Editor's letter: Nigel Housden | The Ivory Bill | Letters to Editor | Currently Reading | Makers' Day Report: Peter Sheppard Skaarved | BVMA course coordinator, Tim Baker, fills us in on the latest short course to be launched by the BVMA for bow rehairing and repair |What's in a Name?: John Basford reflects on where the Dolphin Stradivari's name originated

• Bill Watson Obituary: John Milnes remembers the life of Bill Watson.

• The Violin Makers of London Bridge: Benjamin Hebbert dives into the history of London Bridge violin makers, followed by high resolution image archive.

Roller Skates and Mechanical Swans: Benjamin Hebbert examines the inventive genius of John Joseph Merlin and his Cremona Emulus | New Violin in Honour of World War I Poets: Steve Burnett introduces his new violin tribute to Siegfried Sassoon marking the centenary meeting of the Craiglockhart poets | BVMA Violin Restoration Course: Rose Handy reports on her experience of the course at West Dean in April | Newark School of Violin Making: Colin Garrett and Ruth Robertson report on the threat to international students | Obituary : Martin Bouette: John Topham pays tribute to a great maker

Anne Inglis interviews maker and outgoing Newsletter editor Shem Mackey | The Inside Story of Gut Strings: Daniel Larson describes the total process of making gut strings | The Mother of All Buttons: Bow maker Peter Oxley analyses his recent reconstruction of a gold-mounted button for a bow by F.X. Tourte | Capital Choices: Terry Pamplin gives a guided tour around London Guildhall University, and Robin Hamilton and Paul Jefferies tell of their experiences there | Letter from Abroad: Roger Hargrave is the first maker writing in a new series | Management Committee Report | Readers' Forum | On viols, using hand tools, and gum mastic

How did they do that? John Dilworth talks about Brescian makers | Cleaning Brushes: Renate Fink gives useful advice | BVMA Maker's Day '97: Shem Mackey | Book Reviews: Two reference books are examined | Exhibition Update: John Milnes reports on progress | Benslow Trust Exhibitions: Christoph Gotting explains the plan | The Welsh School of Violin Making: Miranda Green and John Wilkinson talk about the school | Dartington Violin Conference: Shem Mackey gives a report

Vogtfander Violin Makers: Tansin Deitenbeck | Newark Violin School 25 years old: Three views of New| String Technology Lecture: Michael Hill on Pickering lecture | Book Review: Alan Seago reviews 'The Violin Explained' | More on Wolf Notes: Heale, Beament and Johnson on the 'wolf’ | Letters | Heat treating Tool Steel | Pest Treatment

Judith Blackwell interviews Florian Leonhard | Budapest Violin Competition: Tibor Szemmelweisz | Old English Chisels and Gouges: Robin Aitchison seeks a keen edge | Steamed Seams: Put the kettle on say's Glyn C. Jones | Christoph Landon Exhibition: Michael Hill on American 'Makers Day' | Titaniun Alloy Violins: Nicolas Herbert's different approach | Wolf Notes: Marc Soubeyran suggests some remedies

Letters: Ozone, Tight set-ups, Madder Paste and more