There seem to a lot of Newark College flutemakers offering their own simple system flutes.

Since they graduated from the same place, I wonder if the flutemakers share their ideas, or have a collective? Kind of like a co-operative to share and develop their trade.

I would like to try one but it is quite a commitment financially. Do they attend festivals where this is possible in Europe?

The only other Newark trained flute maker that I have meet is Solen Lesouef. I don't know any of the others, nobody else from my time there went on to make instruments, most were interested in repairing or left to do something else.
I used to go to St Chartier festival but it wasn't profitable enough. I think Solen still goes there.

Dave Williams flute and uilleann pipemaker did the flutemaking and woodwind repair course at Newark when it started up, which I think was in 1975 or 1976

Glenn Watson also lists Newark College as part of his bio.

Dominic - yours and Solens' are the ones I thought of first. Not to mention the other repairers, like David Murray and Arthur Haswell.

Will you be at the Sunrise festival this year?

I would like to try the St Chartier festival next month. As you say, it is expensive to get there from England, especially by ferry to Indres.

I was surprised that there was no kind of Newark Alumni Society for flutemakers. It seems like one of the most prestigious technical colleges in the UK.

That's probably more because we don't really have a tradition of that kind of thing in GB rather than anything else.

The Sunrise festival is about a mile from my house! I have been there in the past playing in various bands but not in my capacity as an instrument maker.Most of the "trade" stands are people selling clothes, crystals , herbal tea etc. There was talk of playing there this year but nothing has been confirmed so far. You are welcome to call in if you're in the area.
I'm hoping to be at Priddy Folk Festival this year and the Bagpipe Society's festival in Polesworth.

Hi Dominic,

I wish I had known! I only happened to be in Somerset visiting a friend for the festival last year.

It's good to see an English flutemaker from Newark still in England!