News and Events
This page is updated regularly with articles relating to Wooden Things. Use the links below to navigate the page easily.
- Wooden Things.biz open to the public in Nuneaton
- Wooden Things.biz Shop Opening soon
- Heuristics bring Toys from the Past to the UK's schools
- Super Jack commission.
- Cyril Hobbins - The Real Life Gepetto (Disney)
- Cathedral Lanes, shop over Christmas in Coventry
- Commission for Lauren Child exhibition
- Commission for the Herbert Gallery, Coventry
Wooden Things.biz open to the public in Nuneaton
Wooden Things.biz have had a great response from the people of Nuneaton, and the surrounding areas to the opening of our new shop. We thank everyone for their kind words and messages of support.
As you can see from the images, we have produced results that we are rightly proud of. Looking at the "before" shots, taken in November, and comparing them with the shots we have to show you now... well, it's a whole world apart.
Wooden Things will be adding more products that can be found in our shop in Nuneaton onto our website in the very near future.
Wooden Things.biz Shop Opening soon
Wooden Things.biz are pleased to announce that we have acquired permenant premises in Nuneaton town centre. These pictures show how much hard work we have already put into getting the shop interior ready for Christmas, and how much more we need to do to be ready for our grand opening. We hope to have two London buses on the ground floor, as well as a jungle scene along an entire wall. We are really pushing ourselves to make our shop both interesting and unique, but the hard graft is definitely showing results.
The shop will be officially opened by Cyril Hobbins, the Real Life Gepetto, who is featured on the Extras DVD of Walt Disneys, Pinocchio.
Heuristics bring Toys from the Past to the UK's schools
Wooden Things.biz 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.
All of their workshops are designed to deliver exciting hands-on activities that compliment what schools already offer in their curriculum.
"Super Jack" commission.
Wooden Things.biz have been given a project thatwill consume our time for the start of 2009.WoodenThings 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.
WEEK 2
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 Week 3, 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.
WEEK 3
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 Week 4, 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.
WEEK 4 AND 5
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 Week 6, 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.
WEEK 6 AND 7
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.
Cyril Hobbins - The Real Life Gepetto (Disney)
Wooden Things.biz are very pleased to announce exciting news about a good friend of ours. Cyril Hobbins, Kenilworth toymaker, has been filmed in Hollywood as part of a special feature for Disney's re-mastered version of Pinocchio. Disney got in contact with Cyril, and invited him over to America to be "The Real-Life Gepetto".
Cyril has been making wooden toys for over 20 years, and we have known him personally for a long time. He is always generous with his time and knowledge, and Wooden Things.biz would like to have this tribute to his achievement put on our website.
For the story, click here
Cathedral Lanes, shop over Christmas in Coventry
It must be that time of year again because Wooden Things.biz 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.
Commission for Lauren Child exhibition 
Wooden Things.biz 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.
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Commission for the new History Exhibition Centre at The Herbert Gallery, Coventry - Mid April.
Wooden Things.biz have been asked to design and make a scaled model of the original Coventry Cathedral which will be housed in one of the newly developed exhibition galleries currently being built in the Herbert Gallery, Coventry.
Click here for more information.
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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