Features / The woodwork classes helping to give new life to traditional crafts
Cecil Tait is giving people the chance to try their hand at making wooden items like stools and spoons – and the workshops are proving popular
YOU ONLY need to bring enthusiasm, says Paparwark Furniture’s website about its wooden craft workshops, “and clothes you don’t mind getting a bit dusty”.
It seems plenty of people have been getting a bit dusty in Cecil Tait’s workshop in Bigton in recent years, learning how to make items like traditional Shetland stools and spoons – and helping in a small way to give new life to hands-on craft.
They then get to proudly take home the piece they have made that day.
Shetland News visits Tait in his workshop to see where the magic happens, an outbuilding transformed into a haven for woodwork wizardry.
The Shetlander founded Paperwark Furniture in 2003, and has grown the business steadily since, including exhibiting work around the country.
He has put his hand to high quality pieces over the last two decades such as chairs, tables, boxes and even a guitar stand, but Tait is now offering people of any ability the chance to pick up tools and create for themselves in small groups.
At a wider level, his courses for traditional Shetland stools – or creepies – are doing their bit in keeping local craft living and breathing.
Aside from the stools, people can try making wooden spoons, scoops, shawl pins and gin racks, as well as having a go at chip carving.
Tait, who is 49, ensures folk have what they need to get making without too much hassle, cutting the pieces in advance to get people started.
“It’s the prep that’s no that interesting, so I do it for them,” he smiles as he explains the process.
The stool classes usually run from 10am to 5pm, for example, and people of all abilities and most ages are welcome – as long as they are ready for some hands-on learning.
“Somebody came along with their daughter who was eight, and it worked fine,” Tait adds, “so folk can come with bairns. But they need to be there to look after them.”
He says the traditional stools were made a lot in schools in the past as well, “so it’s obviously a good project to start somebody off on, and I can see why, because there’s a whole bunch of interesting things to do”.
Tait says he really enjoys the classes – “especially folk who aren’t really sure they’re going to be able to achieve it”.
“Folk have come along saying that I should do a rocking chair course, because folk do do them,” he adds. “I’m open to ideas if folk are interested.”
We head through to another nearby outbuilding, a former hen house Tait now uses as a studio space to show off some of his wares – especially to coach tours which make their way to his Ireland croft.
“Now it’s actually too peerie, as we sometimes get tours coming along with 16 folk,” Tait adds. “It’s pretty squashed in here.”
Tait’s interest in woodwork stems back to his school days, where he was encouraged and inspired to get hands on.
“See yun rocking chair yunder?” he says, pointing over to the other side of the room. “I made one lik yun at school.
“I left school at 16, and it just kind of clicked.”
There was perhaps something in the water around then, with some others in his school year also working on impressive sounding projects like a sofa.
But he says a knack for things like woodwork could stem from a more hands-on upbringing.
“We all grew up on crofts, or our fathers were mechanics or something like that – you just follow them around doing stuff, and you kind of got those skills as a bairn,” Tait says.
He tried his hand at joinery after school but he did not quite fancy it, so he headed back to get some highers – before heading south for a degree in furniture design and craftsmanship.
In addition to the many folk who have attended his classes, Tait is now in a position to train up apprentices, with one busy in the workshop during our visit.
“But I think the guys I’ve trained are probably better than me after I did my degree, because they’ve had far more practice with tools,” he says.
“A degree is excellent, but it’s no the be all or end all.”
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:
- Removal of third-party ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
