At Bristol’s Kingsdown Council school in 1946, I joined Mr Bowell’s woodwork class. He was a quietly-spoken man in a carpenter’s work coat

On the first day we were shown how to use the razor sharp chisels to cut a mortise and tenon joint in a small block of wood using a wooden mallet. Before we were allowed to pick up our chisels we were instructed never to hold them towards us. Always, always away from our bodies in case they slipped and caused serious injury.

We all followed the order - except poor Wilfred who suddenly “ouched” and walked up to the front of class holding out his hand, bleeding profusely. We were all concerned, expecting him to be bandaged and comforted as our mothers would have.

Mr Bowell asked how Wilfred had been holding the chisel. Wilfred showed him. “Hold out your other hand.” One hard stroke of the cane. He never needed to use the cane again.

Over 60 years later, a sculptor and craftsman of wooden lighthouses, I have spent hundreds, possibly thousands, of hours using all sorts of chisels.

Never cut myself.
C Perryman

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