Wizardry in Wood 2025
Maggie’s passion for woodturning was borne initially from her family background, where she was surrounded by a large and highly talented family of craftsmen and women, from master builders and cabinet makers to intricate tailoring and dressmaking. She learned to do almost anything around the house, from electrics to plumbing and bricklaying and roofing to upholstery, and was company secretary to the family building company.
Her first encounter with woodturning was while teaching when she received a present of a small cherry wood bowl on a spiral stem from Neil Jarvis of British Gates, a parent, and woodturner. He offered to show her how it was made. She quickly made progress with her beads and coves on a small second-hand lathe with five tools.
In 2001, she bought the biggest lathe she could find, a Oneway 2436, and built a fully equipped workshop. She made everything from bowls and trophies to fourposter beds, tables, and finials for clocks even one for a church. She was inspired by Bert Marsh and Ray Key, who she got to know quite well, and Stuart Mortimer, as they demonstrated regularly at woodworking shows such as Axminster and Crystal Palace. Bert Marsh always called her “Missis Chairman”. There were not many women turners then.
She is a long-standing member of the AWGB and has been Chairman of her local club Wealden Woodturners (WWT) since 2001. The club has a whole range of turners from highly accomplished, talented and innovative turners to the youngest beginners, the work they produce is amazing. At its inception WWT included five founder members of the Society of Ornamental Turners and Theo Faberge who lived locally.
In 2015 Maggie was awarded a bursary by the Worshipful Company to learn Ornamental Turning and restore an Ornamental lathe built in the 1860’s. She is a member of the Council of the Society of Ornamental Turners and runs their competitions.
With her distinctive style and innovative processes, she has won numerous awards including first prizes in the Worshipful Company’s Master’s Competition for Plain turning, the Master’s Competition for Ornamental turning, the Felix Levy Open and many other prizes. One of her pieces was presented to the Lord Mayor of London by The Worshipful Company as a Christmas present.
As stated in the feature on her in Woodturning Magazine issue 328 she is continuously pushing the boundaries. Her work is often used to advertise woodworking events and has been sold internationally, and she is often asked to demonstrate at national and international events.
She loves a challenge and promotes in her words “the joy of woodturning” encouraging new talent and inspiring and motivating others to innovate and enjoy the craft.
