"artisan of the year"

[robin wood]

Just back from Country Living Magazine and Balvenie Whisky's "Artisan of the Year" awards where much to my surprise I got the top award, a nice prize and a £350 bottle of whisky. The only drawback was that after the awards there was a very special whisky tasting laid on with 5 pretty special bottles and all I could do was sniff and sip because I had to drive home.

This is Clivden where the awards were held I should have parked my tatty van in the space in the middle.

Susy Smith Country Living Editor and the Balvenie folk introducing the awards.

Lots of nervous craftsfolk feeling a bit out of place in the posh surroundings.

My mate Doug Joiner getting commended award for his work setting up the Horse loggers association and training apprentices.

And afterward lots of whisky to quaff....or not if you were driving.:C

Still all good publicity, I get a couple of pages in Country Living November issue out any day now. Now I wonder what a £350 bottle tastes like.

 

[Draven]

Congratulations mate No bloody surprise though, the stuff you come out with is stunning Now when I reference you in letters to my MP regarding traditional crafts I can add "Artisan of the Year"

PS: Speaking of which, I got a letter from my MP this morning that perhaps you could make a bit more sense of, a PM shall be inbound soon!

 

[firecrest]

congratulations! :You_Rock_



...but you arent going to drink it are you?!

 

[DavidJT]

Brilliant, congratulations!
By a weird coincidence I worked with Susie Smith quite a few times about 20+ odd years ago.
Hope you get some good publicity and work out of it.

 

[Nagual]

Congratulations! Well done!

 

[Shewie]

Good on you Robin




Quaff a large one on me when you crack her open

 

[Tony]

Fantastic stuff Robin, good for you mate. Were there any specific things you had to do, as in an item (s) or is an all round award for just being brilliant?

:notworthy :notworthy :notworthy :notworthy

 

[MartiniDave]

What they all said! Well done Sir!

Dave

 

[CaptainBeaky]

Congratulations!

 

[Wayland]

Well done Robin.

I bet that feels great.

 

[British Red]

Nice picture of you turning a bowl in CL as well Robin

Red

 

[Tony]

That your Bentley on the forecourt?

 

[robin wood]

Were there any specific things you had to do, as in an item (s) or is an all round award for just being brilliant?

Thanks folks. They do a lot of publicity for the Awards in May, you write a bit about what you do and send it off. They are particularly interested in folk passing on old skills or bringing new life to them. I think they liked the fact I had brought back an old craft that had died out (pole lathe bowlturning) and found new markets for it and also the work I do with the Heritage Crafts Association trying to raise the profile of traditional crafts.

 

[weaver]

Congratulations Robin!

It's good to know that craftsmanship is being recognized and rewarded.

Thanks for all you do to keep the old crafts alive and moving forward.

 

[John Fenna]

Well done!
Pity you were driving!

 

[delbach]

Congratulations Robin
Andrew

 

[Indoorsout]

Fantastic! Well done Robin. So, are you doing a passaround on that bottle?

 

[scrogger]

Great news Robin its nice to see such fine work recognised in this way. Well done !!!

 

[rancid badger]

Brilliant news Robin


Fantastic news and very well done.

best wishes to you and your's

Steve

 

[Leonidas]

Well deserved Robin, awesome.

Tom