I met Helen in the most unlikely place you can imagine. I was cruising around town in Johannesburg, and ended up at around 01:00 AM in a club where the majority of people were about half my age. I spotted Helen in the company of some of these youngsters, playing pool. So I walked over and asked whether she would play a game with me. We had a whale of a time, and I am not going to bore you with further detail (it is a private matter, after all) other than to say we have now been married for 10 years. 10 glorious, adventurous, fulfilling, exciting and very, very satisfying years.
When I started my adventures in woodturning, she supported me from the word go. I can bounce ideas off her, and I can rely on getting an honest answer (not always what I want to hear, but certainly always what I need to hear). Many a good idea has come from her.
When I decided to get a little more serious and do some shows, again she was behind me right away. She got involved in building the stall and organising hundreds of little details.
She has shown genuine interest in my work, and is constantly learning about the types of wood used, the finishes, the ideas behind each piece and how they compare to work from other turners. We go to shows together, which are like mini-holidays for us, and we make new friends with lots of other traders all the time.
Without Helen, none of this would have happened. Without her, I would have a much more difficult journey. So here’s to Helen and her never-ending support for my adventures.