A different bank holiday

Apologies if you're having problems with the photos. I'm not sure what the problem is. (If anyone can tell me, I'd be grateful. Maybe there are too many MBs.)

Yesterday my lovely NHS dentist asked if I'd done anything nice for the bank holiday. As it happened we had - maybe not as exciting as camping, but on my scale of activities above the 50% mark. We'd been to see the Art Week exhibition at the recently opened Sylva Wood Centre, just outside Long Wittenham, not far from here.

The OneOak project

We'd heard about it from our carpenter pal, Pete Beckley, as well as from Mary Blaxland who reupholstered our dining-room chairs for us. She has a start-up workshop there, and Pete was showing some of his artefacts there. Sylva describes itself as a charity working to revive Britain's wood culture. "Sylva works across Britain caring for forests, to ensure they thrive for people and for nature, and supporting innovation in home-grown wood."

Set next to huge rusting barns, the Wood Centre is quite a contrast, particularly inside. When we arrived, we were delighted to find Mary there, talking to a couple of friends. Here are some of the photos I took when we were there which give more of an impression of the variety and originality of a lot of the woodwork there.

One of Mary's Chairs

Before Mary's treatment

In her workshop

 

Pete Beckley's Jubile table marking the abolition of slavery

Neil Scott with his beautiful work station

Some of Pete's smaller pieces

Simon Clements woodcarving in his workshop

Simon Clements' amazing Crown of Thorns -
and yes, it's all carved from wood.

Jane in wonderland

So after a rather inspiring morning we drove down the road to Neptune Wood, where Jane used to take the late lamented Jess for walks, and had our picnic, before returning home through Oxfordshire lanes fringed with Queen Anne's lace, the old romantic name for Cow Parsley.

What's a Barnabus?

Last Friday, Pete Beckley and his wife Jane brought round the piece I'd commissioned for my lovely wife's big 6-0. It's a sort of omnibus, for books and bits and pieces and everything. It's a unique creation (though it does have a posher brother). Ever since we moved in, the kitchen table carried a shoe-rack which held her recipes, at an increasingly precarious angle. Well, it did its job, but was a bit of a blot on the landscape of the refitted kitchen.

'Barnabas'

Being friends with a rising star of furniture designers, it was obvious, really, wasn't it? Get an early Beckley original! And that's what we now have. None of your boring four-square flat-pack shelves. I didn't want that. This is a work of art, beautifully crafted and pleasing to the eye. And as for practicality - you wouldn't believe the difference it's made. It's very encouraging.... And I see its posh brother is called Barnabas ("son of encouragement"), which was on display at Blenheim, when we were in Blackpool. You can see it on Pixel Furniture's Facebook site, along with others pieces of Pete's work.

The best way to describe ours is with pictures. It's a thing of beauty. (Wasn't that what Keats said about a Grecian urn?)

Our "Barnabus"

Fly's eye view

In context

Now here it is, in operation:

All on board

   

Even standing room for pens and pencils!

"Craftsman's art..."

Creativity all over

There's a very unpromising spot in the front of our house which faces north and gets no sun. However Jane's got these magnificent foxgloves to flourish there, and they greet me every time I hobble up the ramp on her arm.                                                                
And in the back garden there's a riot of colours, including this rose which we planted last year. It's called Freedom.... With a limited canvas Jane's quite an horticultural artist, I reckon.

Meanwhile this week I have held in my hand the first prepublication copy of I Choose Everything - Embracing life in the face of terminal illness. As you might expect and detect, I'm pleased with the final result. The publishers have done a good job. Personally, I think it's better produced than My Donkeybody. (You'll have to decide for yourself on the content!) Which reminds me. I had my appointment with my consultant, Dr Donaghy, on Tuesday. He was pleased with how I'm doing. He pointed out just how slow my PLS is. Although it falls under the MND umbrella, it is unusual in progressing so slowly. Jozanne has a much more typical form, by contrast. She had her diagnosis in 2005 and has lost all independence now. however she has not lost her faith - quite the reverse in fact. Which is why her part at least of I Choose Everything is so inspiring. You can order it now on line, or better, if you can get to it, come to the UK book launch at Cornerstone Café in Grove (2 - 4 pm Saturday 10th July) and buy a signed copy there!

I realise how lucky, or blessed, I am in so many ways: in the slowness of my MND, in having Jane to care for me, a family to support us, a faith community (near and far) to pray for and sustain us. We went to see M, a friend with more advanced MND than me this week. She is on her own and depends entirely on carers - and it's just not the same. You really are vulnerable in that situation.

Yesterday we went into Oxford to see Rycotewood's end of year furniture exhibition. We particularly wanted to see the work of Pete Beckley, whom we've got to know through church. He'd told us about the designs he'd produced, but you don't get an idea into you see them in the flesh. His main pieces were an executive screen and a lounge-bar table for Douglas House (the hospice for young adults). 

Jane admires the executive screen.

The bar table which enables someone in a wheelchair to sit and chat with someone at normal level.

The detail of the table is beautiful.

The designer, Pete, explaining the finer points of the screen to an interested on-looker.

So watch out for Pete Beckley, first-class award-winning furniture maker! His trade name is Pixel Furniture (pete.beckley@sky.com). He also was showing a pair of 'Quad' chairs, combining wood and polypropylene. I don't suppose his furniture comes cheap, but then real craftsmanship is not mass-production.

I suppose the theme of this post has been the amazing gift of creativity which so enriches life. I think that it's part of being made 'in God's image'. God has given us richly all things to enjoy. Yes!