Comments on: At Nichols Bros, Woodturners

By: Barry Coidan

Barry Coidan — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 18:18:18 +0000

We live in Milton Road just up from them. In the past they’ve sponsored the Milton Road Street party and are just really lovely people.

By: Cherub

Cherub — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 07:33:15 +0000

Such an interesting piece on skills and skills that are being lost. My brother was a cabinet maker. After he retired he tried woodturning as a friend of his is skilled and has his own workshop. Unfortunately my brother found he was no good at it and said it was best left to the experts.

By: Marcia Howard

Marcia Howard — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 16:01:12 +0000

I so admire individuals with these sort of skills, and just amazed what goes on behind a fairly unassuming facade. Thank you for sharing yet another gem.

By: Ron Bird

Ron Bird — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 08:46:06 +0000

I still have a couple of hollow twisted table lamps made for me by Frank Nichols, he made them for me around 1982 when I knew him from the ‘Three Sisters’ pub in Hackney where I lived, I’m now living in Suffolk.
You don’t mention Frank, so I assume he perhaps doesn’t work there anymore, or perhaps I’ve got his name wrong, but Frank Nichols does sound right.

By: Tony Anderson

Tony Anderson — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 21:20:36 +0000

What a treat to be able to read this and see the photographs of the craftsmen and their production. Wonderful that this is being recorded as such skills learnt over years are being lost to us in every day life. As our world becomes more rich on some ways it becomes poorer in others. I’m very grateful to be able to read these stories.

By: John Goodwin

John Goodwin — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 19:22:16 +0000

Well I never, my very good friend Lucy Wilde nee Coad. Square piano restorer just sent me via email your article. I was the only commercial woodturner in Bristol through the eighties and nineties and never knew of the brothers. What a wonderful tale they could tell. they need to get filmed and put up on tele. Fascinating. I did all of Lucy’s turning needs and more.

By: BERNIE

BERNIE — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 18:21:23 +0000

Ah me! This post made me realise that I probably missed an opportunity to learn to use a wood-lathe. In the cellar of my childhood home (8 Bayston Rd, N16) there was among the cobwebbed and coal dust-begrimed clutter an old lathe about which, I am ashamed to say, I never even asked my cabinet-maker father. Surely it could have been cleaned up and resuscitated! Sic transit …

By: paul loften

paul loften — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 16:04:22 +0000

Thank you for showing us these unique skills. I love woodturning it’s not only enjoyable to do but soothing for the soul

By: Greg T

Greg T — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 07:59:43 +0000

I have actually bought a couple of small items from them, long ago ….
And walking distance from (my) home, too!
I didn’t realise that they were the last ones left – in the whole of London.

By: Jim Brettell

Jim Brettell — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 06:33:17 +0000

Absolutely brilliant to see that Nichols is still going strong! I only recently enquired what the position was having sadly had to help Maria close down the family business H Brettell & Sons when my brother Rob passed away five years ago. In our case, there was no new generation to keep the business going and sadly the skills built up over at least 150 years have now been lost. So lets hope someone emerges to learn the Nichol’s skills and secrets, thus keeping woodturning alive in the East End.