Chelmer Valley Newsletters

Newsletter 19 - December 2018

Well here we are again, Christmas; what a lovely time of the year when we think of family and friends differently than at any other time. I like to think of my fellow club members as friends and I hope you regard me as a friend so that when I am haranguing you all at the next AGM for members to step up and fill the spaces on the committee you all take me seriously. We have lost several committee members this year and they need to be replaced from the membership.

Newsletter 18 - October 2018

Much has happened in the past few months apart from some very interesting demos by our visiting Woodturners. We are very lucky to have such a varied and interesting program set up for us. The Club, although not mentioned in the report in Revolutions, was again represented by Louise and myself at Gilwell 24. We were among many helpers in the woodturning marquee where Scouts have the opportunity to receive instruction from competent turners and then turn a piece for themselves. It's a frenetic day but very satisfying, with all available spaces being filled within an hour or so of the list being opened . A full report can be seen in the latest issue of Revolutions.

Newsletter 17 - December 2017

How time flies, we are back again to our Christmas meeting and that means competition time. Although I am not entering the competition myself this year I am hoping for a good turnout of entries. There are three classes and the field is wide open but remember pieces must not have been shown at the club before competition night. Our January meeting includes the AGM and nominations are welcome for the various committee positions. The committee has met regularly but there have been vacant chairs waiting to be filled. Any club member can join the committee as a representative of the membership, they can vote on any decisions the committee has to make and prepare themselves to take on an administrative post.

Newsletter 16 - September 2017

Welcome to the September newsletter, inside you will find a report from the Essex Country Show and the Bob Neill evening that was put on as an extra activity. We have highlighted the seminar day going on in October and bring to your attention three safety policies from the AWGB’S executive committee. Enjoy your read.

Newsletter 15 - June 2017

Welcome to this quarters newsletter. We have a new wood supplier who was bought to our attention last month and details are enclosed. Tim very kindly supplied and donated some of the timber for our Seminar day and raffle. We have a report on the Seminar Day and please take note of the information for the July club night.

Newsletter 14 - March 2017

I expect that as the days have lengthened and we have enjoyed slightly warmer weather many of us have begun to chase the spiders from our sheds/workshops, dusted down the lathes and got cracking on our next projects. Speaking of which I should remind everyone that next month, May, the Club has a set project to test our prowess. We need to turn a goblet and I sincerely hope we all make the effort to produce one and bring it up on club night. Mark Baker is our demonstrator in May and will no doubt be pleased to offer his advice to those of us who produce a goblet and need I remind you that John English showed us the way last month. Following on, June is the month of our seminar and I am looking forward to seeing many members at Mountnessing to share the day’s experiences with.

Newsletter 13 - December 2016
Well here we are and Christmas is just days away, hopefully we all got those special gifts made in time. Next month we meet for our AGM, an opportunity for members to express their views and opinions on the management of the Club. I sincerely hope everyone will make the effort to attend. Both our secretary Roy Sargeant and treasurer John Butcher are not standing for re-election this year. We have one nominee for treasurer and now seek a nomination for the position of secretary. These are vitally important Club officers without whom the Club will fail. Roy and John have served the Club well and will be happy to mentor their replacements.

Newsletter 12 - September 2016

Welcome to this quarters newsletter. There are some important notices within this newsletter one of which will make the difference as to whether we have a club next year or not. Please take the time to read it.

The summer social came and went rather quietly again this year. In the Chairman’s words ‘it was more like an extended committee meeting with family members and a couple of stalwart members’.

Newsletter 11 - June 2016

Welcome to the June issue where you will find a report by two of our members on their experience of the Beginners day, along with some photographs of the pieces they made. There is updated information of interest if you’re planning a visit to Wizardry in Wood and the other usual features. You will find notification of the Summer Social on the back page and if you would like to attend please notify Louise as soon as possible. Last year we spent a couple of hours chatting about woodturning and everything else while enjoying sandwiches and by consensus an awful lot of lovely cakes. For those that were all ‘caked’ out last year I will be having a word to balance the menu. So make a cuppa and enjoy your read.

Newsletter 10 - March 2016

Welcome to the March issue. You will find on the back page the contact details for the committee for 2016. Please keep this issue safe so that you can contact a committee member should you need to. Inside are some details to do with Wizardry in Wood and the biennial competitions run by the Worshipful Company of Turners. Details for seminar days at other clubs are listed inside, one of which is Andy Coates who is our demonstrator in March, so if you enjoy the evening with Andy you could see a full day with him at Thameside.

Newsletter 09 - December 2015

Welcome to the December Newsletter in which we are pleased to announce that since the September Newsletter we have been joined by six new members with a seventh hopefully to follow this month. All have come to us as a result of the clubs Open Day, seeing the AWGB stand at the European Woodwork Show and the clubs stand when we were invited to join Lathcoates Farm Apple Day. You will see notification of the AGM on the front page. We are still in need of two more committee members to join us in January at the AGM. If you feel you would like to volunteer please see Roy Sargeant to obtain a form so that you can be proposed and seconded. This part needs to be done fairly promptly in order for names to be notified.

Newsletter 08 - September 2015

Welcome to the September issue and the front page says it all, we need committed members that will help to take Chelmer Valley into the future. If anyone cares about the club for more than just an evening out once a month please find out more about what is involved by speaking to Roy and consider standing for one of the positions. But having said that it does not mean that we do not require help from all members on club nights and any other events that we run and/or attend. We hope you enjoy the remainder of the newsletter with reports from the various

Newsletter 07 - June 2015

Welcome to the June edition. We have details of plenty of seminar days and woodworking events for you between now and October. We have a report from a visit to Weird and Wonderful Wood and information for up and coming club events. We have the usual club notices and reminders and our Member Focus in this issue is Ray Easter, better known for his wonderful turned aero planes and space ships. John English has very kindly written up some notes from his demo on twists and hollow forms for anyone that would like a stage by stage reminder. So make a coffee and have a read.

Newsletter 06 - March 2015
Welcome to the first edition of 2015. We are now well into 2015 and this issue brings you details of the first two Seminar days in the area, details of up and coming club events and a report from our two day excursion into Kent at the South East Woodworking Show. The Members Focus this month is your Chairman John Austin, we hope you enjoy finding out more about you Chairman.

Newsletter 05 - December 2014

Welcome to the Christmas edition of the newsletter. We have reports from our Open Day, our Masterclass and the Christmas Lunch. Your Chairman has a few words to say before the AGM in January and we have the start of next years Seminar days. We highlight a prize winning surprise from another club and the continued success of Ray Easter’s turning courses at Rochford. Our Members Focus this month is John Longcake, a hugely talented as a turner, as we know, but when visiting his home to collect photographs we unearthed his other hidden talents. Please keep your articles coming for the newsletters in ‘Word’ documents for text and JPEG files for any photographs. If you would like to be the next Members Focus please speak to Louise (editor).

Newsletter 04 - September 2014

Welcome to the 4th edition of the newsletter, with your contributions we’ve made it through the year. Please keep your articles coming and remember to check the copy deadline on the front of each newsletter to make sure you get your articles to me on time. The next edition will be in December which will bring us to our 3 monthly schedule. We have the last couple of seminar days for this year for you to take note of and have a really good day out seeing some professional turners from further afield, as well as an Open Day and a competition entries exhibition. We have workshop tips and training courses and reports from the club’s weekend at South Woodham Ferrers and the Open Day. The Members Focus this month is Alex Burnett and there is also a report from Gillwell 24, the scouts 24 hour venture of all types of activities for the Scout Association.

Newsletter 03 - June 2014

We have the second of our Member Focus articles and information on our forthcoming second set project in September. Rounding up we have the usual articles on woodturning days out and demonstrators for the next quarter and information on our next Open Day.

Newsletter 02 - March 2014

Welcome to the second edition of the Chelmer Valley Woodturners Newsletter. Inside you will find information about club events, demonstrators who are coming up in the next quarter, seminars that are available (where we can see some of the countries top turners at very reasonable costs) and training opportunities whether you are a beginner or a more advanced turner. Also our first Member Focus high- lighting members, enabling us to find out a bit more about them and how they got involved in woodturning, thus putting names to faces. We hope you enjoy the newsletter and should you have anything you would like included in the next issue the copy date is above and contact details of the editor are on the back page. We look forward to hearing from you.

Newsletter 01 - January 2014

Welcome to the new quarterly newsletter of Chelmer Valley Woodturners. The aim of the newsletter is to keep you informed about club issues, to tell you about events for the club such as who’s coming up in the next quarter for club demos, also events to promote the club and woodturning in general. We will highlight events by other local clubs, especially their seminar days where we all need to support each other. These are an ideal, inexpensive way of having a chance to see some of the countries top turners that local clubs cannot afford to bring this way for an evening. If we support each other long may they continue?

With grateful thanks to Louise Biggs for collating, writing and editing newsletters 01 - 18, as well as to members for providing the material.