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About Barry Looking back over my career, there aren’t many areas of
woodwork with which I haven’t been involved at one time or another. The same could be
said about my other passion cooking, for a number of years in the seventies, as a
diversion, my wife and I enjoyed running three very different establishments to some small
acclaim and with varying financial reward.
However, as our two children appeared, a son and
daughter, and started to grow, we felt the demands of the catering industry incompatible
with family life. So, it was decided I would return to woodworking. At first it was
necessary that I accept on-site work, such as bank and shop-fitting, though commissions
soon appeared and have continued to do so; ranging from an extending table to a whole
room, although it is with period chairs that I am most closely associated. It was while
researching ways of steam bending wood for chair backs, that I first discovered shaker
oval boxes; making a mental note and putting them in my "one day" file.
Barry in his Workshop in France
It was only years later, when looking at some thin
stock left over from another project, that I decided to try and make one; a long period
passed before I succeeded, involving a lot of research, the learning of a few new skills
and the development of some special equipment. However, during that period I became
infected by an obsession to make the perfect box. My wife says that this obsession is far
worse than anything that has gone before, but I am happy with it and who knows, perhaps
it’s because of my other interests, that I fully appreciate the subtlety of an oval
box with its elegant and simple lines that are so frustratingly difficult to perfect.
Barry clinching copper tacks
Another continuous source of pleasure, not to
mention inspiration, is living here in Central France. We are part of a very small hamlet,
"Les Moussins", which consists of our farmhouse and barn and our neighbours who
have a "real" working farm, breeding cattle. This is ironic really, as we have
been vegetarians since the late eighties; one of life’s little jokes?
Our farmhouse
The countryside rolls away from the hamlet on all
sides, broken only by woods or forest and a line of meandering poplar, which denotes the
route of the Canal Du Berry.
We try to be self-sufficient with our vegetables;
much praise going to my wife, who plants, weeds, picks and washes them. I then appear,
cook and receive the applause. Did I hear someone say "typical"? Don’t
forget, my wife is the owner of an enviable collection of carriers in which to collect
said garden produce.
There is another very important
member of the team who hasn’t yet been mentioned, our head of security, helper and
general "dog's body". He conscientiously keeps the property free from moles and
other unwanted guests, helps out in the workshop, mainly by waking up periodically and
reminding me it's time I took some fresh air and exercise. At 50 kilos he really can be
quite convincing! Barney joined us when he was already 2 1/2 years' old. He’d been making
a living at a pig and chicken farm, after being turned out by his breeders for being
goofy. He then came to us, under a bit of a cloud, following an incident involving three
dead chickens, a very nervous sheep and a terrier needing a plaster cast on one leg.
Barney explained it was all an unfortunate misunderstanding and we are inclined to believe
him; after all, since he has been with us, he not only attends to all his duties
diligently, but also will share his food with the guards from the farm, when they come
over to visit him.
Barney
So to the future, what lies ahead? Well I’m
busy making plans, which include a sandpit, one granddaughter for the use of, along with a
few additions to the range of oval boxes, as well as shaker rocking chairs. So please look
in from time to time. Au bientot.
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Several years have passed since writing the above. We now have a
tractor and trailer which is used for pulling our yearly supply of
firewood from the forest and will in future be put to work helping
Lesley-Anne on the vegetable plot. Our range of furniture continues
to grow each year and will do so, as we respond to enquiries and
requests.
Sadly Barney passed away on January 23rd 2006. That was
an unbelievably sad day for us and he is sorely missed. Strangely,
and this is a very Barney type story, a creeper from a nearby
pumpkin plant encircled his final resting place and started to
produce, what was to become an enormous pumpkin right on top of
him. Now, here’s the strange part, When I put it on the scales at
the end of the summer it was exactly the same weight as Barney had
been….. 50 kilos.
The end of December 2006 we received two new additions to the
family, Charlie and Maud. Sister and brother form the same litter,
although it would appear their mother was a bit of a girl on the
quiet, as both the puppies have different fathers. Maud’s father
was a Labrador, like her mother, however Charlie’s father was a
Great Dane. I shall let you know how this develops further and post
some pictures on the site. About three years ago we took on Heidi,
one of the farm dogs across the road, when her owners moved off to
Canada. She will be 14 this year and is not too happy with these
young whippersnappers who are systematically destroying the
courtyard. She spends most of her time sleeping in the peace and
quiet of the kitchen. Did I forget Gilberte the cat? Who adopted us.
Our granddaughter continues to grow and has recently started
school. We are impatiently looking forward to the time when she can
spend her summers with us.
A
big thank you to all our customers for making what we do and our
life here possible.
Au
bientôt.
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