Teaching pottery and wood turning, and creating unique ceramic, wood turned and silk gifts & art
Proud sponsors of the “Once Upon A Norfolk” Facebook group
GROUP WORKSHOPS
WOODCRAFT, POTTERY, SCULPTURE, STONE CARVING, GLASS ART & PAPERCRAFT
In addition to our 1-2-1 and pairs workshops held in our Blended Monkey studios in the cottage gardens of our home & business in Upwell, we regularly hold group workshops at the Haddenham Arts Centre, the Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey near Cambridge and also various group experiences here in the Blended Monkey studios.
We also invite guest tutors to hold group workshops - see below!
Read on for information about our 2024/2025 group workshops & see reviews and information about the sessions we've held in recent years.
GROUP WORKSHOPS 2024/2025
at the Haddenham Arts Centre, the Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey
and here at the Blended Monkey Studios
SILK PAINTING
for beginners
Saturday 11 January
Haddenham Arts Centre
ENAMELLING - JEWELLERY OR DEC. PANEL
for beginners
Saturday 22 February
Blended Monkey Studios
TEXTILE ART -
DECORATIVE PANEL
for beginners
Sunday 23 February
Blended Monkey Studios
CLAY BLOSSOM
SCULPTURE
for beginners
Sunday 2 March
Blended Monkey Studios
LINO PRINTING
for beginners
Sunday 9 March
Blended Monkey Studios
FUSED GLASS - SPRING
for beginners
Saturday 15 March
Blended Monkey Studios
FLOWER COASTER SEWING
for beginners
Sunday 23 March
Blended Monkey Studios
CERAMIC COILING & BOTANICAL VASES
for beginners
Saturday 29 March
Haddenham Arts Centre
SILK PAINTING
for beginners
Sunday 6 April
Farmland Museum
STONE CARVING -
GEOMETRIC SHAPES
for beginners
Saturday 19 April
Blended Monkey Studios
JUNK JOURNALLING
for beginners
Sunday 11 May
Farmland Museum
CERAMIC TILE MAKING & GLAZING
for beginners
Sunday 18 May
Farmland Museum
TEXTILE ART -
CYANOTYPE
for beginners
Saturday 24 May
Blended Monkey Studios
LEATHERWORK -
CARVING & TOOLING
for beginners
Sunday 25 May
Blended Monkey Studios
RELAXING SPOON CARVING
for beginners
Sunday 1 June
Blended Monkey Studios
GREEN WOODWORKING - WOODCRAFT
for beginners
Sunday 8 June
Blended Monkey Studios
LINO PRINTING
for beginners
Saturday 14 June
Blended Monkey Studios
LARGE CLAY HARE SCULPTURE
for beginners
Sunday 22 June
Blended Monkey Studios
RELAXING SPOON CARVING
for beginners
Saturday 28 June
Haddenham Arts Centre
FUSED GLASS - SUMMER
for beginners
Sunday 29 June
Blended Monkey Studios
LARGE CLAY CAT SCULPTURE
for beginners
Sunday 6 July
Blended Monkey Studios
ENAMELLING -
JEWELLERY OR DEC PANEL
for beginners
Saturday 26 July
Blended Monkey Studios
RELAXING SPOON CARVING
for beginners
Sunday 27 July
Blended Monkey Studios
STONE CARVING -
ROMAN LETTERS
for beginners
Saturday 2 August
Blended Monkey Studios
JUNK JOURNALLING
for beginners
Sunday 3 August
Farmland Museum
RELAXING SPOON CARVING
for beginners
Sunday 10 August
Farmland Museum
LINO PRINTING
for beginners
Saturday 16 August
Blended Monkey Studios
GREEN WOODWORKING -
WOODCRAFT
for beginners
Sunday 17 August
Blended Monkey Studios
TEXTILE ART -
BOTANICAL PRINTING
for beginners
Saturday 23 August
Blended Monkey Studios
CERAMIC COILING & BOTANICAL VASES
for beginners
Sunday 31 August
Farmland Museum
STONE CARVING -
HEART, FLOWER, STAR
for beginners
Sunday 14 September
Blended Monkey Studios
FUSED GLASS - AUTUMN
for beginners
Saturday 20 September
Blended Monkey Studios
CERAMIC TILE MAKING & GLAZING
for beginners
Saturday 27 September
Haddenham Arts Centre
ENAMELLING -
JEWELLERY OR DEC PANEL
for beginners
Saturday 4 October
Blended Monkey Studios
STONE CARVING -
GEOMETRIC SHAPES
for beginners
Sunday 12 October
Blended Monkey Studios
SILK PAINTING
for beginners
Sunday 19 October
Farmland Museum
LINO PRINTING
for beginners
Sunday 16 November
Blended Monkey Studios
ENAMELLING -
JEWELLERY OR DEC PANEL
for beginners
Saturday 22 November
Blended Monkey Studios
FUSED GLASS - WINTER
for beginners
Saturday 14 December
Blended Monkey Studios
POTTERY
We tend to stick to a maximum of 12 people for a group workshop. The group workshops predominantly focus on the different hand building techniques of pinching, coiling and slab work, however we can tailor our group workshops to suit your requirements.
One of our popular workshops involves making a large or several small coiled pieces in the morning and then creating large slab-built vessels in the afternoon; often based on different themes depending on the year or totally freestyle.
We then take the pieces away to glaze and fire them in colours chosen by the students.
We also offer tile & coaster making sessions where the students can design, create and also glaze their own unique pieces.
The work is then returned a few weeks later once it has been glazed and fired.
Send us an e-mail lovepottery@blendedmonkey.co.uk or call us on 01945 772811 for more information or to discuss requirements.
JUNK JOURNALLING
We've added this workshop to our selection of guest tutor experiences held either here in the Blended Monkey studios or in other venues.
The JUNK JOURNALLING experiences are immersive and fun. Providing lots of scope for personal expression and relaxing creativity.
Junk journalling is an extremely varied craft involving techniques from a range of disciplines. The beginners workshops tend to focus on the main skills that'll ensure you come away with a piece you're proud of, such as,
spiral binding, stamping, sewing, envelope & pocket making, and collaging.
The whole procedure will be explained from start to finish by our guest tutor and also with the aid of real-time footage on a large screen showing each step up close.
Suitable for children 13+ accompanied by an adult.
Send us an e-mail lovepottery@blendedmonkey.co.uk or call us on 01945 772811 for more information or to discuss requirements.
GROUP WORKSHOPS
2024
CLAY SCULPTURE
WORKSHOPS
December 2024
at the
Blended Monkey Studios
Yesterday's two half-day clay sculpture workshops, taught by our guest tutor, Christine Pike, were attended by two lovely groups of students.
The morning saw our participants making flower blossom tiles - a really relaxing & mindful experience and each tile looks amazing!
In the afternoon session, our next group of students enjoyed learning how to sculpt a cute "lazy hare". They all made lovely little creatures with different facial expressions and stances.
The pieces will now dry here in the Blended Monkey ceramics studio, and then they'll be fired and glazed in the colours chosen by each student.
The next workshop with our guest tutor & figurative sculptor, Christine Pike, is our full-day large contemporary hare sculpture experience on 19 January - check it out HERE
The full list of our 2025 group workshops across a wealth of disciplines can be found at the top of this page.
REVIEW
"I had a great time yesterday thank you very much indeed.
I wasn’t too sure what to expect but it was really relaxed & friendly and the other ladies that joined were all very approachable. It was a nice environment even though the weather was awful !!
I would definitely like to come back to do another class with Christine who I thought was incredibly down to earth and very talented. She was regally easy to talk to." - Donna
REVIEW
"It was a lovely session. Greatly enjoyed the afternoon, surroundings, tea and goodies wonderful.
Felt relaxed and informal.
Christine is a great tutor. Nice blend of showing/telling/helping but resisting the temptation to do "for" us, even though I am not good at this stuff!! :-)
And she must have felt tempted!!
But she ensured I got an OK piece at the end." - Chris
REVIEW
"I really enjoyed the lazy hare sculpture day!
The studio felt really cosy despite the hideous weather, the size of the class was perfect & Christine was great at demonstrating the techniques & enabling us to personalise our creations! Thank you so much again, will definitely book another workshop for next year." - Lisa
REVIEW
"My family booked the tile blossom class for our Christmas presents and so glad we did! It was an amazing day altogether, very fun and creative. We are so happy with the outcomes of all of our tiles even though we had never done this before, the teacher made everything easy to understand and a good sense of humour too. Would definitely recommend to anyone who is thinking about it, can't wait to rebook!" - Hayley
JUNK JOURNALLING
WORKSHOP
October 2024
at the
Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey
Yesterday's junk journalling workshop, taught by guest tutor, Zakiya, from Fanoggins Crafts, was attended by a really lovely group of students.
They enjoyed this wonderfully immersive & relaxing craft and created some fabulous journals -each one so unique!
Junk journalling is an extremely varied craft involving techniques from a range of disciplines, and these students learnt how to use processes such as spiral binding, stamping, sewing, making envelopes and collaging.
Our next beginner's group junk journalling workshop dates can be seen below & we'll be adding intermediate workshop dates soon ... or get in touch if you'd like to book a private junk journalling workshop for a party or event!
The full list of our 2025 group workshops across all the disciplines can be found at the top of this page.
SPOON CARVING WORKSHOP
October 2024
at the
Fenland Orchard Project
We were asked by Andrew Callaghan from the Fenland Orchard Project to teach a spoon carving workshop at the orchards. The workshop is part of the initiative funded by heritage lottery funding awarded to the CP Learning Trust for the Fenland Orchard Project
We had a fab bunch of students come along and enjoy the art of spoon carving in the autumn sunshine.
Students learnt how to use a spoke shave and a hooked knife to create their very own large spoon or spatula. The morning flew by, with everyone creating something to be proud of.
We have more group spoon carving workshops scheduled for 2025 here in the Blended Monkey studios, at the Haddenham Arts Centre and at the Farmland Museum in Waterbeach - see dates above.
CREATIVE WITH CLAY WORKSHOP
September 2024
at the
Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey
We had a delightful bunch of students attend our Creative with Clay Coiling & Botanicals workshop at the Farmland Museum.
Students learnt the technique of coiling in the morning - a really therapeutic and mindful way to use clay - and they all created some fantastic pieces.
After lunch, they learnt how to make two large vases using using pressed-in botanical elements, interesting wooden stamps and applying "sprigs" to create their own unique pieces.
All the pieces made it back safely to our Blended Monkey studios in Upwell - despite the lovely roads! - where they will now dry slowly and completely before undergoing the first "biscuit" firing. I'll then glaze everyone's work in the colours they have chosen and then all the pieces will be fired in a high-fired glaze firing (1250°C).
In addition to our various 1-2-1 and pairs woodturning & pottery experiences held in our Blended Monkey studios, we have a number of group workshops at the Haddenham Arts Centre, the Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey and in the Blended Monkey studios throughout the year - see above for dates for all our group workshops scheduled for 2025.
STONE CARVING
WORKSHOP
September 2024
at the
Blended Monkey Studios
Our guest tutor and stone mason, Mark Evans, provided another wonderful stone carving workshop here in the Blended Monkey gardens. This particular experience focused on carving Roman letters into Portland stone.
The students created some fabulous carved letters in this 1-day course & we're so pleased that they enjoyed the session.
Our next group stone carving workshop is on 20 April with a focus on geometric shapes - LINK
A full list of our 2025 group workshops can be found at the top of this page.
STONE CARVING
WORKSHOP
August 2024
at the
Blended Monkey Studios
Our guest tutor and stone mason, Mark Evans, provided a fabulous stone carving workshop yesterday here in the Blended Monkey gardens. The experience focused on carving geometric patterns into Portland stone.
The students made some amazing pieces in the 1-day course and really enjoyed the session.
Our next stone carving workshop is on 21 September and this time students will learn how to carve letters - LINK
A full list of our 2024 group workshops can be found at the top of this page.
JUNK JOURNALLING
WORKSHOP
August 2024
at the
Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey
This lovely creative bunch of students really enjoyed the relaxing and immersive craft of junk journalling and created some beautiful journals!
Junk journalling is an extremely varied craft involving techniques from a range of disciplines, and these students learnt how to use processes such as spiral binding, stamping, sewing, making envelopes and collaging.
Get in touch if you'd like to attend any of our group junk journalling sessions.
A full list of our 2024 group workshops can be found at the top of this page.
GREEN WOODWORKING
- WOODCRAFT WORKSHOP
August 2024
at the
Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey
There's something rather wonderful about holding our green woodworking workshops outside against the backdrop of the beautiful Fenland countryside around the Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey in Waterbeach.
Another lovely group of green woodworkers got to grips with using axes to cut pieces of barked wood to a rough shape, then sitting at the shave horse and using draw knives to further refine the shape, and then taking their roughly cylindrical pieces to the pole lathe to "turn" the wood into creations!
Get in touch if you'd like to attend any of our group green woodworking sessions.
A full list of our group workshops can be found at the top of this page.
GREEN WOODWORKING -
WOODCRAFT WORKSHOP
July 2024
at the
Blended Monkey Studios
Our lovely group of green woodworkers really embraced the craft and learnt to use an axe to cut a piece of barked wood to shape, then sit at the shave horse and use a draw knife to further refine the shape, and then they took their roughly cylindrical piece to the pole lathe to "turn" the wood into something fab!
The session took place in our dedicated covered green woodworking area in the Blended Monkey gardens. It was a lovely relaxing and creative day, and we saw garden dibbers, rolling pins and also spatulas created by the end of the session.
Get in touch if you'd like to attend any of our group green woodworking sessions - they run until the end of September.
You can see a full list of our group workshops can be found at the top of this page.
REVIEWS
"We attended the "Green Woodworking Taster Experience" day on 7th July 2024.
Louise and Simon are great hosts and so enthusiastic and knowledgeable about their crafts.
Our woodworking training - involving a shaping axe, then a shave horse, then a traditional pole lathe - was all at a nice pace and very much hands-on.
It was a very pleasant and sociable day out, with plenty of time to chat with Simon and ask lots of questions and fuelled by an ample lunch.
The end results for the two of us were a lovely garden dibber and an extraordinary object whose purpose is yet to be decided!
Excellent!" - Janie & Robert Jones
TILE MAKING & GLAZING WORKSHOP
July 2024
at the
Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey
We had a lovely group of students at our Tile Making & Glazing workshop in the fabulous education centre at the Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey.
We always aim to have a relaxed and creative session and it was wonderful to see our students engrossed in their making.
Each student had a large trivet tile and also four coaster-sized tiles all ready for them to carve and etch with their chosen designs. We taught them how to use various tools to create depth and shading, and the results are fabulous.
The afternoon was then spent glazing (colouring) their work. Learning how to use underglazes to different effect depending on how many layers you use. The shots here show the students working on their pieces and we'll pop the finished results on here once they've been fired.
Our next group ceramics workshop is in September (Coiling & Botanical Vases) at the Farmland Museum.
You can see a full list of our group workshops at the top of this page.
REVIEWS
"What a wonderful, relaxing day! Being able to spend a whole day being creative in such beautiful surroundings was real treat- I loved every minute of it. Thanks for reminding me how much I love clay , you guys are a fantastic team!
My mum and I will definitely see you again, thanks for a joyfilled day." - Lisa
GREEN WOODWORKING WORKSHOP
April 2024
at the
Haddenham Arts Centre
Although we prefer to hold our green woodworking sessions outside, the weather in April is usually less than reliable, so the Haddenham Arts Centre accommodated our green woodworking workshop in the large indoor classroom which is the perfect size.
We had a lovely bunch of students who were all able to try their hand at the various processes and techniques used - including the proper use of an axe, how to trim using a draw knife and shave horse, and ultimately the art of turning on the pole lathe.
The group were greeted with a welcoming croissant, lovely lunch and afternoon cakes & treats provided by the Arts Centre tearoom.
REVIEWS
"Thanks for a really great day. The tuition and hosting was excellent, the equipment very good, and the venue and food was really good as well. Experience exactly as advertised."
Simon
“Just attended the Green Woodworking Session provided by Blended Monkey. If you like any form of crafting, carving or woodwork, this will be fun for you. Everything was provided, including lovely food and drinks. Instruction is simple to follow and can take anyone from no experience to a point where they can make on the day a piece of wood from a log to a useful and beautiful carved item. I made dibbers for planting seeds/bulbs, but there are many options and examples provided for inspiration.
Simon and Louise are excellent teachers and lovely people who will make the day fun and informative. Having attended a one to one lathe course with Simon before, I had a little more knowledge than the others in the group, but really I could have never done woodwork before and still it would have been a great day.”
Nick
CREATIVE WITH CLAY WORKSHOP
April 2024
at the
Haddenham Arts Centre
A really nice bunch of students came to our Creative with Clay Coiling & Botanicals workshop at the Haddenham Arts Centre.
The morning was spent creating pots using the technique of coiling - a really therapeutic and absorbing method for creating beautiful vessels -, and after lunch I taught the group how to make fabulous vases using pressed-in botanical elements, pressing in wooden stamps, applying and using "sprigs", and letting their creative juices run wild!
Simon and I then carefully (despite the Fen roads!) transported all the pieces back to our Blended Monkey studios in Upwell where everything will now dry slowly and thoroughly before undergoing the first "biscuit" firing. I'll then glaze everyone's pieces in the colours they have chosen. All the creations will then be fired in a high-fired glaze firing (1250°C).
In addition to our various 1-2-1 and pairs woodturning & pottery experiences held in our Blended Monkey studios, we have a number of group workshops at the Haddenham Arts Centre and the Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey throughout the year - see above for dates for all our groups workshops in 2024
REVIEWS
CREATIVE WITH CLAY WORKSHOP
February 2024
at the
Haddenham Arts Centre
What a lovely, creative group we had for our Creative with Clay Coiling & Botanicals workshop at the Haddenham Arts Centre!
The morning was spent getting to grips with coiling - a wonderfully therapeutic method for creating beautiful vessels - and then, after lunch, I taught the group how to make fabulous vases using pressed-in botanical elements, the application of "sprigs" and their own artistic flair!
The results are simply fabulous!
Simon and I managed to carefully (despite the Fen roads!) transport all the pieces back to our Blended Monkey studios in Upwell.
Everything will now dry slowly and thoroughly before undergoing the first "biscuit" firing. I'll then glaze everyone's pieces in the colours they have chosen. All the creations will then be fired in a high-fired glaze firing (1250°C).
In addition to our various 1-2-1 and pairs woodturning & pottery experiences held in our Blended Monkey studios, we have a number of group workshops at the Haddenham Arts Centre and the Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey throughout the year - see above for dates for all our groups workshops in 2024
REVIEWS
REVIEWS
"Thank you for such a lovely day yesterday - I was amazed by what we all created at the workshop in just a few hours. The resourses were great and instructions were clear and helpful. Such a lovely group of people to spend a day with! I can't wait to see the finished products, a lovely reminder of such a fantastic day."
Best wishes
Fran
PAST GROUP WORKSHOPS IN 2022 & 2023
GREEN WOODWORKING WORKSHOP
November 2023
at the
Haddenham Arts Centre in Haddenham
When the weather's cold, the large indoor classroom at the Haddenham Arts Centre is perfect for our group green woodworking workshop.
The guys were able to get a taste for the art of green woodworking - including the proper use of an axe, how to trim using a draw knife and shave horse, and ultimately the art of turning on the pole lathe.
One of our students, Callum, made a lovely Christmas tree as a gift for his son, who's having his 1st Christmas this year - how delightful!
The group were greeted with a welcoming croissant, lovely lunch and afternoon cakes & treats provided by the Arts Centre tearoom.
We've already booked more dates for 2024 group workshops in this fabulous venue!
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TILE MAKING & GLAZING WORKSHOP
October 2023
at the
Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey in Waterbeach
Our latest group ceramics workshop was held in October 2023 at the fabulous Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey, a venue we've used many times before, as the bright & spacious education centre there is perfect for our group workshops.
We had a wonderful group of students who fully embraced their creative sides and designed & glazed some beautiful pieces.
They each had a large trivet tile and also four coaster-sized tiles all ready for them to carve and etch with their chosen designs. The afternoon was spent glazing (colouring) their work ready for me to fire once everything has dried fully.
The shots here show the glazed work before it has been fired and provided with a coat of transparent glossy glaze.
We'll pop photos up of the results once they emerge from the kiln.
Thank you to the Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey for their ongoing hospitality and lovely venue, and thank you to the students who were all so warm and friendly.
We'll be holding more ceramics workshops at the Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey in the new year, so watch this space!
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REVIEWS
CREATIVE WITH CLAY WORKSHOP
April 2023
at the
Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey in Waterbeach
Our group ceramics workshop held in April 2023 at the fabulous Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey, was great fun.
We had a fab group of students who learnt how to make coiled vessels and 2 large botanical slab vases.
The Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey is a wonderful venue for our pottery & woodturning workshops.
We'll be holding more ceramics workshops at the Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey in the new year, so watch this space!
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REVIEWS
GREEN WOODWORKING WORKSHOP
July 2023
at the
Haddenham Arts Centre in Haddenham
We love the outdoor gazebo space provided by the lovely Haddenham Arts Centre for our July 2023 group green woodworking experience.
The fun group of students really enjoyed learning the art of green woodworking - including the proper use of an axe, how to trim using a draw knife and shave horse, and ultimately the art of turning on the pole lathe.
The Haddenham Arts Centre offers us a great outdoor covered space for these group experiences, and the day included a welcoming croissant, lunch and afternoon cakes & treats provided by the lovely Gemma in the tearoom.
We held a further workshop in November and we've already booked dates for 2024 group workshops in this fabulous venue!
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REVIEWS
Ben & Rachel
“We both enjoyed our day on Saturday. Really well organised and a lovely venue.”
GREEN WOODWORKING WORKSHOP
April 2023
at the
Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey in Waterbeach
Our group green woodworking workshop held in April 2023 at the fabulous Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey, was a great success.
The lovely group of students enjoyed taking a log of green wood, trimming it with an axe, learning to use the draw knife on a shave horse to further round the piece, and then taking their cylinder of wood to the pole lathe to create something interesting.
The Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey offers a great indoor space for this workshop - especially when it's chilly outside.
We'll be holding more green woodworking workshops at the Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey in 2024, so watch this space!
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GREEN WOODWORKING WORKSHOP
December 2022
at the
Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey in Waterbeach
This was our first group green woodworking workshop at this venue. The fabulous Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey has since become one of our favourite venues for these events. The Docky Box tearoom is just perfect for snacks and lunch too.
Our lovely group of students learnt how to take a log of green wood and trim it with an axe, use the draw knife on a shave horse to further round the piece, and then take their cylinder of wood to the pole lathe to create something interesting.
The Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey offers a great indoor space for this workshop - especially in the colder seasons.
We'll be holding more green woodworking workshops at the Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey in 2024, so watch this space!
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GREEN WOODWORKING - WOODCRAFT
We tend to stick to a maximum of 6 people for a group workshop, ensuring that everyone gets the opportunity to learn the three main techniques and equipment for green woodworking.
The student learns how to take a log of green wood and trim it with an axe using safe techniques, they pare it to a smoother cylinder by means of a shave horse and a draw knife in readiness for “turning” on the pole lathe … depending on time constraints and skill level, the student may end up turning their piece into an item of choice (mushroom, garden dibber, rolling pin). However, the focus of a group workshop is to understand the processes involved at each equipment station, so the day may not result in a finished item.
We also offer 2-day workshops for those wanting take things to the next level or to include larger groups.
The origins of the pole lathe are lost in antiquity, but it is known that Vikings used them as they have been discovered in archaeological finds in York. The ancient craft of pole lathe turning petered out in England after the Second World War.
Send us an e-mail lovewoodturning@blendedmonkey.co.uk or call us on 07417 522366 for more information or to discuss requirements.
