What does the club have to offer ?

· Monthly demonstrations by Local, National and International Woodturners.

· Membership not only to our club, but also membership to The Association of Woodturners ofG.B.

· Discounts on tools and timber from many suppliers(Kraft Kabin give 10% off woodturning tools & finishes not already discounted).

· Organised trips to some Shows(Coach trip to Axminster Show arranged last few years)

· Tuition given to beginners by our more experienced members on special 'Hands-on' nights.

· Competitions to improve standards, from saplings to old oaks.

· Quarterly Club Newsletter published giving reviews on demonstrators, Shows & tips.
· Social and exhibition evenings.

· Club exhibitions put on at local Libraries and Galleries.

· Full day seminars.

Plus, most importantly, the opportunity to 'natter' with fellow woodturners and swap ideas, tips and advice. Come out of the shed, join in and share the chippings !!!

Annual membership fee of £27
Visitors/non-member£3 per evening
( deducted from your membership fee if you decide to join).

DEMONSTRATION EVENINGS
The usual format of the evenings is that the demonstrator starts at 7:30pm and shows us various aspects and styles of woodturning, welcoming questions from the audience and makes a finished , turned item. We have a tea/coffee break between 9- 9.30pm-this is a good time to talk to other members, swap ideas, collect tips or talk personally to the demonstrator and have a closer look at any equipment he may have brought with him. The demonstration usually finishes around 10pm. The demonstrator's expertise ranges from very knowledgeable amateurs to internationally acclaimed turners. Their level of presentation skills does vary and what you gain from the evening may also depend in part on your skill level and the type of woodturning you're interested in but whichever demonstration you come to, you usually leave with a few interesting tips and ideas for the future.
To improve the presentation of the evening we have a radio microphone and PA system and we usually have, courtesy of a member, a video camera which (with a projector) projects onto a large screen so you should be able to see the techniques being used wherever you are sitting.

ASSOCIATION OF WOODTURNERS OF GREAT BRITAIN-A.W.G.B.
Many clubs around the country are affiliated to the AWGB. They play a significant part in helping develop woodturning around the country and are involved in many of the national exhibitions/shows. Nearly half your membership fee is passed on to the AWGB but in return our club is insured and we receive a significant contribution to our Sunday seminar.Some demonstrators offer reduced rates to affiliated clubs and some companies will also give discounts on production of your AWGB card-it's always worth asking! You also receive the quarterly AWGB magazine'Revolutions' which has a few interesting articles but could be better!

CLUB COMPETITIONS
We have a competition,which varies each month from simple to more challenging themes,it is usually judged by the demonstrator. We encourage everyone to enter and we ask the judge to say a few words of critical appraisal about each entry( which most entrants find helpful!)before picking the winner, who receives a bottle of wine.

'HANDS-ON' EVENINGS
We have separate evenings run by the more experienced club members,giving hands-on advice and tuition on the basics of handling and sharpening the various tools used in the different types and styles of woodturning.We aim to organise 3 evenings per year and now have 2 club lathes for use during the evening.Tools are supplied but you are welcome to bring your own.Details of the evenings will be announced as they are arranged.

THINKING OF COMING ALONG TO AN EVENING,? JOINING
You are welcome to just turn up on an evening or you can contact and discuss the Club with one of the Committee members .Visitors/non members are charged £3,annual membership fee is £27 which works out at less than £2.50 per meetingThe cost of hiring demonstrators keeps rising but we do try to keep our fees as low as possible.The Club is run on/with the goodwill of the Committee members.We will try to make you feel welcome,but it is often felt the more you join in and participate with the Club,the more you will get out of it and enjoy it!- consider becoming a Committee member!!! We have 50-60 members in the Club.