The Chair Maker - Short Documentary About Lawrence Neal

Watch more craft films: www.marchmonthouse.com/stories
Master craftsman Lawrence Neal has been handcrafting exquisite ladder back chairs for over half a century.
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📸 Instagram: / marchmonthouse
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🌍 Website: www.marchmonthouse.com
Credits:
Director & Producers
Alex Rae & Duncan Parker
Executive Producer
Hugo Burge
Cinematography
Duncan Parker
Editor
Jack Roberts
Head of Production
Mo Ahmed
Original Score
Jausme Stonkute & Isaac Ellis
(Earwitness - Kankles & Double Bass)
Ashton Fox (Piano / Electronic)
Sound Design
Claudio Ahlers
Colourist
Jon Howard
Motion Graphic Design
Robin Littlewood
Additional Cinematography
Sam Finney
Ben Pryor
Ryan Atkinson
Runner
Tess Benjamin
Special Thanks
Lawrence Neal
Robin Wood
David Linley
Matthew Rice
Paul A. Shutler
Dillon Bryden
Annette Carruthers
Caz Hulbert
Jane Kirby
Bedales School
Get in touch:
[e-mail]

[@jimiwhat79]

Centuries of knowledge goes in making these chairs. Any apprentice is lucky to be learning this craft.

[@deldridg]

Beautifully told and thank you. I'm so glad Lawrence is passing on his knowledge. I hope it carries on for further generations. I'm 55 and watched this with a lump in my throat. My father was a great maker and fixer of things, a mechanic by trade and right up until we lost him in April this year, he was always busy repairing things around the house or for friends in their little town. I'm passionate about woodworking and am building a modestly large making space at our home so as to continue to engage my children in making and fixing things with their hands. I wish I had given more time to learning from my father. I miss him every day. Many thanks and blessings to the makers of this film and to Lawrence, from Sydney, Australia - David

[@57eleven1]

So well done. I’ve been many things in my life and now I’m 60 years old. I’m most proud that I’m a carpenter. Loved this. There’s something about working with your hands that is hard to explain and working with wood is special. Thank you for sharing

[@marchmonthouse]

Thank you. The dedication of crafts people is inspiring for us at Marchmont. We now have a workshop on site continuing this tradition - look out for new film The Workshop coming online today 🙂

[@57eleven1]

@@marchmonthouse I look forward to it! I’ve subscribed and I’ll click the bell. Thx!

[@kevinronald4137]

Having sat in one of his chairs ( or his Fathers) in Bedales Library as a student there and I can say that they were comfortable for the long hours of study. This film is a tribute to this chair maker. We shall all miss him.

[@tim_butcher]

Such a beautiful film with so much significance and poignancy. We need to reform the guilds ✊

[@gbwildlifeuk8269]

Agreed 👍

[@andygrayson7485]

This is very beautiful, well done to everyone involved ......especially the trees !

[@helderlage]

BRILLIANT... I discovered this channel now and I can't stop watching the videos available... I'm not a carpenter but I have a fascination for those who work with wood, respecting the fact that it was a majestic living being... the filmography is fabulous... THANK YOU and CONGRATULATIONS

[@1qazandrew333]

What a beautiful portrait of a man and a craft. Thank you.

[@davidgibson6731]

Great story.

[@anoshya]

Thanks Lawrence..a fascinating insight into your craft…

[@oliverfield6875]

Hello, I was wondering who made the chairs in Hereford? I would like to look into them more

[@schwaar]

This was so beautiful.

[@dapiddiboy]

This is beautiful.

[@user-kh2cp2rm9r]

🤗

[@bertanimation7436]

stunning film. stunning theme

[@rollinrock6696]

Fantastic

[@jimgeelan5949]

Simply beautiful, I’ve subscribed

[@MrZOMBIE170]

8:18 and who will Lawrence pass his skills to 9:45 that's a poor excuse there isn't a problem there isn't a single joiner or furniture maker that stops work to teach apprentices , apprentices learn by doing progressively harder tasks starting with simple things like helping to keep the workshop tidy and watching the tradesman they work with , then apprentices should start to do small low value tasks on their own that they have watched the tradesman do with instruction that don't matter as much if things go wrong and the tasks get progressively harder to meet the new skills the apprentice is learning skills that are always getting better until they can do the job on their own , all the apprentice is doing is helping and observing and learning new skills that's how apprentices have always learned

[@paulmaryon9088]

@MrZombie170 Yes indeed, I was only trusted with making tea and preparing the glue in my first job!!

[@darenoneill4759]

🥹❤️