live - Cressing Temple is much easier and quicker for me to get to than Westonbirt.
I guess their reasoning is that a higher proportion of visitors to CT will be interested in the master classes than at Westonbirt, and as it's their show they have more control.
You can get the train to within a mile of CT.

 

[mark w]

I suppose you are both right, but the European Woodworking show is in October, thats getting a little to close to winter for my liking. The barns at Cressing are nice, but West Dean was a better venue in my opinion.
I think its a shame that Westonbirt will not have the master classes, although the venue is very picturesque, for me there will be little point in going.

Mark W

 

[woodbloke]

I agree with Harbo about Westonbirt, only some of the stuff there is of interest, much of it doesn't do a lot for me. There's a lot of 'crafty' type stuff which is only worth glance. The CHT tent was the main attraction I suppose, but once you've seen one CHT stall they're pretty much all the same which ever show you go to.
I didn't go to any of the 'masterclasses' so that's another issue that's of no real concern to me. All told, for me, Westonbirt doesn't merit the fee to get in...around £8 (or the last time I was there)
CT is too far away so Yandles is the show I go to, though the event as West Dean was very good a couple of years ago, however a source told me (iIrc) that the college were unwilling to host another show

There is though, a Hand Tool event at Aximinster some time in March...anyone going to that? If it's like the Rycotewood show last year it'll be worth a shuftie :wink: - Rob

 

[yetloh]

I believ t he truth is that West Dean just did not prove to be financially viable. Either way, there is no possibility of it being held in the same venue again because the larger part of the Sussex Barn is now used as a tapestry teaching studio so, if it was held again it would have to be marquee based. I'm sure it cannot have helped that that West Dean is such a long way from CHT's Ipswich base.

Jim

 

[woodbloke]

I believ t he truth is that West Dean just did not prove to be financially viable. Either way, there is no possibility of it being held in the same venue again because the larger part of the Sussex Barn is now used as a tapestry teaching studio so, if it was held again it would have to be marquee based. I'm sure it cannot have helped that that West Dean is such a long way from CHT's Ipswich base.

Jim

I think that was it Jim, but the college also wanted quite a large slice :wink: :-" for hosting it - Rob

 

[Paul Chapman]

The Masterclasses at the Classic Hand Tool events are excellent in my view and well worth attending. I've been to several by John Lloyd (a particularly good one on making cross-grain mouldings using hand tools), Garrett Hack and Deneb Puchalski at both West Dean and Westonbirt. I've learnt several techniques from attending these events that I didn't know before and they've helped me in my work.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[woodbloke]

The Masterclasses at the Classic Hand Tool events are excellent in my view and well worth attending. I've been to several by John Lloyd (a particularly good one on making cross-grain mouldings using hand tools), Garrett Hack and Deneb Puchalski at both West Dean and Westonbirt. I've learnt several techniques from attending these events that I didn't know before and they've helped me in my work.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

I remember seeing Garret Hack doing his inlay stuff at West Dean and to be fair, it was interesting to see him do it...but I wouldn't attend one of his 'masterclasses' as it's not the sort of stuff that I use in my work. Deneb was also interesting to see when he was demo-ing the LN gear at West Dean, that was when he tamed the WfH. Cross grain mouldings?...don't use them Paul, in the stuff I make, so I wouldn't want to go to a JL 'masterclass' for that application either.
The 'masterclasses' are good if they deal with stuff that you need to know about...if not, don't bother - Rob

 

[mark w]

I will be going to to the Axmister show, I hope this is the start of many to come.
Mark w

 

[Alf]

I was trying to get to the Axminster thing, but won't be able to make it. Shame, 'cos it looks promising and it's about as local as anything ever gets to me. As to Westonbirt, I've never made it there and now you all tell me it's not worth going. Sigh. Cressing Temple obviously might as well be on the other side of the world. I dunno, the way things are going the only way I'm going to get to a show is to run one! :lol:

 

[mark w]

Good idea Alf, I`m sure many of us would come.
Mark W

 

[cambournepete]

Cressing Temple obviously might as well be on the other side of the world.

It's only Essex ! I know the driving (of others, obviously) can be a bit scary there though but at least they're not all grockles...
You could combine it with a holiday by the sea perhaps?
I'm sure you'd enjoy the show.

 

[AndyT]

I agree with the general opinion so far - the best bit at Westonbirt was the chance to see well known woodworkers demonstrate techniques, then talk to them in person afterwards. Interesting even if you weren't planning to do inlay or whatever on your next project. It made up for the many stalls selling wooden nick-nacks where I think most of us would have either thought 'i could make that myself' or 'why would anyone ever want one of those?'
The second hand tool stools were good too, as were some of the main demonstrations - previous years included logging techniques using horses; tree felling and mobile milling.

As for the price, it's the same rate all the time to visit the arboretum - which is a wonderful place - so any special event can be looked on as a free extra on top. (But obviously, if you spend all your time looking at wood, you won't see the trees.)

 

[Scouse]

My heart bleeds for you all! :-({|=

At least if Cressing Temple is a bit too far, Yandles and Axminster will accomodate you. Try living north of the Great Western Railway!

I dunno, the way things are going the only way I'm going to get to a show is to run one! :lol:

Alf, if you do run one could you make it somewhere round Manchester? :lol: