Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 8:59PM Today I was reminded of an old friend. When I was editing Woodworker in the late 1980s, regular contributor Len Dennis lived just down the M1 at Barnet, and he used to arrive with projects at our Hemel Hempstead offices in his red 2CV. He was a passionate woodworker, and introduced me to many things. He was also one of the first to buy John Brown's book, Welsh Stick Chairs.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 10:28PM In introducing steam bending for his September column, John Brown opened with a fantastic quote. 'I once heard of a man,' he wrote, 'who when asked if he could play the piano answered: "I don't know I've never tried." Steaming wood into successful bent shapes is exactly the same.'
Monday, December 5, 2011 at 10:50PM John Brown's column in August 1994 was one of his most memorable, but perhaps of least interest to chairmakers. He outlined the design and building of his son-in-law Dai and daughter Maria's house in the Preseli Hills, made entirely from wood, much of it recycled.
Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 3:42PM I missed typing in John Brown's latest column, July 1994, yesterday because I was just too busy. Most of the day was spent judging some BBC magazines in Bristol for their annual awards, and then it was on to Westonbirt Arboretum
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 11:11PM June 1994 was a historic month, for this was the first of John Brown's columns (which I'm typing in one per day to make into a book) from Good Woodworking magazine to include a gripe about readers, commenting that they worry too much about joints: "I don't think joints are important," he wrote.