Catching up with John: Part I

This is a series of posts about my apprentice John Winter who is splitting his time between starting his own furniture business and editing some past booklets as well as the revised version of my Working Wood book. I will be telling you more about John as time goes on. Usually those following along with my work are only allowed to make my designs for themselves or (on a noncommercial basis) for friends and family. I make an exception to this for those working as apprentices here in my workshop, who I allow to make and sell my designs. This is a unique opportunity to buy one of my designs made by an exceptional craftsman here in my workshop. If you want to support John's furniture business check out his website where he has a few pieces for sale.

I can't help but feel a little proud sometimes. There are times when you meet someone and you're not too sure where something will lead to. You know, how some things came about despite you! People you can take on for different reasons can end up somehow depleting you for different reasons, not the least of which can be actually taking things from you that belong to you not them. Mostly this can be simply assuming rights to your stuff, maybe, as in my case once, a design you came up with, things you made and being sold by them and the money pocketed instead of going into the till. These things do happen from time to time, but then there are those who you meet who just give and give and give in all kinds of super kind ways. Now, this might seem a negative way to start a blog about a really positive happening. I did it to show that there are ways that people can reward your life.

Back in 2007, I met John Winter for the first time. It's hard to believe 15 years have passed since then but it has. John came to do some woodworking with his dad for a few half days and they worked together to make one of my workbench designs on the driveway of my then rented home in North Wales; I was living there for just over a year when I took a sabbatical from living and working in the USA. It was a struggle for John, blisters to the palm, things like that, general fatigue from underdeveloped arm muscle, a lack of stamina. All the things I expected from a school attendee who hadn't really been exposed to much manual work. That said, his dad, a medical doctor, had no such issues at all. He took to it quite naturally. Eventually, the bench was finished and they, both proud of their efforts, took the bench away with them. John's father ran a clinic in Argentina but was working in the NHS in the UK for a season. It was time for the family to go back to life living in their home country once more which they did.

A few years later, John had finished high school and decided to take a gap year before pursuing a teaching qualification. He came to live with my family and work and train further with me at the workshop, which then was in Penrhyn Castle, in the form of a structured yet compacted apprenticeship. I enjoyed him being there and learning but I saw then that something had shifted. His interests in wood, tools and woodworking had really heightened exponentially. He reminded me of myself when I was young and apprenticing. He began experiencing things by experimenting with different elements of woodworking and took ownership of his findings. Taking interest in everything taught him, yes, but taking that ownership is a whole new level I have seen from time to time in different people and in my view, critical to those who want the lifestyle I so often suggest and speak of that can lead to a diversely different way of living. But John never took anything I said for granted. He wanted to know things from the inside out and this is the very ingredient I always looked for in my apprentices but did not always find it. He never stopped making and never stopped experimenting with tools, wood, etc to see just what could be performed with them. This might not seem significant but it is probably one of the most significant things in my world. Within a year, I had no qualms about him sharpening and using my personal tools. He had become experienced and I trusted him to treat the tools as I did.

The time came for him to go back to Argentina again and to continue his pursuits in physics and I would miss him for several years. After a time, John came back to learn more with me and he helped me with the hands-on classes but this time his skills and knowledge were highly refined as a capable maker. He was remarkably apt to teach too and making as he was, he also took care of the day-to-day things that supported both the school and my making. His skills and knowledge just grew and grew before he returned to Argentina once more to complete a higher degree in physics to become a teacher. A couple of years ago, John approached me yet again to see if he might join me at the workshop. I wasn't altogether sure as we had significantly changed direction from hands-on classes to my having other apprentices alongside my online work teaching and training. I was worried that space and my time were being eaten up. My new apprentices were high-functioning autistics which I assumed all responsibility for. Taking them on to new heights was one part of my intent. How would this fit with John?

I have a follow-up post to flesh this out that I think you will enjoy.