91-year-old Bolton-le-Sands woodturner prepares Spring exhibition

Roger Busfield, of Bolton-le-Sands, is set for his spring exhibition, running from Sunday 28 to Tuesday 30 May at Hawkshead Market Hall.

Visitors can expect Roger taking turns manning the fast-spinning lathe himself, turning rough logs into delicate craft items in minutes.

He has been a member of the Cumbria Woodturners’ Association since not long after it was founded in 1991.

Roger served 12 years as chairman, only stepping down recently to take up the position of club president.

Roger continues to be an active member of the club, teaching and demonstrating at its monthly meetings, and a key participant in community and public events.

Roger said: “We exhibit there every May and October, and it’s a lovely opportunity to meet and talk to lots of people. I enjoy showing that life can still be active, interesting, sociable and meaningful, whatever your age.

“Visitors don’t have to be interested in taking up woodturning. There’s lots of enticing things to admire and shop. Having said that, if we can tempt anyone into enquiring further or coming to a meeting- well, that’s how they got me, over thirty years ago, and it hasn’t done me much harm.”

A life including National Service, enjoying motorbike trials, photography and watercolour painting, with two children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren sounds enough to keep anyone busy.

However, Roger also found time to write a memoir about many comical encounters in his 50-year career as a plumber in Yorkshire and Cumbria called I’va Bust.

Profits will be donated to Cancer Research and Community Nurse Palliative Care Specialists, in memory of his wife, Margaret.

“It started as scribbles in an old exercise book, purely for my own amusement,” said Roger.

“But people said I should publish it, so it became a retirement project. If my grandson Matthew hadn’t coaxed me into getting a MacBook, I’d still be sat at my old manual typewriter- or possibly would have thrown it out of the window!”

Free to enter, members of the public are invited to drop in for live woodturning demonstrations, friendly chat, and to browse handcrafted gifts, toys, ornaments and homewares for sale.

The Westmorland Gazette | North Lancs