Last week was all about our professional course students learning  how to make a Windsor chair.

It’s an intensive week, with students working in teams, under the watchful eye of our Windsor chair experts, Tom Thackray and his son-in-law Stephen Langton (pictured below).

Tom is a veteran maker and teacher, having been in the business of Windsor chairs for some 50 years.

The craft of making a Windsor chair involves a number of skills including turning, precision drilling, stick making and steam bending – all skills that our students need to master.

It also introduces them to new tools, including a travisher, used to shape the chair’s seat; rounding planes that transform a square length of wood into a round spindle; and trapping planes that puts the taper into the stick.

“We thoroughly enjoy coming here and passing on our skill, and this year has been one of the best-ever group of students,” said Stephen.

“Everyone really got stuck in, really enjoyed the week, and really grafted!” he said.

Main picture: Students Eion Gibbs, Brian Crozier and Steve Tripp looking rightly proud of their Windsor chair.