Westonbirt Festival of the Tree - Exhibitree 22-25 August

[PaulO]

There seems to be a lot of talk about the Westonbirt Festival of the Tree show in the West Dean thread, so much so that I thought it would be worth starting a new thread:

..Visit Europe's leading celebration of all things wood with dozens of fascinating stands including The International Hand Tool Marquee, The British Woodcarvers Association, Bonsai, The Toymakers Guild, Woodturning, Chairmaking, Boatbuilding & Guitar Making plus Westonbirt timber for sale. Free Masterclasses by Internationally renowned demonstrators, Information and advice on trees, woodland management & woodworking courses . Thousands of quality products and hand tools for sale.

More flesh will be added to the bones in due course including details of Rob Cosmans dovetailing seminars, the masterclasses etc..

Thanks, Mike

...

But to sign off with a few snippets..Rob Cosman will be running 4 hour teaching seminars at this years show, genius planemaker Bill Carter will be there (Sunday only) with young Mr Sauer returning to improve his soccer skills, Philly will be showing them both how it should be done properly plus a certain Mr Charlesworth, a guitar maker, an Italian woodturning school, The Austrian woodcarving school, shingle making, oak beam dressing, the making of "The Westonbirt Windsor" and hopefully some boatbuilding to add to the usual fun with our "regulars" - Mark Hancock, John Lloyd, Nick Gibbs, Chris Pye, Mick Hudson & James Mursell...The masterclasses will run as last year (any of you guys fancy doing a turn?) and we hope you'll help make this the best event of its kind in Europe (I believe it can be).

I live quite close to Westonbirt, and attended the show on three days last year, would have been four but for family commitments

Rob Cosman mentioned that the organisers might be selling multi day tickets this year, Mike do you know if that is the case?

 

[Harbo]

Just put the dates in my diary and noticed that it is the Bank Holiday weekend - which is a bummer traffic wise!!
I hate BH'S

Rod

 

[woodbloke]

Just put the dates in my diary and noticed that it is the Bank Holiday weekend - which is a bummer traffic wise!!
I hate BH'S

Rod

As the event is on over a few days, I wonder what is the best day to go? - Rob

 

[PaulO]

I went on Friday, Saturday and Monday last year (all fantastic weather). Can't say that any day was particularly more busy than the others. Friday was probably the quietest.

If you could only go for one day I would suggest making your decision based on which demonstrations / teaching you wanted to go to. My only dilemma last year was that the Cosman through dovetail talk clashed with Konrad Sauer's plane making talk.

There are also some people selling timber at the show, you could argue that all the choice bits will be gone by Monday. But by the same token you could could argue that people would rather sell stuff than take it home, so you might get a bargain on Monday.

Decisions, Decisions
:wink:

 

[Chris Knight]

I make no excuses for duplicating this post which I already put somewhere else too.

For those of you planning to go to Westonbirt, don't forget to also visit Betty Norbury's show in Cheltenham, http://www.celebrationofcraftsmanship.com/

This is usually a great show and makes a super two day visit. My better half always enjoys this trip too so no spousal excuses needed!

 

[bugbear]

There are also some people selling timber at the show, you could argue that all the choice bits will be gone by Monday. But by the same token you could could argue that people would rather sell stuff than take it home, so you might get a bargain on Monday.

Ah - the same conundrum applies to antique fairs (over multiple days) and car boot sales.

Best bargains are either RIGHT at the start, or RIGHT at the end.

BugBear

 

[wizer]

I think we are going to make a weekend out of it and attend Friday and either sat or mon.

 

[Vormulac]

My other half loves that part of the country and so I think I have convinced her that our family holiday this year should be taken in Westonbirt
She won't let me attend every day, but as long as I can find out when Mr C and Rob Cosman are doing their thing then I'll try to be there for that!

 

[Mike Hancock]

Westonbirt 22- 25 August 2008 - Travel Planning & Rain..

I have a total aversion to travel so I accept that you have to plan your visit carefully on a bank holiday weekend.. here are a few tips

The advertised opening for the show is 9am-5pm. Because of the fear of traffic problems on the Friday we get people reluctantly heading off at about 2pm. 5pm is a bad time to leave unless you know the back roads or only have a non motorway journey. However the trick is to stay later as many traders stay open until about 7pm (and it has be known for late stayers to be invited down to the camp site for nibbles and a drink...one even ended up staying the night!) - leaving later in the evening allows you do do a full day so you miss nothing and hopefully the worst of the traffic will have dissipated.
Another tip is that The International Hand Tool Marquee will will 80% ready by about 2 pm on the Thursday and you are welcome to pop in after this time for an unofficial view, I suspect this may be the case for other traders and possibly the wood sales but there is no guarantee from me on this. It will be generally quieter at Westonbirt on the Thursday to access the arboretum, cafe etc but I stress that this is not a official trading day for stall holders.
I may be tempting fate but in 7 years of doing the show there have only been 3 minor rain showers...
It certainly isn't flannel when we say we had a lot of people last year wishing they could have stayed 2 or more days.
Try and take in Betty Norbury's exhibition at Cheltenham if you can.
Full schedule and updates will appear soon.
Regards to all
Mike

 

[PaulO]

It certainly isn't flannel when we say we had a lot of people last year wishing they could have stayed 2 or more days.
Mike

Will there be a multi day entry ticket this time? Last year I was there for three days, with the other day spent in Cheltenham.

Not that 3 x 8 quid was too much to pay for the teaching I attended. (although my spending in the CHT tent pushed that up a little )

 

[wizer]

Can anyone recommend somewhere local to stay? I was thinking of visiting Bath as part of a week long trip with SWMBO and little'n. Looking for somewhere that would be a good base for visiting Westonbirt, Betty Norbury, Bath, and?

 

[Mike Hancock]

MULTIPLE DAY TICKETS

I certainly suggested this when I went to meet with the new organiser last month. Seemed to be an everso difficult thing for them to achieve so the short answer is very likely to be no but I promise I did try.

STAYING LOCALLY - Tetbury is quaint, has a bus link to Bath and the local tourist office there is very helpful http://www.visittetbury.co.uk/contact/
Personally I'd get into the country a bit as avoid the expensive towns.



Mike

 

[andyavast]

Am I right in saying you can camp nearby or even in the grounds? I do a lot of camping with my brother and friends, we all use hammocks with no fire... zero footprint and very light for hiking (as well as being ecologically sound :roll. I wonder if I could just throw the hammock up and sleep on site?

 

[Mike Hancock]

Not my call and I will get shot by the various factions at Westonbirt if I start creating precedents to invite guests so I have to say it won't be possible at the actual arboretum camp site (this only exists for the duration of this one show each year). It is very difficult to find camping and affordable bed and breakfasts nearby - There is a pub camp site nearby at the Holford Arms this is from the forestry commissions Westonbirt web site

"A basic campsite is located at the Holford Arms (approximately 10 minutes drive). Telephone: 01454 238669. We do not advise walking to the site from here as it is on the main A433 road and the paths are poor if non-existent in places. Unauthorised camping on site at the arboretum is strictly forbidden"

this site is at Laycock and is good to trundle into this remarkable village for a pint or six http://www.caravancampingsites.co.uk/wi ... adilly.htm
excellent facilities - book now though!

also http://www.burtonhill.co.uk/campsite.html - don't know this one

also http://www.forestholidays.co.uk/camping ... _hill.aspx although I can't vouch for this as I haven't stayed there.

or this http://www.cotswoldcamping.net/

To help you choose where you wish to stay here are some approximate drive times.

Drive Times

Tetbury – 5 minutes/ Malmesbury – 10 minutes/ Cirencester – 20 minutes/ Nailsworth – 20 Minutes/ Chipping Sodbury – 20 minutes/ Stroud – 25 minutes/ Chippenham 30 minutes/ Cheltenham – 45 minutes/ Bath – 45 minutes/ Bristol – 45 minutes/ Swindon – 1 hour/ Stow on the Wold – 1 hour


anyway there's a start for you

 

[frugal]

"A basic campsite is located at the Holford Arms (approximately 10 minutes drive). Telephone: 01454 238669. We do not advise walking to the site from here as it is on the main A433 road and the paths are poor if non-existent in places. Unauthorised camping on site at the arboretum is strictly forbidden"

We stayed overnight at the Holburn arms before Christmas for the Festival of Lights at Westonbirt. we walked down the A433 and there was a good amount of grass verge the whole way (which was good as we did it both ways in the dark).

There are also a number of public footpaths that pass through the middle of westonbirt, so I am sure that there are lots of ways in that do not involve walking down main roads.

 

[PaulO]

Another quick request for Mike. When you are deciding the layout, could you place Chris Pye at the opposite end from the teaching tent. I loved his work, but the sound of that electric carving doohickey made the teaching tent feel like an unfinished Majorcan hotel.

Thanks

 

[wizer]

Well that's us all booked up in a cottage down the road from Tetbury. Sadly their week runs Sat to Sat so I won't get there on the Friday, which is a shame as I'd have preferred a quieter walk round.

See you all then!

 

[Mike Hancock]

Thanks for the suggestion. Will try and make the end next to the masterclassroom as quiet as possible.
Having been promised the Oak Hall I am bitterly disappointed that this promise has been retracted so we will be running the masterclasses (Chris Pye is running 3) in the usual place at the end of the marquee.
The full masterclass schedule is as follows:-
Friday 22 August

Master Classroom - adjacent to Classic Hand Tools Marquee

1030 - 1200 Rob Cosman – Sharpening & Hand Planing
1230 – 1345 Chris Pye – Woodcarving Tools – Sharpening Techniques
1430 – 1545 John Lloyd – Hand Veneering
1630 – 1745 Nick Blishen - Soundboards and their decoration

Saturday 23 August

1030 - 1200 Rob Cosman – Hand Cut Dovetails
1230 – 1345 John Lloyd – Inlaying Lines & Banding
1430 – 1545 Chris Pye – Lettercarving Techniques
1630 – 1745 David Charlesworth – Planing A Perfect Board

Sunday 24 August

1030 - 1200 Rob Cosman – ½ Blind Dovetails
1215 – 1345 Chris Pye – Ornamental Carving
1400 – 1530 John Lloyd – Traditional Hand Finishing
1545 – 1700 Nick Blishen - Soundboards and their decoration


Monday 25 August

Master Classroom - adjacent to Classic Hand Tools Marquee

1100 - 1230 Rob Cosman – Scraping Wood
1300 – 1430 Nick Blishen - Soundboards and their decoration

Entry to the Masterclasses is free – please take your places 10 minutes before the start.
There will be ongoing demonstrations throughout the day in the Classic Hand Tools Marquee including making of The Westonbirt Windsor Chair during the show. This will be a collaborative effort between several demonstrators co-ordinated by James Mursell of The Windsor Workshop.

 

[paulm]

Sounds great Mike, looking forwards to it

Cheers, Paul

 

[Waka]

Thanks Mike, I'll be there on the Saturday.