ARTS&CRAFTS
RodboroughChurchandreplacement
windowsatOwlpenManor.
Dennis’smovetowoodturningcame
afterhewasforcedtotakeuplighter
workformedicalreasons.Heproduced
itemsforshopsalloverthecountry, along
withtheannualGloucestershireGuildof
Craftsmenexhibition.“Younameit,I
madeit,”hesaid.“Saladbowls,bread
boards,cheeseboards,sugarbowlsanda
lotof spoons.Ievenmadecoffinhandles
fortheRyefordSawMill-asmanyasI
couldstandupandturn!
“InthosedaysalmosteveryCotswold
villagehadaniceshopsellingpottery,
woodenitemsandsuchlikeandI
suppliedalotof them.”
Denniswentontoopenhisownshop
some15yearsagoandhasbuiltupa
dedicatedinternationalfollowing,despite
therecentdeclineinvisitornumbersdue
tofootandmouthdiseaseandtheevents
of September2001.
Heisregularlycommissionedtoturn
specialitemsandmakesmallpiecesof
furnitureandtoundertakeconservation
workonlistedbuildings.Hehasalso
beenmuchindemandasademonstrator
inthepastandrepresentedGreatBritainBeautifully
ataninternationalturningseminar.This
yearheaddedanotheraccoladetohis
collectionwhenhewasnamedlocal
businessmanof theyearby theSouthWaalswasfamousformakingfurniturein
GloucestershireandBristolFederationoftheCotswoldstyle,usingsolidwoodwith
SmallBusinessesonaccountof hisflutedpanelsandchamfers,andStevensandcrafted
promotionalwork.Scrubeycontinuedthistradition.Today
“Ifeelquiteproudtobecarryingonaexamplesof theirworkshop’spieces-
tradition,”saidDennis,now75.“Idon’tincludingtwochairsmadeby Dennisin
reallylookonwoodturningaswork.It1952-canbeseenatRodmartonManor
stillgivesmeaterrificamountofwhichisrenownedasacentreforthisstyleof
pleasure.”work.objects
Dennis,whobeganhis
apprenticeshipin1948,startedona
wageof £1aweekandfinished
ontheprincelysumof £4-twoWords by Sue Bradley
Pictures by Alexander Caminada shillingsof whichpaidforhissix-
daybusfarefromStroud.
“Intheearlydaysitwasmyjobto
keeptheplacetidyandtodosomeworkRAFTSMANDennis
aswell,”heexplained.“IworkedonabenchFrenchhastheabilityto
betweenMrStevensandMrScrubeyand
pickedthingsupby watchingthem.Cturnhunksof woodinto
“Ihadtolearntheproperwaytodoobjectsof beautythatprovidea
everything:thefinishwasveryimportant,aslifetimeof pleasure.
wasspeed.MrScrubeywasexceedinglyfast.
“Towardstheendof myapprenticeshipHisshopintheheartof Painswickisfilled
MrScrubeytookonajobrefurbishingpubs.withexamplesof hismasterywiththe
Healsotookonchurchfurnitureaswellandturninglathe-fromtablelampsandplatters
oneof hisjobswasrefurbishingthechapelattoletteropenersandhandbagmirrors.But
WycliffeCollegewhichIassistedwith.”thiscollectionof beautifullyfinished
Dennislefttheworkshopwithaletterwoodwareisonlyoneexampleof his
certifyinghimtobea“highlyskilledandconsiderabletalents.
competentcraftsmancapableof makingaDennis’sabilitieswereapparentfroman
firstclassjob”.Shortlyafterwardshewasearlyage,withasuccessionof reportsfrom
acceptedasamemberof theprestigiousStroudBoys’CentralSchoolplacinghimtop
GloucestershireGuildof Craftsmenandof theclassinwoodwork.Henceitwasa
continuedsolelymakingfurniturefornaturalprogressionforhimtogoontoserve
another20years,withashortgapwhenheafive-yearapprenticeshipwiththerenowned
didhisNationalService.Later,withayoungfurnituremakersStevensandScrubeyof
familytosupport,herespondedtothelocalChalford.BothRalphStevensandOwen
demandforjoinersandspenthistimeScrubeylearnedtheirtradefromPeter
workingonlargeritemssuchasstaircasesWaals-oneof themastersof theCotswold
anddoors,alongwiththingslikethealtaratArtandCraftmovement.
Inspiring life in the Cotswolds54 COTSWOLDESSENCE September - November 2008
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