A year in review – 2025

It is hard when you do a job which is your passion, to stop long enough, to see what has been achieved. As such, this blog post is a review of 2025, which I hope will appeal to anyone following my journey. I do hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

I did a fair amount of teaching to enthusiastic students and making for markets this past year, but the over-riding aim for me this year has been to totally re-examine the pole lathe and how I work from the ground up. When the professional era of a craft dies (as this did in the UK in the 1950’s with the last of the Bodgers and the death of George Lailey), you lose so much of the nuance of how they interacted with both material, tools and machine. It is no exaggeration to say that many years of knowledge were inadvertantly lost. It is easy enough to make a bowl on the pole lathe, but to manufacture at speed and with maximum efficiency and comfort, to create a volume, which can support a livelihood, is difficult. That is not to say I want to create a large volume of items, but that I want to make the items I make without pain, and with that maximum efficiency. If it came down to volume, bluntly, I would use a power lathe.

I would say that I have had some success in achieving that aim, but that so much work still lies ahead, which is quite daunting. How to interact with this new pole lathe is becoming easier (which incidentally is nothing new, it is merely copying the old lathes (and understanding why they were built as such)), but it is not easy when also juggling trying to earn an income from the craft. Now we have reached a quiet period, I’m looking forward to getting into this more. Sometimes I wish I’d chosen an easier craft where the tools and techniques were fully understood, but I do love a puzzle, and slowly unpicking the pieces has been very rewarding!

But what of the crafting side of things… well, last year was mainly focussed on making for three distinct events: The turning of historical forms for TORM; the creation of two new candlestick sculptures for Wizardry in Wood; and more endgrain work using the more ergonomic style which resulted in more nutboxes and a few cups, but most excitingly, a set of the steambent handled vessels.

It was great to visit some existing markets but also some new ones this year. The original re-enactors market (TORM) was great, and I got to make some special forms for it. I did it twice last year and will be back there in March. Wizardry in Wood (WIW) was also very special to be involved in, it was great to get so many lovely comments from my woodturning peers. I also had a lot of fun demonstrating the making of steambent candleabras at the Craft Festival in Bovey Tracey. Yattendon Christmas market proved to be my best market yet and great to meet a new group of customers! Oh yes, as per my last blog, I also tried ‘sale’ items for the first time this year including a discount to mailing list followers. I t resulted in no extra sales, so I shan’t be repeating it.

I’ve also been on a few courses too, which furthered my skills, including spending a day with Peter Lanyon making a shavehorse, forging a slojd knife with Thornwood Forge, and some more general blacksmithing with with James & Georgie. I really believe in always expanding knowledge as you have no idea where it’ll take you.

Another thing I have consciously tried to do this past year is to forge closer ties with the wider woodturning world, and have been delighted at the response. From joining the Avon and Bristol woodturning club, to the clubs I have demonstrated at, to the massive honour of exhibiting at Wizardry in Wood, other turners have been nothing but kind about my work, and I’m very grateful for that. It turns out (unsurprisingly) that the small and lovely green woodworking community broadly extends out into the wider woodturning community. As ever, I also spent a fair amount of time with my green woodworking friends this year, which always fills me with so much joy and optimism. I had a particularly special day earlier last year at Ali Asadi’s place turning bowls together with Amy Leake, Dave Yule and Dave Evers.

For the first time in a while I had a long holiday to Europe mid-year, which gave space for some clear thinking. A result of this was the realisation to schedule regular exercise into my week. Despite an active job, I use my muscles in a wonky and disproprortionate way. I am now well on the way in the Couch to 5km programme (taking my time, but slowly getting running again!). I’ve been to the gym every week and have much more stable knees, and have been swimming regularly. I also started writing this blog, which has been very useful to me to navigate the many thoughts I have about this craft.

Recently I’ve been doing more thinking, via the Cockpit Arts Business Course. If you are considering of making craft a career, I can fully recommend doing this course or a similar one. I wouldn’t say I’ve achieved clear thinking yet on what I want my business to achieve, but I do now have the tools and knowledge to get there.

The workshop space has continued to develop this year. I was delighted how the hops and honeysuckle grew rampant this year, and the big new addition of the two new sheds was super useful throughout the year. The new chestnut gates have weathered in nicely, and I now have a smaller mezzanine, which is easier to access. It still isn’t quite how I’d like it, but I can see the path towards that now (I’m sure I say that every year!).

I’ll also say a little word about the 52 weeks 52bowls project: As most of you know I am continuing this project until I reach 100 species. I’m currently (officially) at Bowl #83 , but have a few others I’ve turned recently too. My hope is to reach 100 this year, but we’ll have to see. If anyone has any Zelkova, alder buckthorn, olive or other random species I’d love to hear from you! The trunk only needs to be 3” across for me to be able to turn something.

To finish, some headline achievements I’m most proud of this year:

a) Runner-up Mark Baker Award – Woodturning Magazine in February (for my steam-bent candlesticks, #1,2 and 3).
b) Runner-up Turned Treen on a Pole Lathe prize at Wizardry in Wood (for the Cauldron of Dreams).
c) Winner of People’s Choice Award at Wizardry in Wood for the Chandelier (Candestick #5)
d) Front cover of Woodturning Magazine and a featured interview inside.
e) Runner-up in the Log-to-bowl event at the Bodger’s Ball in a time of 16mins 30secs (5 mins quicker than 2024)
f) Meeting a new world of wonderful customers at the two TORM markets.
g) Completing the initial build of a permanent lathe in my workshop.
h) Visits from two wonderful photographers to take photos of my process and spend a few hours chatting about craft in general.

Here’s to 2026 being as successful! Thanks for following along!