out a solid wood reputation

by Lorraine Gibson

The chainsaw is not something you’d normally associate with creating intricate works of art, but that’s what one sculptor has been using to carve out a career for himself.

Tom ‘Carver’ Harvey, the man behind many of the Hengistbury Head wood sculptures that stop walkers in their tracks – often so they can sit on them to admire the views - uses the heavy-duty tool to cleave largescale structures straight from the tree trunk. “I started carving after leaving art school. I lived on a boat in Lincoln and started doing forestry work with friends on the river.”

Like the Michelangelo of wood, Tom, who comes from a family of painters, wields power saws weighing anything from six to 12 kilos, and other tools.

“I’ve never hurt myself with a saw over the 23 years I’ve been using them, but I’ve suffered plenty of aches and pains,” he says.

Tom’s work can be seen throughout Dorset. The mighty Stone-Age hunter outside Hengistbury Head’s visitor centre is also his; he made the talking parrot that’s activated by pound coins to raise funds at Bournemouth’s aviary; wildlife carvings around Queen’s Park and a ‘talking’ bench by the River Stour.

“In Christchurch I have a giant toad, slug and beetle at Two Rivers Meet and a nuthatch and bats carving is going in to Steamer Point soon. “I get wood from various sources. I mainly use massive bits, sometimes a bit too gnarly for making good lumber. “My largest piece is at Milton Keynes Open University. It’s around 25 feet tall. It was a daunting piece to carve, but I was pleased with how it turned out.’” Other striking examples of Carver Tom’s imagination are dotted around London’s Regent’s and Kensington Parks.

“Mark Holloway from Bournemouth council saw my work in Regent’s Park. He wanted unusual and relevant gates for the Hengistbury Head visitor centre and various benches as memorials around the site.

“A concern running through much of my work is the relationship between man and nature.

“The gates that I made have a strong sense of man, represented by a boat being surrounded by nature.”

Tom, 49, spent a lot of time chatting to locals while installing his designs at the headland.

“I spoke to quite a few members of the public who all seemed very impressed with the work that I had made.

“They always took an interest as I was delivering a new piece to the site.

“I hadn’t visited before the commission and I’ve become very attached to the place since.”

The highly-tactile benches are brought alive with carvings of beach huts, boats, soaring birds and other wildlife species that make it such a unique location and each seat is strategically placed to maximise the unmatched views.

As well as the benches – which also display moving memorial messages - and the gates, Tom made chunky trunk stools, one of which has the Hengistbury train running around it. And the carver’s favourite carving?

“I have spent some time sitting on the seat with seagulls and fish on top of the headland enjoying the view out to sea.” carverharvey.co.uk, carverharvey@hotmail. com, 07816 679839.

Are our schoolchildren second-class citizens?

In Oct 21, almost two years ago, and following a prolonged campaign including through this publication, Dorset County Council eventually agreed to some necessary road safety measures for the young children attending the new Wimborne First School.

These basic and necessary safety measures included advanced warning signs, better visibility of school signs, traffic calming measures, a 20mph zone at the School access and the extension of some double yellow lines.

All quite standard in the situation one would think, and of some urgency given that the lives of small children are at increased risk until they are carried out.

However nothing has been done! Meanwhile a short distance away in Broadstone and Merley - an area managed by a different council - the road safety for schools is markedly better.

Why are Wimborne children not treated the same?

Are they in some way inferior?

In near despair, and after having made one final appeal to the Chief Executive of Dorset County Council, I am now refering the matter to the Local Government Ombusman and also asking our MP to intervene, including involving the relevent Minister of State.

Dr DS Biddle

Wimborne