Commissions & Productions
I am always prepared to try fresh avenues and happy to accept commissions.
I have made spindles and Newel posts for staircases, and bedposts for four poster beds. I can turn spindles nearly 8'6" long in one piece.
Ash lids for decorative jars. I make several hundred of these each year.
Ebony walking sticks for a stick maker.
Oak staircase spindles.
Knitting needles 3, 3.5 and 4mm in diameter.
A cross for Little Leighs Parish Church.
(Right) 6ft long cone tapering from 7" to 1"
Gilded burr field maple bowls and turned rosewood spoons for use in a restaurant.
4ft 6in high Candlesticks in Applewood
1500mm finial for a Georgian building in Rye in the workshop...
...and in place
Special Commissions
I have made a large number of small oak acorns for jeweller Phoebe Sherwood who has won awards and whose work has appeared in national publications. www.phoebejewellery.co.uk. I now make some other pieces for her to use in jewellery.
Candlesticks
In 2010 I was commissioned to make a pair of candlesticks for the St Cedd Chapel in Chelmsford Cathedral. These were given as a retirement present by Bishop John Gladwin. They are made of ebonized sweet chestnut with the top gilded. This is intended to blend with the other pieces in the cathedral that include a considerable amount of black and gold material, some of which can be seen in the picture.
Hollow Sphere
I recently made this burr fieldmaple hollow sphere and a walnut stand to replace a glass trophy for a fives competition (a game played in a court that is like a small squash court, in which a leather covered ball is hit with either gloved hand).
Turned Spindles
I have been asked by George Birtwell to make some spindles to go on a most unusual and interesting project. It will involve a number of intricately turned spindles, each about 2.5metres long and with a different maximum diameter. Watch this space to see how it turns out!
The Cricketers' Bench
Alan Heslop is sitting on his cricketers' bench with 460mm spheres that I made.
The Sleeping Dragon
This is me making a 650mm hemisphere as part of of Alan Heslop's Prize wining 'Sleeping Dragon' Bench.
Music Stands
I have made music stands normally in English hardwoods and to one of two designs which are either duet or single (the designs are called Lyre and Quotation and are illustrated below).
Musical Instruments
Having learnt the Oboe as a child, I have been interested in making these. To date, I have made Baroque Oboes and a Classical Cor Anglais but am extending my range.
Helen McKean (Oboist) and David Butcher (Recording engineer) recently helped me to record some short extracts of pieces played on these instruments.
If you would like to find out more about the recordings, please email me
Listen to some sample tracks!
To listen to one of the tracks, just click on the track title, or select a Hi Fi or Lo Fi version.
Denner Oboe
Partita 5, Aria 5 Vivace, by Telemann (Denner oboe) Lo-Fi Hi-FiStanesby Oboe
Fitzwilliam Sonata no.2 in B flat, Allegro, by Handel (Stanesby oboe) Lo-Fi Hi-FiCor Anglais
Adagio by Mozart - second part (Cor Anglais) Lo-Fi Hi-FiYou will need an MPEG player to listen to the tracks. There are several free players available, e.g. Realplayer
Technical info: The lofi tracks should play with all but the slowest modems; the hifi tracks should play on a broadband connection. (thanks David)