Craft Club Report

The extra-curricular craft activities are extremely varied although somewhat unorganised. The workshop seems to remain open during most lunch-hours and also after school. This gives the boys the opportunity of finishing their normal craft lesson requirements and constructing whatever else they can persuade me they need. Of all the work produced in the workshop, turned wooden fruit bowls continue to be the most popular, closely followed by cabinets and a variety of small tables.

Last Spring, one of the more unusual activities within the craft class developed into an extra-curricular Archery Club. Cuban Degame (special bow wood) was obtained from a dealer, plans for long bows ferreted out from dusty volumes and soon the would-be toxophilites had started to fashion their bows with loving care. After many hours of patient work with saws, plane and scrapers, half a dozen bows were ready to be strung. Soon those long-gone idyllic summer evenings were ruined by the aggressive "hiss - s-s-s......splak!" of home made arrows piercing a rather tattered home-made target. Unfortunately, due to constant breakages and the loss of arrows, the activities of the archers necessarily dwindled.

Another notable piece of craft-work in hand is a Jumbo guitar which is being slowly made (over the last six terms) by T. Williams. If the maxim "slow but sure" is anything to go by, the end product should prove to be a really first class instrument.

Much of the extra work done by the boys could not take place without the help of Mr. Rayner, the workshop technician; against odds of 500 to 1 he succeeds in keeping the woodwork tools in excellent condition.

R.J. Whitaker.


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