News and Events
This page is updated regularly with articles relating to Wooden Things. Use the links below to navigate the page easily.
- Super Jack commission. Part VI
- Super Jack commission. Part V
- The Jinxed Football Plaque?
- Super Jack commission. Part IV
- Super Jack commission. Part III
- Heuristics bring Toys from the Past to the UK's schools
- Super Jack commission. Part II
- Building on 2008 in 2009
- Super Jack commission. Part I
- Cathedral Lanes, shop over Christmas in Coventry
- Commission for Lauren Child exhibition
- Summer Action 2008 at Warwick School
- New business located on the River Thames
- Commission for the Herbert Gallery, Coventry
- Easter Action 2008 at Warwick School
"Super Jack" commission. Part VI
Wooden Things have been asked to undertake the planning, construction and decoration of a train engine and carriage, entitled "The Super Jack Special." This is the progress of the project after eleven weeks.
Check out Part I and II and III and IV and Part V
I am writing this chapter a few days after the "Super Jack" train and engine have been taken away to its new home in Warwick. The commission is finally completed, and both the 
customer and Wooden Things are extremely happy with the final results. We were sad to see the "Super Jack" go, but also happy to have some space back in both the workshop and the hallway of the house.
These last few weeks have been a bit of a trial of endurance waiting for each separate coat of gloss paint to dry, as well as finalising all of those little details that make all the difference to the completed commission.
We are very proud of our achievements in making this large scale train engine and carriage. We truly hope that what we have created will be a long and fitting memorial. We have been told that the story will be featured in a Warwick newspaper, which will be the final chapter in our "Super Jack" updates.
All of our updates on "Super Jack" have been gathered in our Gallery page. Just click on the image of the yellow train and carriage.
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"Super Jack" commission. Part V
Wooden Things have been asked to undertake the planning, construction and decoration of a train engine and carriage, entitled "The Super Jack Special." This is the progress of the project after nine weeks.
Check out Part I and II and III and Part IV
We have completed both sets of steps for the engine and the carriage. I have tested my weight on the steps and there are no problems there. In the image of the carriage shown on the right, you can see one of the pair of steps unpainted. The carriage is completely decorated apart from the spokes on the wheels. The final step will be what words and numbers will be secured onto the side of the Super Jack. The engine has also begun its stage of painting. The fully constructed engine is shown above.
We are near the end of this big project and we predict that the next part in this project will be close to the finish. We are excited about the results so far.
The Jinxed Football Plaque?
While we had our shop in Coventry over the Christmas period our football plaques were very popular, so we decided to take orders for January and February on the football plaques. One of these commissions was for a Coventry City FC badge. The finished plaque is shown on our News page in all its glory, we are proud of it, but events conspired to stop us finishing the project almost to the day when it was started.
We now breathe a collective sigh of relief that this Football Plaque is completed and we will now hopefully be rewarded with a period where our health will return and our injuries mend!
"Super Jack" commission. Part IV
Wooden Things have been asked to undertake the planning, construction and decoration of a train engine and carriage, entitled "The Super Jack Special." This is the progress of the project after six weeks.
Check out Part I and Part II and Part III
Over the past two weeks, we have completed the base for the train's 
engine, as you can see from the picture on the left. It's all at an exciting stage at the minute. We are building on the engine from the bottom, up. So far, so good. We have also finished priming the carriage of the Super Jack. This means that we are nearly ready to start putting some colour into the project.
In Part V, we hope to have started painting the carriage with some colour. Also we want to have finished constructing the train's engine so that it is ready to be under-coated.
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"Super Jack" commission. Part III
Wooden Things have been asked to undertake the planning, construction and decoration of a train engine and carriage, entitled "The Super Jack Special." This is the progress of the project after four weeks.
Check out Part I
Check out Part II
We are happy to report that the carriage for the train has completed its construction stage. The final piece is very heavy, as was predicted, but thankfully, it does fit through the doors to the workshop. Just! The re-enforcement for the base completes a very solidly made piece and we are very happy with the results so far.
In Part IV we plan to simultaneously continue constructing the base for the train engine, and source some paint to begin the next phase of the carriage - the decoration.
Heuristics bring Toys from the Past to the UK's schools
Wooden Things have had a close relationship with Heuristics for a number of years, as we jointly continue the work and study of Kenilworth Toymaker, Cyril Hobbins.
Heuristics professionally run education workshops for state and public schools since the mid- to late-nineties. Their workshops consist of Roman, Medieval, 
Seafaring, Tudor, Victorian, 1940's; describing the lifestyle, history and invention of each subject according to the needs of the individual customer.
We have just completed an order for 650 toy kits from Heuristics; all of these toys are based on originals from different periods of history. The toy making part of their workshops is designed to teach children sanding techniques, hand-drilling, design and colour, the effects of different forces e.g. gravity, and assembly using different tools.
For more information on Heuristics, you can contact them by e-mail at: don@heuristics.org.uk
All of their workshops are designed to deliver exciting hands-on activities that compliment what schools already offer.
"Super Jack" commission. Part II
Wooden Things have been asked to undertake the planning, construction and decoration of a train engine and carriage, entitled "The Super Jack Special." This is the progress of the project after two weeks.
Check out Part I
The train has finished the planning stage (only waiting on the painting scheme to be verified), and is at the beginning of the construction stage. We have designed a base that is sturdy enough to take a number of children playing on the train (and especially the carriage) at once. All of the sides of the train have been re-enforced so they are able to take more punishment from children running in and out.
In Part III, we hope to have both engine and carriage bases finished, including wheels. The next job will be constructing the top of the train carriage over its base. It is going to be heavy at the end of it, I am sure.
Building on 2008 in 2009
The year 2008 for Wooden Things has been a contemplative one, in an industry and marketplace where the trend is a shrinking one. As a small business we see the large businesses that we have come to rely on, showing weakness. After a successful Christmas trading we could become complacent but we are not immune to the pressures so 2009 will be another year of development and a strengthening of ties with our links. We hope that the public will continue to buy British, and see that preferring wooden toys over plastic ones is a safer choice and better for the environment.
Safety article - "What's Toxic in Toyland" Environment article - "The Dangers of Plastic Pollution"
"Super Jack" commission. Part I
We have been given a project that will consume our time for the start of 2009. Wooden Things have been asked to undertake the planning, construction and decoration of a 
train engine and carriage, entitled "The Super Jack Special."
The train is for a customer in Warwick and will be displayed in a shop. Both engine and carriage must measure no longer than eight foot. The customer has asked to be updated regularly on the progress of the train, so, our News and Events page is as good a place as any.
Cathedral Lanes, shop over Christmas in Coventry
It must be that time of year again because Wooden Things are relocating their workshop to show their products to the people of Coventry. We have always enjoyed our Christmas times in Coventry and we hope that we can build on the success of last year to get our name and 
business known to even more of the general public.
Our shop is located inside Cathedral Lanes shopping centre, next to the Lady Godiva statue in Coventry city. (For those that know, it used to be the Chinese herbal shop.) Look out for the scroll saw in the window, starting 14th November until Christmas Eve.
See our page dedicated to Xmas 2008 on our Gallery page.
Commission for Lauren Child exhibition
We welcome back a repeat commission for Museums Sheffield - Weston Park, following the successful jigsaws that were presented to a visiting Sultan last year. This time it's a major new exhibition for under 7's, Green Drops and Moonsquirters, featuring the work of children’s author and illustrator Lauren Child.
We were asked to make four jigsaws with illustrations, kindly supplied by Museums Sheffield, from the hugely successful books and TV series: Charlie and Lola.
Find out why the Guardian made Weston Park Family-Friendly Museum of the Year.
Free Admission, starts 23rd September, 2008. More info.
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Summer Action 2008 at Warwick school - 15/07/08
Doesn't time fly when you're having fun as we begin our second visit of the year to Warwick school?
Wooden Things continue to be asked to bring their toy workshop to the children of Warwick during the school holidays. During the Easter and Summer breaks, Warwick school offer a programme of holiday activities and events, open to all children not just Warwick School pupils. Wooden Things will be there on each Tuesday morning and afternoon until the beginning of next month.
We give a big thank you to the children who make the workshop such a fun day, and we hope to see them again next year for Easter Action 2009. Click the logo below to be taken to the Warwick School Summer Action web page.
New business located on the River Thames.
Wooden Things would like to say a big hello to a new partner in our toy kit making family. Panacea, who can be found moored on the banks of the River Thames, have recently been in contact with us. We will now be providing them with toy kits that they can use as part of their unique therapy course.
For more information on Panacea Education, you can contact them by e-mail at:
lindsaynash1@gmail.com
Panacea website to follow shortly.
Commission for the new History Exhibition Centre at The Herbert Gallery, Coventry - Mid April.
We have been asked to design and make a scaled model of the original Coventry Cathedral which will be housed in one of the new re-developed exhibition galleries currently being built in the Herbert Gallery, Coventry.
The History Centre will house archives documenting the history of the city of Coventry through almost 800 years of existence. We are very excited at the prospect of having a piece we have made in such an innovative and culturally rich project. We will keep updated with how the process is going nearer the time. The building work for the Herbert is scheduled for completion in Spring 2008, with the new exhibition spaces being completed by Autumn 2008.
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Easter Action 2008 at Warwick School - 25/03/08 - 08/04/08
Wooden Things continue to be asked to bring their toy workshop to the children of Warwick during the school holidays. During the Easter and Summer breaks, Warwick school offer a programme of holiday activities and events, open to all children not just Warwick School pupils. Wooden Things will be there on each Tuesday morning and afternoon until the 8th.
We give a big thank you to the children who make the workshop such a fun day, and we hope to see them again for Summer Action. Click the logo below to be taken to the Warwick School Easter Action web page