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I'm hiding from the Mayor!!!


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Chris, just had a look at your website and love the storing telling chair (and the chair with the ladder back)

It reminded me of the village chieftains chairs I had seen when travelling in Malawi a few years ago.

They were made of two pieces of timber slotting into each other, this way the chief (rather his attendant) could carry it around and install it wherever he chose...

The bit that would be the 'backrest' was approx 4 to 5ft tall with a 10in slot about 18in to 2 ft up from the floor, made of one plank about 2in thick, adzed away from the tree trunk, anything from 12in to 30in across. They had big elaborate carvings of local scenes and stories on.

The well worn polished seat about 12 in accross, was roundish with a 'handle' bit about 2ft long with a slight curve. The handle piece was sliding into the slot of the upright giving a well balanced and free standing chair.

Very comfortable to sit on once you found your balance and the center of gravity...

Hope you can picture it...

They were the loveliest things I had seen on that particular travel. Real hand made NONE airport craft.
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The pictures don't do justice to the work Chris put into the Totem! In the 'flesh' it is breathtaking.  Nor does anyone know of the problems he had at the start, nor the financial and emotional sacrfice that he has made to give a gift to the children and teachers of the school and the commune in general. I know he doesn't blow his own trumpet enough so I'm doing it for him! Please don't be fooled by Chris's air of normality, the bloke is off his rocker when he's with chainsaws, but I'd love just five minutes inside his brain! He's sort of a cross between new and neanderthal man. MOH & I never met anyone who attacked life in the same way.

The Totem is in the school of Le Grand Bourg in the Creuse if anyone's around, I know he'd be more than happy to talk.

A BIG UP to you friend!

Lyn Elliott

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Missy doesn't sound very nautral, what's your name? I've read your description of the chair over and over and can't quite get there, can you sketch it and send it? It appeals.

Katie the orange things are my braces, they're a throwback from forestry days, orange is easy to spot in a woodland, the colour is supposed to stop you from killing a workmate by dropping several tons of Oak on them! In truth they represent bondage, but dont tell anyone!

Lyn, that was unfair, you were here at the time andbmust have posted that from my own PC, please wipe her post out moderators, it;s blatent advertising, I should have known by the giggles as you and Martin left, (I was dancing in the barn with my son and Martin at the time).

I just love my work, I don't see it as work, just play, I do what I want to do. Yes Lyn this project has been expensive but the rewards are greater than anyone can quantify. I'll be celebrating the finish of it this week by dancing with a hundred or so kids, wot a life eh! Anyone want to come and dance with a hundred and twenty kids the gig is on!

Most important is that I was never alone on this one, I couldn't have done it without them.

Thankyou for your kind comments

Chris

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[quote user="missyesbut"] It reminded me of the village chieftains chairs I had seen when travelling in Malawi a few years ago. They were made of two pieces of timber slotting into each other, this way the chief (rather his attendant) could carry it around and install it wherever he chose... The bit that would be the 'backrest' was approx 4 to 5ft tall with a 10in slot about 18in to 2 ft up from the floor, made of one plank about 2in thick, adzed away from the tree trunk, anything from 12in to 30in across. They had big elaborate carvings of local scenes and stories on. The well worn polished seat about 12 in accross, was roundish with a 'handle' bit about 2ft long with a slight curve. The handle piece was sliding into the slot of the upright giving a well balanced and free standing chair. Very comfortable to sit on once you found your balance and the center of gravity... Hope you can picture it... They were the loveliest things I had seen on that particular travel. Real hand made NONE airport craft.[/quote]

   Hi Missy,

     That brought back memories,  a family member received one as a farewell gift from Malawean colleagues and it occupied pride of place in the lounge.

They seem good at innovation, I remember being shown a hut just outside Blantyre where the owner was one up on his fellow tribesmen, instead of an open door, he had installed an old car door, thus benefitting from a wind down window.

    Chris, picture of said chair here

http://www.africangoodies.com/ssschair.htm

 

 

 

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[quote user="Davies"]

They seem good at innovation, I remember being shown a hut just outside Blantyre where the owner was one up on his fellow tribesmen, instead of an open door, he had installed an old car door, thus benefitting from a wind down window.

    [/quote]

Loved that !   [:P]

Back in Paris days, my boss received a present from an African country, can't remember which now.  It was a small table and several chairs and each object was carved out of one single piece of wood.

 

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Why hide from the Mayor?...

No room for you to hide Chris! you are successfully carving out your career, out of every tree you are hiding under....

Sorry, doesn't read/sound as punny as I intended...

Still!... I think your work is unusual and great.

Hope it carries on and on and on and on....

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I understand what you want to say Missy.

I like to hide Missy, I hide as far away as I can, from life, folk, fonctionnaires, towns, cities, telephones and all that c r a p (allow me that one mods), I've no portable or answerphone. I always figgured that if it's that's important enough it will filter through somehow. Real life to me is logs and saws and graft and dreams and making everything come to life, and pushing forward as hard as possible and learning as much as one can...every day.  Real life to me is sweat, blood and tears, every day, working way outside of my comfort zone. I don't have the limits or barriers that most reading this do, I so wish that many of those who I meet could do what they really want to do,or try a little harder. I hear so many regrets in life from so many people and it's sad.  Life to me is very, very exciting, the only real sadness about it is that money has to come into play, I hate the stuff.

Salut, Chris

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