THE products of a life-long hobby as a wood turner were shown to members of Bodmin St Methodist Church’s Thursday Group when Derek Cole of ‘Diddies’, Stratton, accompanied by his wife, Gillian, came to speak to them last Thursday, writes Christine Williams.

Showing the first covered vase he had ever attempted, he told them his interest in woodwork started at school.

As he grew up there was little time for woodturning as farming and his family took up almost all his time.

He did, however, make three models of old fashioned hay carts, one for Gillian and himself, one for his parents and a third for his in-laws.

After his father Martyn’s death he became the owner of a lathe, and his interest returned. He joined a club, and with the encouragement of like-minded friends, his hobby took a leap forward.

Having bought ‘Diddies’, with help from the family he built a state of the art workshop.

Its cupboards, walls and floor are now in immaculate condition and it houses a fantastic up-to-the-moment lathe in pristine condition.

Among the many items he had brought along for members to admire were delicate bracelets, each individually created for his nieces, and for his nephews there were pens, each with a gold clip in keeping with the hobby or interest of the recipient.

There was also a special pen for Gillian, made of dozens of tiny pieces of wood in various colours, glued together to make a lovely pattern.

He also showed various fruit bowls, vases, coasters, cake-stands and a small egg-cup containing a beautifully decorated egg which he had made to unscrew in the centre.

There was a large fruit bowl, the result of 40 hours’ work, made of 322 tiny pieces of oak, elm, and sycamore as well as a tiny needle/pin holder that looked like a cigarette. There were also lots of decorations for a Christmas tree and an angel to sit on top.

Most of the woods he uses now come from sustainable woodland, but he does occasionally use the beautiful ‘Purple Heart’ wood from South America.

Chairman, Marjorie Petherbridge thanked Mr Cole for a thoroughly enjoyable evening.