Welcome to the first real
blog of 2015. Happy New Year! Here is a blog by Neil Stuart reflecting on
his first year at the forge.
Farming For
Blacksmiths.
Just over a year ago
Stepney City Farm invited me to set up my blacksmiths workshop in one of the 3
Rural Arts Centre workshops, this was an inviting proposition to me as I had
just been asked to leave my workshop in Hackney due to re-generation (for the
third time).
My first impression was
the setting, in the shadow of the beautiful St Dunstan’s Church (one on the
patron saints of blacksmithing) and Stepney Green. Hard to imagine the farm is only a couple of
miles from the city. The staff and management at the farm were welcoming and friendly.
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| Neil Stuart |
The workshop proved
suitable and I moved in and started work on 1st Jan 2014. It seemed appropriate to be starting work on
1st. Jan the business and the farm were heading into a new year. One of the first things to do once the
workshop became functional was to decide the direction I wanted for the
workshop in the future. So it was
decided we would have a kind of constitution.
·
To promote
traditional values and techniques in blacksmithing wherever possible.
·
To actively pass
on the trade through free courses, paid courses, trainee schemes.
·
To move the
blacksmithing trade towards becoming a viable 21st century business. Including small business management.
Well 1 year on how have we
done?
We have had a good year in
all three areas, we have had the opportunity to do a good selection of high
quality traditional and modern artistic ironwork.
Richard Pace has become an
associate of the workshop and is doing really well with the courses. www.blacksmithingcourses.co.uk
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| Richard Pace instructing a husband & wife |
We have two volunteer
trainees one of which is starting his own workshop.
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| Billy Forging a Taper |
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| Terry in Action |
During our courses we pass
on hints and tips to running a workshop in the 21st. century.
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| Neil Stuart forging a scroll iron |
While we have been doing
all this, vegetables have grown, lambs and goats have been born and the farm
and the blacksmith have survived another year.
Neil Stuart Design Blacksmith
There are still places on the Tricks of the Trade 4 day
intensive blacksmithing course we are running in August email – rp.artistblacksmith@gmail.com –
for details.
I have also started a twitter thingy @rp_blacksmith if you are interested.
