Turning bowls and hollow forms using hardwoods native to the UK is my idea of fun. I source and convert all my own wood and buy very few prepared blanks. I am very grateful to my friends and neighbours who give their wood so generously.

I am particularly drawn to turn bowls with a natural edge which can look oval, although they are, of course, round. Lately I've been exploring hollow forms and using colour to enhance pieces.

I came to woodturning after a 20-year career as a Weapons Engineer Officer in the Royal Navy and then spent 25 years delivering Project Leadership courses for many global companies around the world. Now I have the time to devote to this fantastic pastime.

One of my main pleasures is to figure out how to select and cut the wood so that I make best use of the grain, figure, and the bark.

The wonderful thing about woodturning is that you have to develop your ability by practising, then overcoming the mistakes you inevitably make. No craft skill can be developed unless you have a few disasters, and I have had - and continue to have - many!

I find the most thrilling stage of any project is when I come to coat the piece with wax-oil at the very end - this reveals the colour and figure of the wood in all its glory, but it also emphases any mistakes I have made with the shaping, refining and sanding!