Dad was very impressed with their work, and bought me a candleholder, with a glass chimney. I don't have a picture of mine as it was then. Unlike the one on the left, the wooden pillar was much higher, and had a hole drill through the centre. It had a clever spring loaded mechanism, so that you could fit a candle inside the pillar. As the candle burned down, it was pushed up so always just the wick showed. It looked like an old fashioned oil lamp. I loved it.One day in 2001, I took it into school as part of a science display about light. On the way home, the glass got broken. Bob tried really hard to find a replacement chimney to fit the candlestick. It was a non standard size.
I was really sad- I'd loved the light burning with its soft glow. I just couldn't bring myself to throw away the wooden base. But it looked silly with the little flame and no glass.
Then this week I was tidying up, and I found it in a cupboard. The top was about the size of a standard pillar candle. The recess in the top was just a few millimetres to small to hold the large candle. Bob took the candlestick out to his lathe, and enlarged the hole. [thanks Bob]
And now a pillar candle sits securely on the top of the lovely turned wood base. It no longer matters about a glass chimney. I'm sure my Dad would be glad to know that I'm going to be using the candlestick again, and that Bob is doing good things with a lathe. And he would certainly be glad that at St Michael's Trust they are still teaching all those woodworking skills. Perhaps when lockdown is over, and I eventually get back to Cornerstones we might visit the project. They do not make 'gift items' now, but instead produce lots of lovely wooden artefacts for "Godly Play" practitioners in the UK.
I'd rather have a piece of handcrafted woodware than a mass-produced bit of plastic to decorate my home, wouldn't you?
Yes, I certainly would. This is such a lovely thing. Great to use it again en remember where it comes from.
ReplyDeleteThe 'remembering' makes it even more special
DeleteThat is so special and holds memories, which is as you say, so much better than a bit of Ikea plastic.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how much people's attitudes to 'stuff' will have changed, at the end of all this?
DeleteEspecially when that piece of handcrafted woodware holds such special meaning and memories for you. I am glad you are able to use it as a candlestick, again, thanks to Bob's skill with the lathe. :)
ReplyDeleteHe is getting better and better at wood-turning, and it is good to have a craft to help you relax
DeleteWhat a lovely reminder of your dad and a great example of re-using something.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for the interesting link - I've passed it along to our Church School leader.
I worked at Bowthorpe Community Trust for 12 years and my son was a manager there as well. Not sure how things are going there now someone who had retired from there told me is was more business like now rather than training people. I have just set up a blog myself pastorswife69.com to try and motivate myself to do things while in lockdown.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting about BCT. I do hope that I can visit when we (eventually) get back to Norfolk. Now I shall go and check out your new blog...
DeletePat, can you give me the full address, please. I can't find your blog
Deleteit's www.pastorswife69.com. That should hopefully work. I have only put one blog in at the moment which might be posted as my profile as I've never done anything like this.
DeleteI definitely would! Much prefer something handmade and with a story than some tat. I get bought an awful lot of supermarket candley things from school kids as well as having about 10 Best teacher mugs. I appreciate the gesture but I'd much prefer a handmade card with a thought out written message in it.
ReplyDelete