Crafty Conversations
Crafty Conversations
Podcast Description
Over the course of this summer, I took a sabbatical from teaching and cycled over 2,200 kilometres from one end of the country to the other, meeting nearly twenty craftspeople along the way. From silver spinners and wheelwrights to kilt makers and basket weavers, I learnt the stories behind their endangered skills and what it takes to keep these crafts alive today.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
Centers around rare and endangered crafts, the personal journey of a cyclist visiting artisans, and the cultural significance of traditional skills, with episodes like interviewing metalsmith Rebecca Walklett about unique copper techniques and reflecting on the planning stages of the biking adventure.
Over the course of this summer, I took a sabbatical from teaching and cycled over 2,200 kilometres from one end of the country to the other, meeting nearly twenty craftspeople along the way. From silver spinners and wheelwrights to kilt makers and basket weavers, I learnt the stories behind their endangered skills and what it takes to keep these crafts alive today.
In this episode, I talk to steel frame builder Gary Woodhouse about the craft of making lightweight, hand-built bicycles. Gary explains how butted steel tubing, simple but ingenious tools, and a highly personal design process come together to create Curtis bikes built for life.
I also reflect on Day Six of my ride: leaving the Devon hills behind, flying through Somerset with a tailwind, and arriving at my parents’ home in Wiltshire — where a post-it note, a cold beer, and a treasured Ercol table combined for a colourful turn for the worse.
Links
See the visual journey on Instagram: @crafty_cyclist
Click on this link to see more of Gary’s work with Curtis Bikes on Instagram
Visit the Curtis Cycles website to learn more
Discover more about endangered crafts at Heritage Crafts — and, if you’d like to support their work, you can donate via my JustGiving page
Disclaimer
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