The Next Round: Sue found confidence through woodwork

When Sue put down the bottle for good, she picked up something else entirely – scraps of Scottish oak, old skateboards, and a newfound passion for woodwork.

What followed wasn’t just a hobby or a distraction. It was the beginning of a new life. Sue encourages you to find  your own spark in the things you once set aside.

Welcome to The Next Round, where we discover that the fleeting interests from our drinking days might actually hold the key to lasting joy in sobriety.

For Sue Patten, woodwork became more than a craft. It became a way to rebuild, both inside and out. Her latest stint in rehab wasn’t her first attempt at an alcohol-free life, but this time, everything clicked. Art, creativity, and real friendships gave her the strength to not just stay sober – but to thrive – so much so she stepped well outside her comfort zone to share her story with us on this podcast.

“You get this rough piece of wood and it turns into this smooth, shiny piece of wood, and I love it. I just love it.”

After decades where drinking had become her identity, her routine, her reward, her confidence boost. Sue rediscovered her creativity in sobriety. And she didn’t just dabble. She built a new life.

Her workshop near Warrington, Cheshire, became her sanctuary.

“I go in there and I just lose track of time”

What started with a ring and a skateboard became a series of bottle openers, chopping boards, and vases – each piece a quiet celebration of focus, beauty, and self-belief.

“I wasn’t going to make bottle openers, because I don’t drink. But I liked seeing what I could create.”

It wasn’t always this way. Sobriety in her 20s, Sue admits, was an angry, isolating thing. She didn’t go out. She didn’t engage. But now, in her 50s, things feel entirely different.

“I’m a happy sober person now, partly because of the woodwork, partly because I can socialise again – confidently.”

Confidence is a recurring theme in Sue’s story. It wasn’t something she started with.

“I’ve only just gained confidence in my mid-50s now… I never had the confidence to say, ‘That’s quite good, that.’”

But recovery gave her the tools. Literally.

“If I’m a bit anxious, I can go into the workshop at whatever time. I release what I’m thinking.”

Recovery, for Sue, wasn’t just abstaining from alcohol. It was connection, creativity, and rebuilding. She found her turning point at Delamere, a rehab centre that encouraged therapy through art, horses, and most importantly – people.

“The staff said, connection is everything. And I didn’t believe it. But now I do.”

Aftercare became another anchor. Most Sundays, she returns – not because she has to, but because it keeps her grounded and inspired.

“Not everyone makes it, but they can see that you can get through it. That’s important.”

You can find Sue’s work here. 

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