Woodworkers ingrain top skills at Clachan Smallholders’ Gathering
A trained classical instrument repairman, who uses his fine woodwork skills to make one-of-a-kind furniture, will share his expertise at Clachan Smallholders’ Gathering. Terry Russell, 43, who studied musical instrument technology at Merton College in London, will provide a woodworking demonstration at tomorrow’s jam-packed Clachan Village Hall event. Originally from West Sussex, Terry now lives in Tarbert and said there were ‘too many trees in the area not to do something with them’. He creates unique benches and stools from scratch at Blarbuie Men’s Shed in Lochgilphead, each a little different from the rest. Where possible, Terry uses reclaimed wood which would otherwise be burned or discarded. ‘I’m giving it a bit of extra life,’ he said. ‘It might become part of the family furniture when it could just have been the end.’ He uses larch, soft pine or whatever he can get his hands on, and is keen to source some hard wood. He finishes some pieces by scorching the wood with a blowtorch, giving it a unique finish, dependent on the grain of the wood, while others are left natural. At the Smallholders’ Gathering, Terry will demonstrate his scorching technique as well as sharing some other basic woodworking skills including making wood joints, sanding the wood and finishing off the products. With limited jobs available in the very niche industry in which he trained, Terry feels lucky to be able to transfer some of the skills he learned at college into creating something beautiful for others. ‘It’s just a hobby but I would love if it became a job.’ Terry will take around 10 pieces to Clachan to sell, and if his products and advice prove popular, he wants to attend other shows and events around Argyll. Also at the Smallholders’ Gathering, Diane Thomas, who runs the ‘Branching Out’ course in Oban, will demonstrate ‘green’ woodworking, using human power to create all her items. The woodworkers will form just a small part of the entertainment ever the course of the afternoon and evening. In addition to the demonstrations, from 1pm until 4pm there will be a bucking broncho competition, face painting, haircuts and massage, Wild West games, line dancing and Samba drumming workshops and more. From 7pm, musicians from across the country will join local artists to provide the soundtrack as festivalgoers enjoy a barbecue, games and dancing until midnight. Tickets for the main events cost £10 per adult and supervised children are £3.50. For haircuts, massage, line dancing and Samba places, there is a £5 charge plus a ticket reservation. The gathering is expected to be a hit, so call 01880 740660 as soon as possible to guarantee yourself a ticket!