Mallinson Ltd - woodwork courses in Dorset. Perfect short breaks for everyone.

As regular readers will know, this newsletter is the place where we release new dates, new courses and special offers. In between newsletters, don't forget that you can also keep up to date with what we're up to via: Facebook, Twitter and our blog.

September Course Dates

If you keep up with this newsletter you'll already know that we've released several new course dates, including some for this coming September. If you're thinking about coming along, I'd just like to urge you to book up quickly - they're filling up fast.

Pole Lathe & Green Woodworking
Sep 13th/14th
(and Nov 1st/2nd)

Carving A Wooden Bowl
Sep 27th/28th
(and Nov 4th/5th)

Make a Chair From A Tree
Sep 20th-24th

Craft On TV

It's been a busy time since the June Newsletter, with lots of full courses including chair making, totem carving, pole lathing, gate making and bowl carving. Occasional downpour aside, we've mostly been blessed with glorious sunshine in the Woodland Workshop. And, talking of sun, I've also been doing a bit more filming, this time in London for a Christmas special (full details in December). I have to say it was quite a strange way to spend a hot mid-summers day: demonstrating the pole lathe in a woolly jumper and scarf. Unpleasantly sweaty but good fun all the same!

And talking of crafts on TV, we're still getting lots of feedback of people disappointed that Mastercrafts has not been recommissioned by the BBC, with the Facebook support page already showing over 1000 supporters - which can't be bad.

Nettle Pickers Forever

Our new friends the 'Nettle Pickers' have been working hard foraging, picking and cooking fresh ingredients for our fantastic lunches in the woods. They will be returning when we start running courses again next month and I am now getting used to everybody commenting that one of the best bits of their time here has been the fantastic food! I'll just have to try harder on the teaching I guess ...

Gates In Place

We have had some lovely letters from our recent guests and as ever this means a great deal to us, so thank you.

There have also been a huge flood of pictures for our regular win-a-course competition. These too are always very welcome and I especially appreciate it when guests who've come to the Totem Pole and Gate courses show us how their work looks in situ. For example, here:

there's a good shot of Margaret's sweet chestnut gate now installed in pride of place in her garden. Fantastic, and well done!

It's Raining Chairs

Above, I mentioned 'occasional downpours'. Well, on the whole the weather has been kind to us so far this summer. However, there was one notable exception. The July chair making course saw 10 guests, including six campers, enduring rain storms that did actually qualify for the term 'torrential'. Our recently installed hot woodland shower proved very welcome, and was much used. This is the first course that I've taught with Tom Vaughan from Mastercrafts and I did wonder if the generally rather soggy time might be just a bit too grim an experience but of course that wasn't the case. In fact I think it's fair to say a good time was had by all - teachers and guests - whatever the weather was throwing at us. There are some more pictures on the blog.

Launching Coracles

You might remember that we've our first coracle making course in November. As you'd expect, I hope as many readers as possible will come along to it - it promises to be great fun and immensely satisfying too. However, while I've always thought that was going to be the case, having spent the end of June training with Peter Faulkner I'm now even more sure of it.

To explain, Peter is the only hide-covered coracle maker working in Britain today and to say I learned a terrific amount from him would be an understatement. And it's not just the making that's important, it's the paddling too! I had some lessons in the figure-of-eight rowing technique from Peter and, just a couple of weeks later, was able to try it out here in the woods on the pond with my own coracle. It was simply brilliant! (I'll be giving paddling lessons to coracle course guests too.) I really can't recommend the whole making-to-paddling experience highly enough.

There are some more photos on this and this blog entry, and there's a video clip here. And there's a gallery of photos from my time training with Peter at the bottom of the course details page.

I hope to see you in November.

Drawing Horses

Once back at home, one of our recent guests, Martin Nicholson, was inspired to make his own shaving horse - he couldn't come to the October 'make your own' course. It just happens that Martin is a product designer ... and what that means is that he's produced the most fantastic detailed drawings of our horses, and what's more he has very kindly agreed to let me share his drawings with you. So, if anyone is looking for some plans, the link to them is here.

Festivals Present and Future

We have a break from running courses for a few weeks now and the Woodland Workshop is being used for some private events and summer camps. I look forward to seeing some of our readers at these events and, in-between, we'll be taking some time off, starting with Camp Bestival. (Perhaps we'll see some of you there too.) Come next year, we are hoping to set up a mini Woodland Workshop in the 'Green Field' at Glastonbury Festival and we'll confirm this with full details once everything is finalised.

Tool Of The Month

With all of this talk of summer festivals this month seems ideal to share the pleasures of the storm kettle. No, it's not a tool as such but you really can't beat them, whether you're camping in our woods or in need of a cuppa in a field of tents at a festival. A few twigs, a match and away you go - a nice brew in just a couple of minutes. Sheer magic and always very welcome when in the refugee state of mind of the hardened festival goer!

As always, you can buy tools - including storm kettles - from our online shop by credit/debit card or you can order by post and pay by cheque. More details are on the 'tools' page.

And I think that's it for this month. As always, thanks for reading.

Guy and the team

Hero Of The Month - A Chair On A Bike

Carolyn Brightwater has written 'Tree Of The Month' for a number of years and it's always been popular (with me and our readers), so it was with great sadness that we heard that she will be unable to continue. I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for all of her great work over the years.

The good news is that we have a very exciting replacement regular feature lined up for next month - watch this space - but in the meantime, while I'm not in the habit of publishing guest's letters, I did think this story was so impressive that I simply have to share it with you.

Guests come from far and wide, by car, train and occasionally by bike if they are local. So, it was with massive respect that I greeted Mark B. who had come to camp for the week's chair making all the way from London, on his bike!

Of course my first thought was 'how on earth is he going to get home with a chair? "No problem" I was assured - Mark had a cunning bike trailer to carry his chair and camping gear home.

This was pretty impressive by any standards but when he had a nasty accident midweek requiring seven stitches in his knee (not during the course in case you were wondering!) I thought that would be it. "Not at all" I was assured and after we booked Mark into a local hotel after the course and camping finished, we discovered that after a couple of days relaxing in Lyme he intended to set off on a tour on his way back to London, taking in more than 500km on the way.

Anyway, we are full of admiration and I had to share Mark's diary with you so you can get a feel for his adventure:

Sat 10th:

Woke up to find the bike trailer has a puncture - next to the valve and so a new inner tube is required. I cycle to bike shop and buy two - which was a good thing as when I got back the inner tube valve on the other wheel had failed.

Finally I'm ready to go! I decide to get train to Alton to make up time. Bike falls over on the station platform and bends the trailer hitch - this is NOT a good start. Fortunately I packed some spare parts and was able to fix it on the train.

Once at Alton I start cycling, through New Alresford, Winchester, Southampton, catching the ferry across to Hythe, then Brockenhurst and finally into Bournemouth at sunset - 104km in total.

Sun 11th:

Set out from Bournemouth, and catch the chain ferry from Sand Banks across to Isle of Purbeck and Swanage. Then roughly follow National Cycle Route 2, passing through Dorchester to pick up supplies and climb up to Hardy's monument. The last five miles to Guy's seem to take forever - finally I'm on the right road, but where is the gate? Checking the letter, I establish that I'm 200 yards away. Sunset was 15 minutes ago, and it's rapidly getting dark. I go through the gate and follow the path, eventually spotting tents. I pitch my tent on a flat empty area and quickly fall asleep - 121km cycled today.

Mon 12th – Fri 16th:

Woke about 6:30 I think, and spotted a familiar face, Tom Vaughan from Mastercrafts, making tea. I went and said hello, and we were later joined by Jane and Guy, then the other guests ... and then the course started. Five days of chair-making! A truly wonderful experience and even the rain couldn’t dampen our spirits!

Sat 17th:

Course over, dropped off at a hotel in Lyme Regis by Guy. I check-in then wander down to the front. I pass an art shop and purchase some pencils and paper for sketching. I've three days to wait for my wounded knee to recover sufficiently to allow me to cycle again. Sitting on the sea front, I notice someone handing out flyers below. and can clearly see the name John Otway - he's playing tonight just 200 yards from the hotel! The evening gig was exactly what was needed - a comic mix of music and ramblings, and even the odd ballad too.

Sun 18th:

Walked up and down the front, read, ate ... a lazy Sunday.

Mon 19th:

Pottered around for a bit, and knowing tomorrow I'd be back on the bike tested myself by walking up some hills. Spent most of the afternoon sat in the gardens above the Cobb sketching.

Tue 20th:

After breakfast, I check out of the hotel and start cycling back to Guy's to pick up my chair. After wrapping the chair in bin bags and gaffer tape, then strapping it to the bike trailer I depart - with Guy's dog Dudley following! By the end of the road he was still following although he couldn't keep up with me once I started down the hill.

Had a vague idea of where I was aiming for, but I really wasn't sure if my knee was up to cycling. Passed through Illminster then Bridgwater before arriving at Weston-super-Mare - my intended destination for the night. 106km cycled today

Wed 21st:

Spend the day pottering round Weston, lots of building work going on and the pier was closed, so decide to move on tomorrow.

Thur 22nd:

The weather starts off fine, but by the time I hit Bristol it's pouring down. I stop off at a pub in Pilning to dry out. After a pint, I leave and head over the Severn Bridge into Wales. Cold and wet, I aim for Chepstow - and eventually find a hotel with a room, albeit one with a jazz night tonight. I wander around the town to avoid the worst of it. 72km cycled today through some really wet and windy weather.

Fri 23rd:

My birthday! Last night I rolled the trailer as I arrived at the hotel, but this morning I notice I've seriously damaged the hitch. Not good. After buying the closest sized M6 bolts I could find, I sat outside Homebase on my green woodwork chair rebuilding the hitch again, using nuts as spacers and reusing the (less twisted) hook that I'd bent on Day 1. By noon I was back on the road, over the bridge and heading for Chippenham. For part of the way I was joined by another cyclist, who was on his way from Bristol to Womad. I arrived at friend's house just after 6pm, and after putting up the tent, started on the beer... 67km today

Sat 24th:

The day of the beer festival, approx 40 people, 20 polypins of beer, and 7 ciders - a good day was had by all! Lots of interest and photos taken of my chair, I feel like a proud father, constantly glancing at it just to make sure it's OK!

Sun 25th:

I leave early afternoon - knowing I have to be home by the evening. As I stop by Silbury Hill some strangers came up to me, explain that they overtook me en route and then proceed to ask about the chair, if I made it, what the wood was, how long it took to make and so on. They were particularly amazed when I said there there was no glue, and that it was held together by working with the material alone.

I cycle as far as I can before my legs give way and catch the train from Pewsey back home. Well, almost home, as at the stop before mine the power was cut because the train behind was on fire. So ... I carried the bike and trailer down three flights of stairs before cycling the last couple of miles home. Today: 44km cycled, and a bottle of wine and pizza consumed in celebration! That's what I call a holiday.

~~~~

If anyone would like to better Mark's ride to a course and back... ! And while we're thinking bike, if anyone missed my old mate Rob Penn on BBC 4 - "The Ride of my Life" - last week I can recommend catching up on iPlayer. He's another biking hero who has a healthy respect for craftsmanship, designing and building his dream bike (not to mention circumnavigating the globe!).