Andrew Hall

Andrew's first experience of woodturning was at the age of 14 when his woodwork teacher gave three evenings a week of his time to tutor a few very keen students in woodworking, furniture making and woodturning. Then, after a five year apprenticeship, Andrew's teaching career began with the opportunity to teach apprentices at three colleges in the North East. After teaching Carpentry and Joinery for 20 years, he decided to rekindle his love of woodturning and has now been turning professionally for many years. Andrew specialises in making wood hats and Corinthian helmets. He also teaches woodturning and woodworking to small groups in his workshop. When time allows Andrew loves to turn one-off pieces for galleries and individual customers. Andrew has demonstrated throughout the UK, Germany, Belgium and Ireland. He is the founder and chairman of Wear Valley Woodturners and writes articles for woodworking and woodturning magazines.
For more information about Andrew visit hallwoodhats.com

Jason Breach

Starting from the early age of 12, Jason has over 25 years experience, not just in woodturning but as a furniture maker, both as a hobby and commercially. As a result of his love of the beauty and diversity of grain pattern and colour, Jason enjoys the challenge that woodturning presents and communicating that interest to others, encouraging and developing their skills and abilities. His long association with Axminster Tool Centre has allowed him to build on his technical knowledge of woodworking tools and machinery, enabling his students to benefit from his experience. At AWGB Seminar 2009 Jason was presented the Tony Boase Memorial Award for the best original turned item.

Jason was the winner of the 2010 Strictly Woodturning competition.
For more information about Jason visit jasonbreach.co.uk

Dennis Keeling

Dennis is one of the few segmenters - turners who specialise in segmented turning - in the UK. He began turning when he was nine years old. However, Dennis allowed his turning to lapse for many years and only took it up again in 1995. He started to specialise in segmented turning after spending a week with Bud Latven in 2003 and began to experiment with open segment turning in 2004 after meeting Jerry Bennett. He regularly writes articles for Woodturning magazine and has been commissioned by GMC Publications to write a book on segmented turning. The book entitled 'Segmented Turning - a practical guide' has been published by GMC and Taunton Press in the USA.
For more information about Dennis visit dkeeling.com

Ray Key

Ray Key's workshop is in Evesham, on the border of the Cotswolds. He has been turning wood for over 40 years and since 1973 it has been his full time occupation. Ray's work has been featured in well over 200 exhibitions worldwide; his work is in many major private collections and in the permanent collections of several museums. He has travelled widely, being invited to run teaching workshops and demonstrate at international seminars in USA, Canada, Ireland, Norway, New Zealand, Israel, France and Germany. Ray is an Honorary Lifetime Member of the American Association of Woodturners and Association of Woodturners of Great Britain. He has also contributed to Woodturning magazine, published books and made DVDs. Ray acted as Head Judge on the panel of judges at the 2010 Strictly Woodturning.

Stuart King

Stuart was born in the Buckinghamshire village of Holmer Green. He has spent his life researching traditional woodworking skills in England and overseas, in particular Eastern Europe. He is also a keen collector of artefacts about the rural past, and is today a well known craftsman, demonstrator, international lecturer and photo-journalist. His demonstrations and master classes are humorous, friendly and fast moving, and his lectures are often illustrated with antique tools and photographs. He works with wet timbers, colour and texturing, thereby creating a lot of interest when he demonstrates; among his favourite pieces are goblets and stemmed bowls. Stuart was crowned the winner of Strictly Woodturning 2009, but was unable to retain it in the 2010 competition.
For more information about Stuart visit stuartking.co.uk

Carlyn Lindsay

Carlyn was about seven years old when she first started to use wood; she was always making things and working on a project. On finishing school she took a two-year Art Foundation course, working with many mediums and materials. She then went on to gain a degree from Wolverhampton School of Art & Design, specialising in wood, metal and plastics. Then with a grant from the Prince's Youth Business Trust, she set up her own workshop. During these early years, she worked as a cabinet and furniture maker before becoming a professional woodturner. Carlyn shows her work at exhibitions and galleries, and many collectors purchase her work. She also does demonstrations and talks, and regards her work as very simple, though she is currently experimenting with carving on turning. Carlyn is also passionate about youth training and particularly supports the AWGB's youth training scheme.

Stuart Mortimer

Stuart is an internationally acclaimed woodturner who has won many awards. His demonstration and teaching skills are widely recognised in the UK and overseas. Stuart is self-taught and started out as a hobby turner in 1968, doing some production work and making sports and retirement trophies. After retiring from the police force in 1989, Stuart turned professional. He is well known for his ideas and spiral work, travelling extensively, teaching and demonstrating at seminars and exhibitions throughout Europe, USA and Australia. Stuart has an affinity with trees and wood and is always looking for unusual pieces of material. Every piece of his work is hand crafted and finished to the highest degree for tactile and visual pleasure. Examples of Stuart's work can be found in major collections and museums across the world. He is the author of 'Techniques of Spiral Work' and a DVD 'Wet Turning with a Difference'. Stuart is a Liveryman with the Worshipful Company of Turners and now lives in Hampshire.
For more information about Stuart visit stuartmortimer.com

Gary Rance

At the age of 16, Gary began a three year apprenticeship with a small woodturning company in Chesham, where he gained valuable experience turning peppermills and kitchenware. He went on to make stair balusters and chair parts with another company and then became involved with Steward Linford of High Wycombe, makers of the famous Windsor chair. Gary has demonstrated at exhibitions and woodturning clubs throughout the UK, Belgium, France, Ireland, Norway and at the Utah Symposium in Provo, Salt Lake City. Gary has also produced tools for the woodturner, notably his round skew chisels, light-pull drive, Box Scraper and his Easybead tool. Gary is considered to be one of the fastest and most accurate production woodturners in the UK.
For more information about Gary visit garyrance.co.uk

Colwin Way

Having developed an interest in woodturning at school, Colwin served a five year apprenticeship, turning up to 20 bowls, 45 vases or 100 lace bobbins a day. On finishing his apprenticeship, Colwin started up on his own, designing and turning for galleries, craft shops and other outlets and establishing a reputation as a leading woodturner. He was immediately in demand as a demonstrator/tutor and thus began his association with Axminster Tool Centre, taking over the development and running of the woodturning courses. Colwin has since demonstrated and taught on behalf of Axminster in the UK, Ireland, France and Norway. Colwin can be seen demonstrating regularly at shows, including New Forest & Hampshire County Show and Irish Woodturners' Guild Seminar.
For more information about Colwin click here.

Mark Sanger

The mystery is now solved and the tenth turner in the 2012 line-up is Mark Sanger. Mark's love of working with wood began when he was a child, spending many happy hours working with his grandfather and making all different kinds of objects. His work is free flowing and he draws much inspiration from his local surroundings in Dorset. For many years Mark has been interested in Japanese culture and philosophy, an influence which is evident in much of his work. Mark enjoys demonstrating and teaching throughout the UK and overseas, he runs courses from his workshop in Gillingham and has written articles for Woodturning and British Woodworking magazines.
For more information about Mark, visit marksanger.co.uk