Mr Neal came to talk about woodturning, which is the process of rotating a piece of wood and using tools to shape it. About 5,000 years ago the wood was held vertically and rotated by using a bow, the string of which was wrapped round the piece of wood so the wood rotated as the bow moved backwards and forwards. Later the wood was placed horizontally and this type of lathe is still used in some parts of India today. Over the centuries improved methods were found and Leonardo da Vinci invented the lathe which used a crankshaft attached to a flywheel; this was treadle operated. Later water and steam were used to drive the lathes and then finally electricity.
Mr Neal gave a demonstration of wood-turning showing the tremendous skill required to make the beautiful objects he had brought with him and put on display.
We had our annual Beetle Drive which was well attended and proved to be an evening of fun and laughter.
written by Margaret Deal
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