From the publisher January/february 2019

ClubWest

(To view our January/February 2019 issue of ClubWEST online, click here.)

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”
– Benjamin Franklin

There are people with hobbies and then there is John Sedgwick.

John is the embodiment of what we love to showcase with ClubWest Magazine. Our goal, from the outset, has been to tell the stories of those whose passions, pursuits and past times dominate their lives.

After 60 years of honing his marquetry skills, one could surmise John has a passion for his craft.

And he is awesome at it!

Countless people invest all kinds of time, money and effort in the things which interest them – and as well they should.

Life’s distractions are what keep things interesting.

Not everyone obtains a level of expert or even good at some of the things they do, and it does not matter one bit.

Take a beer league hockey…some may be better than others, but so what. It does not change either’s love for the sport or the joy extracted from a night of skating and camaraderie before and after the game.

It is quite likely there are others who have the same sort of passion for marquetry – defined as: a technique where various wood veneers are precisely cut to create a design. Yes, I had to look it up to be sure I understood.

However, John has developed his skills to a master craftsman level. That goes far beyond the level of an occasional workshop jockey. And good on him!

Even our contributors fit that passion mold. Our travel writer, Lorraine Simpson, and our Chef in Residence, Jan-Willem Stulp, are two perfect examples of people who have a passion for something and opted to make a career out of it.

As well, Joanne McDonald, much like myself, wasn’t just bitten by the writing bug. We were consumed by it.

All of us love what we do. Speaking for myself, I cannot imagine doing anything else.

In the writing game, it is difficult to attain a true standing as a master of anything. You are only as good as your last story.

Lorraine has travelled the world filling a suitcase with an immense and intimate knowledge of some of the best places to see, stay and enjoy. Jan-Willem? Just read his articles and you can see how personal creating tasty dishes is for him.

Much of what he does and how he does it ties to his upbringing and experience for European flair but with LOCAL ingredient influences.

People love this little magazine because of the unique stories we tell of people who are putting a great deal into life, told by people who love what they are doing.

It shows.

Publisher, ClubWest Magazine
Mike Williscraft