In a previous post (“I Moved the Hand That Carved My Face” – Allen Stichler – Wood Carving) I explained how myself and Peter (well, mainly Peter) at the sawmill had come up with a different way of creating these log benches, with the large cuts made with his bandsaw rather than a chainsaw, making a much neater job. It so happened that I had another one to do almost immediately, this time for the village of Burton upon Stather, North Lincolnshire. The above picture shows both benches prior to carving/assembly, making quite an unusual feature on part of the drive!
The villagers had discussed what they would like featured on the bench, and St Andrew’s church (possibly dating to Saxon times) came top, along with the “Burton in Bloom” emblem of a sunflower ~ which I incorporated into the “O” of Burton.
I came across a reference to a book with local interest, “Lyrics of Lovely Lincolnshire” by Edith Spilman Dudley, which included a lovely poem about Burton upon Stather, including the perfect line, “‘Tis good to be at Burton when Summer’s on the hills.” I worked this into a design , using the church and some traditional-looking swallows to make a pleasant image, and it worked well in its new surroundings. Thanks once again to John Pople with his fantastic forklift!
