Hello, I’m Dave Walker and have been coerced into writing a ‘pen picture’ for Alan Mansfield’s web page. 
My first contact with Marquetry was in 1981. 

As a police officer I quite badly broke an ankle whilst running at night and was confined to bed at home for some weeks. 
My wife, Jenifer, was obviously fed up with my moans and groans and requests for instant attention and turned up one day with an Art Veneers Marquetry kit of an eagle flying over a mountain. 
I had always been interested in working with wood and although I had never attempted it before I set to with enthusiasm sitting up in bed!

I can tell you now that wood splinters between the sheets are far worse than toast crumbs! 
Like most beginners working from instructions which appeared to me to be explained in double Dutch,  I soon ran out of veneer and the picture eventually went under the bed never to see the light of day.  But looking back I can now laugh at my efforts.

The board I was cutting on was ply wood which soon ‘tipped’ my blade.  Instead of grinding down the back of the blade I tried to sharpen the cutting edge which was totally unsatisfactory.

I was gluing the veneer down with balsa cement. I never did get to put a finish on the picture but I must say that it kept me amused for a while as I recovered. However it had sown the seeds.

My next entry into the  realm of Marquetry was a few weeks later when I was back on my feet and trying to get fit enough to return to work. 

I decided to go to the Woodworker Exhibition at Wembley in 1981 and as I was strolling around I stumbled into the Marquetry Society stand manned by Harrow Group.  I must say I was impressed by the exhibited work and spent a long time there. I was approached by one Charlie Good who asked me if I was interested. I replied in the affirmative and when I stated that I lived in Redbridge he directed me to the Redbridge Group who met no more that 3 miles away.  I went along and on the first night was joined by two other new entrants, Eric Horne (sadly recently deceased) and Bill Kober who is still skilfully turning out masterpieces. We were taken under the wing of Alf Murtell, Derek Austin, and Ken Churchill and that evening has given me an interest for life.  Having recently retired from the Metropolitan Police I now hope to produce more as I will have more time.  This statement produced howls of mirth from my other pensioner colleagues at the Group but I am determined and it shouldn’t be too difficult to produce more that my annual or bi-annual picture!

My worst moment;  I had spent the best part of 9 months cutting a coat of arms of the Metropolitan Police which was quite intricate.  I was cleaning the back up prior to laying it down when my scraper caught on a raised bit of veneer and about two thirds of the picture ended up on the floor in bits.  It took quite a while to repair but I must have done something right as it won the first prize in the Advanced Class at the last National Competition to be held at Harrow. (Perhaps a premonition for next year’s National also at Harrow!)

I received a fine accolade to my interest in Marquetry when being presented with a citation by the Deputy Assistant Commissioner a few years ago.  At an annual gong presenting ceremony in front of fellow recipients and friends and family He had forgotten his glasses and when reading my profile stated that one of my interests was ‘market gardening’! I know that some of my fellow members had always felt that my Marquetry was done with gardening tools but that remark produced a lot of laughter, especially as at that time Police Officers could only rarely have a second job.

Having been in the Group for a couple of years I volunteered to become Secretary when Alf Murtell retired and have been so ever since.  I was thin and had hair when I took over! I have lost a few hairs and gained a pound or two since then but I don’t ever regret joining and taking up this wonderful form of art (or is it a craft).