Maggie Wright WIW25

Before finishing my career as a teacher I decided that a different career pathway was needed. Coming from a very practical Yorkshire family all connected with the building trade, I have as a matter of course, always done more or less everything in the house, painting and decorating, demolishing walls and chimneys, building walls, sheds, cupboards, pergolas, paving, stonework etc.

I chose woodturning, something completely different, on seeing some intricate toys and puzzles made by a great professional woodturner, Allan Beecham. I had a few lessons with Neil Jarvis of British Gates who set me a challenge to replicate a small cherry bowl with a spiral stem.

I learned a lot from professional demonstrations at Woodturning Shows such as Axminster and Yandles, and found Bert Marsh particularly inspiring and mischievous, his greeting was always “Hello Missus Chairman”. In 2001 I was invited to join the local club, Wealden Woodturners, and have been their Chairman since 2002. The Club (WWT) has always had a high standard of turners both professional and amateur, started by Allan Beecham, one of its founder members was Theo Fabergé and several members also belonged to The Worshipful Company of Turners and The Society of Ornamental Turners.

The logs on my woodpile swiftly became mounds of shavings as I practised my beads, coves and curves! Becoming successful in our club competitions encouraged me to enter National ones. I joined the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain (AWGB) and at their biennial International Seminar in 2003 had a piece chosen as one of the best 50 exhibits, this was featured in Woodturning Magazine and Revolutions (AWGB) magazine.