Teaching Woodcarving in the Sunshine at Bradley Stoke in Bristol

There was a lot of fun had in Bradley Stoke today. It has been a lovely sunny weekend and I've been teaching local people woodcarving on behalf of Touchwood Enterprises, a local company which makes play structures using local, sustainably sourced timber whenever possible. Both Touchwood and I are members of the Forest of Avon Products, a not-for-profit cooperative based around the Bristol area.

Touchwood are making a play structure for Knightstone, a housing association, and asked me if I would work with them to carve some larch poles with local residents. It will be fitted into a green space in Bradley Stoke for them to enjoy.

Working alongside me, Katie and Ellie from Knightstone and Nico, who led the peeling of the bark off the larch poles and the digging of holes, everyone got stuck in and worked really hard.

We had some very keen hole diggers at work:

Who checked the quality of the holes very carefully after they had been dug:

Everything was also helped along by a plentiful supply of free tea, coffee and delicious cupcakes, supplied by the 'Dandy Cabin'. 

Memorial plaque for Bailey's Court school

I went to Bailey's Court primary school in Bradley Stoke, Bristol, today to install the oak plaque which I was asked to make to commemorate a boy who went there called Ryan.
Some of the children helped me to fix it onto a log which had been set into the ground there. It is next to a beautiful bog garden and pond (which had a frog in it!). I also had the chance to meet Ryan's mum. It was great to hear that she and everyone else liked the plaque very much. I'm sure that Ryan would also have loved the garden that has been created in his memory.

Baileys Court primary school have a website, which you can see by clicking here