Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Cliff's love of leather craft and country music

Lin Ferguson
Whanganui Chronicle·
29 Nov, 2017 01:00 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Cliff Burgess.

Cliff Burgess.

He's a passionate old-style country singer and guitarist, a fervent parishioner of Waverley Baptist Church and is immersed in tooling leather as a hobby.

Cliff Burgess never learned his leather craft or his music formally.

He is self taught and just "picked" them up because he loved to sing, play his guitar and sculpt leather with precision.

He and his country band give concerts about once a month at the church.

"We meet up and have a practice about once a month. We're strictly old-school with a repertoire of great old songs from artists like Hank Snow and Jimmy Rogers.''

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Cliff taught himself the art of tooling leather more than 20 years ago starting with belts. Within months he'd moved on to handbags, wallets, guitar straps and his old sewing machine was whirring daily.

He never advertises.

"I don't need to because people come to me with orders, it's all word of mouth.''

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

One of his greatest achievements is his guitar case which has been much admired, he said.

"It was endless hours od work and yes, I am very proud of it.''

Cliff is at the helm of the local Country and Western Club together with his wife, country singer Cindy.

Living in Waverley had been good for him and Cindy, he said.

"I don't keep good health so my leather work is very satisfying. It's something I can do easily at home and it's a wonderful community here in Waverley."

Cliff has made and designed handbags for family as well distinctive wallets.

He has a large folder packed full of designs for leather and though he uses some of them he doesn't always stick with the plan.

"I enjoy tinkering around with them a bit.''

Cliff said first he places the design on the leather and traces it to leave an imprint.

"I use a swivel knife or scalpel to cut along the lines, then with a set of beveller stamps go along the outer lines to create that three-dimensional look. I add my own details along the way."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Last year when a group of American tourists visited Waverley, Cliff and Cindy invited them home.

"They were great and when they saw my leather work they put in some orders and now their family and friends are putting in orders as well."

Cliff smiles when he displays a small bag he made for his granddaughter when she was younger.

Now he has to go to a bigger size.

"She's growing up so fast and I have to keep up.''

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

'Considerable safety risk': Freedom camping banned on Whanganui River Road

03 Oct 05:00 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

Pies flying high: Whanganui business expands operations

03 Oct 04:00 PM
Premium
Lifestyle

Gareth Carter: How to grow tamarillo trees at home

03 Oct 04:00 PM

Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

'Considerable safety risk': Freedom camping banned on Whanganui River Road
Whanganui Chronicle

'Considerable safety risk': Freedom camping banned on Whanganui River Road

An accommodation provider says some campers are leaving trash and human waste behind.

03 Oct 05:00 PM
Pies flying high: Whanganui business expands operations
Whanganui Chronicle

Pies flying high: Whanganui business expands operations

03 Oct 04:00 PM
Premium
Premium
Gareth Carter: How to grow tamarillo trees at home
Lifestyle

Gareth Carter: How to grow tamarillo trees at home

03 Oct 04:00 PM


Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable
Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP