The following is an extract from the online edition of Derbyshire Life magazine feature on Holbrook Village and was written by Ashley Franklin 23 January 2008:
You might recall seeing Charles Forster's work when he ran a shop in Crich Tramway Museum and, latterly, Caudwell's Mill. In his last year, Charles was struck with motor neurone disease, though Linda told me how he'd continue to carve even when he was reduced to movement in one hand. Indeed, he died of a heart attack while working on a piece, aged 69, in 2004.
There are over a hundred pieces still unsold, although collectors from all over the world still come to the Gaslight Gallery. Naturally, there are pieces Linda would never sell as they provide poignant memories. Indeed, the very home she lives in is a living tribute to the work he put in to return the original late 19th century features to the house. Sitting by the coal warmth of the Victorian hearth, I felt I'd stepped back in time. After Linda pointed out some of Charles's charming pieces dotted around the wooden shelves, she quietly sipped on her tea and said: 'He is around me, so I'm very happy here. I also have a memory of a lovely man who made an impression on everyone he met and who made a living doing what he loved, though I do think his talents are still largely unrecognised.'
Reproduced by kind permission of Derbyshire Country Life - 13/12/2012
You might recall seeing Charles Forster's work when he ran a shop in Crich Tramway Museum and, latterly, Caudwell's Mill. In his last year, Charles was struck with motor neurone disease, though Linda told me how he'd continue to carve even when he was reduced to movement in one hand. Indeed, he died of a heart attack while working on a piece, aged 69, in 2004.
There are over a hundred pieces still unsold, although collectors from all over the world still come to the Gaslight Gallery. Naturally, there are pieces Linda would never sell as they provide poignant memories. Indeed, the very home she lives in is a living tribute to the work he put in to return the original late 19th century features to the house. Sitting by the coal warmth of the Victorian hearth, I felt I'd stepped back in time. After Linda pointed out some of Charles's charming pieces dotted around the wooden shelves, she quietly sipped on her tea and said: 'He is around me, so I'm very happy here. I also have a memory of a lovely man who made an impression on everyone he met and who made a living doing what he loved, though I do think his talents are still largely unrecognised.'
Reproduced by kind permission of Derbyshire Country Life - 13/12/2012