Club Life
The activities are many and varied. There’s bound to be something to interest you and inspire you on your woodturning journey.
A variety of Events all year round
Our regular monthly club evenings are held throughout the year on the third Wednesday of each month.
BWA Club Nights
Our monthly club nights offer a varied mix of professional demonstrations, presentations by experienced club members, hands-on turning sessions and informal social evenings. Free tea, coffee and soft drinks are provided along with a plentiful supply of biscuits.
All demonstrations are streamed live via Zoom for members who are unable to attend in person, allowing remote participation from home. Sessions are also recorded and made available for later viewing on private links on You Tube stored in the Members Area of the website
Professional Demonstrations
We typically host around five professional woodturning demonstrations each year at our club nights, featuring well-known turners such as our club patron Gary Rance.
Our club benefits from a high-resolution, multi-camera AV system that allows demonstrations to be recorded and streamed in close-up and high definition. Live demonstrations are shown on large screens in the hall and simultaneously streamed via Zoom for members who are unable to attend in person.
While most demonstrations take place in the hall, we also host Interactive Remote Demonstrations (IRDs), streamed live via Zoom by leading UK and international woodturners, giving members access to expert tuition from across the world.
The Annual General Meeting (AGM)
The club’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) takes place during the October club night and, time permitting, is followed by a short demonstration from one of our club members.
At the AGM, the BWA Committee reports on the previous year’s activities, presents the annual accounts and outlines plans for the year ahead. Club officers are elected to the committee, and members attending are given the opportunity to comment on the club’s performance over the previous year and make suggestions for future activities and improvements.
BWA Wood Collection
We are often offered timber suitable for woodturning, ranging from sections of wood from local gardens to seasoned stock from a retired turner.
The BWA has several members experienced in the safe use of chainsaws and associated equipment. Where appropriate, small volunteer work parties can be organised to collect, cut and process the timber.
Once prepared, the timber is made available to club members at very reasonable prices during club nights — providing access to interesting and often unusual turning stock that may not be readily available elsewhere.
BWA Coffee Mornings
On the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays each month we have a members only Zoom coffee morning. Relax with a coffee (other beverages are also acceptable) and enjoy a chat with other members, all from the comfort of your own armchair.
These are very informal social sessions so woodturning may or may not feature. It depends on who drops in and whether the previous days turning has been a challenge worth sharing! They are a great opportunity to chat with and get to know better some of the other members. A Zoom link is sent out by email to all members a week before hand.
