Last Weekends Trip To Ireland

Following an invitation to demonstrate in Sligo Jane and I flew to Knock on Friday 20th where we were hosted by some great Irish folk who showed us the best of local hospitality.

The demonstration took place in a members workshop. Thanks John, this is the usual way the club gets together each meeting.

This is john's closest neighbour and the view from just outsidethe workshop.

I quite like the isolation I have at my workshop but this is even more so than mine.

When needed the group got intamate to get a closer look at what I was doing.This happened several timesthey seemed extreemly interested in the type of decoration/colouring that I was doing.

The woodburner(front right) was used to heat the workshop.

I worked all day Saturday and Sunday morning after work we were shown some of the local attractions and found the area interesting even though I was not feeling on top of the world having come down with a nasty cold which went to my ears and caused a loss of voice which made things interesting to say the least it did make communication very frustrating at times towards the end of the weekend.

The cold was so bad when I returned home I went to the Doctor where he perscribed some serious medication for any infection that I was likely to develope following the flight home, my voice is at long last slowly returning but it is still hard work to speak and impossible not to do so.

Below are some pictures we took during our trip to Sligo and the local area.

We had bright sunny days,

Coastal views,Castles,ruins and even some stunning trees that had a very strange quality.

The atlantic Ocean at a quite time!

We are usually so lucky when we travel to new and interesting places.

This is a rebuilt/restored castle on lake shore.

Ireland is full of ruins like this but I particulry liked the cloisters at this riun.It was interesting to see the site is still being used for interment.

It was also good to see it being maintained.

If you look closely you can see a plane coming into land a knock airport t's not the disimilar to

Norwich some years ago a small airport uthat is currently under development which is no bad thing today.

I may post some more images in a day or two once I have edited them I will try to find images showing the the trees with the moss hanging off them.

The trip was great fun and we hope to go again hopefully to meet some more of the Irish turning community.

Thank you To the Sligo Chapter and especially my hosts you know who you are thank you again.

A busy week

As always the time goes so quick, the days just dont seem long enough and need to be longer the eary starts are paying off and the work is getting done ready for the weekend and the demo in Sligo Southern Ierland.There is still much to do so its back to the workshop after tea tonight.

Me and my Schnauzers

Here is a picture of me with my dogs outside my workshop Sammy left and Joshua right.

The boys rarely came into the workshop but would bark at the door for attention.


They are both sadly missed , they were with us for nearly sixteen years they enjoyed life and had lots of fun.


The house is so very quite now.

March Has Arrived

The last few weeks have been a little odd having buried our old schnauzer Sammy on Febuary 20th the place seems terribly quite without him but after 15 years that is to be expected,when not working we have tried to keep busy and this weekend I went and removed a tree from my mothers garden, it took quite a time to do as there is always something else that needs attention. Jane helped me clear up on Saturday afternoon.
The tree went to the dump.

"But Jane started filling the compost bin quite modestly!"

It was hard work we did have some fun, and Jane always likes to get stuck in to work like this so long as I do not push her too hard. We cut we chopped, we raked and brushed Jane helped crushing things into the wheelie bin until it was absolutely full as you can see in the pictures she does get carried away sometimes and I never try to hold her back.


Eventually Jane could get no more into the compost bin so climbed in to crush down the contents and allow us to fill it some more,

And it was full when she had finished!

All we have to do now is attack our own garden as it needs some TLC after the winter months, so I guess that's what we will be doing this coming weekend weather permitting.

There is never anything more satisfying than working together with my wife.

March Is Not Far Away.

We seem to have shaken the winter bugs at long last I do hope I haven't spoken too soon but the sun is out and we are feeling so much better than we have for a long time.Lets hope the good weather continues as bright as it's been today.
I managed to scrounge wet Ash and Silver Birch logs today so with luck can try some experimental tunings in the next day or two distractions avoided who knows where the Ash may be heading, I have a few ideas, I just have to shut the door and get on with it, as SWMBO says far to often to me. We used to have a guy working with us who also said far to often "don't say it do it " I think all to often we procrastinate about things and on many occasions it would be better to just hit these issues head on to resolve the problems that may arise as things progress.

Spring is around the corner. Hopefully!

We Have Been Ill Again!.

I know it has been some time since my last post but my wife and I have been ill again these winter bugs just won't go away no sooner you think you are over one than another appears, I have not been as bad as Jane but I do feel run down with no energy to get on with the work that I have/want to do still spring is approaching so things will get better I guess.

Plans For the Spring.

Last year I had a visit from some people from Sligo in Ireland, I mentioned that I would like to visit Ireland for a holiday.They however have decided to invite me to demonstrate at their club. The only problem with these trips is Jane gets see the sites while I work but as we are going for a long weekend I will get to see some as well. Ireland here I come this should be a fun trip.

Ongoing Everyday Work And Aspirations.

As always I have been working on my articles for GMC I am really exited about this current series.
Having been ill the website took a back seat but it is on a roll again it only needs a few more pics and another look over to get it finished before I can get it across to the guys I use, and it will be there but it does take time and we need all the info to be correct.

Here are links to blogs that may be of interest to you they both ask some interesting questions : http://woodturningblog.wordpress.com/
http://www.philip-streeting.blogspot.com/

Christmas and New Year.Gone

Allways a busy time with work promised and family calling it is impossible to sit down and write add to that the ongoing round of winter colds that hang on and seem to never leave for any lenght of time trying to update my blog has been impossible over the last few weeks or is it longer,now I will try to get on top again as I really enjoy doing this I find it helps me with my writing for GMC and allows the hand to nearly move as quick as the brain! well not quite but you know what I mean the fingers are getting much quicker and I seem to find the letters more easily than they used too.