If you need help to start a hobby or to develop your passion for one, there is often a local specialist group where there's usually somebody who can point you in the right direction. You first point of contact will be a Secretary or membership officer although many simply have an open invite for you to go along to their monthly sessions.
To learn about weaving, spinning or dyeing there is a national network of Guilds to choose from. You'll find members giving you the encouragement and inspiration to achieve your goal. Two such Guilds are the Oxford and the Wiltshire Guilds.
If you live near Oxford you'll find the Oxford Guild meet monthly on the 3rd Saturday of the month, except in August, in the Village Hall, Stanton St John, Oxfordshire where parking is easy and visitors are most welcome. Or check their website first here
The Wiltshire Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers meet at The Textile Studios, 3 St Mary's School Buildings, Steeple Ashton. Wiltshire BA14 6EU The Textile Studios are in the High Street, immediately behind the Community Shop. And their website can be found here
Both Guilds will welcome new members and thoroughly enjoy sharing their love for textile interests – and learning something new.
Posted by: paul in Untagged on
May 2, 2011
Its very satisfying to experience a special moment when out walking, even more so when you've got a camera ready. I was out researching for a Bird Watching holiday we've launched and checking out a route to walk when I spotted a flock of Canada Geese acting strangely. Moving closer, slowly and carefully I noticed this fox up to no good. In my red anorak I wasn't exactly camouflaged like Simon King so I was grateful of the boarding on a viewing platform that Derbyshire Wildlife Trust had recently constructed to capture the fox's antics with my camera on this video you can see here
Fox and Canada Geese from Paul Hunt on Vimeo.
For a Full Screen view = hover over the video and the controls will appear; then click the Full Screen icon.
Posted by: paul in Untagged on
Mar 27, 2011
10 ways to start a new hobby, sport or activity.
Want to start a new hobby, sport or activity but don't know where to start ?
Where do you go to find out about taking up a new pursuit or activity? How and where do you begin a new hobby or sport. Where can you get information from ?
There are many places you can go to find out and there is a huge amount of information available all presented in a variety of ways for you to absorb. Before tackling the mountain of information you might like to consider “how do you like to learn” as this might provide a short cut that takes you straight to places where you will find a method of learning that suits you.
I can think of 10 ways to learn and take up a new hobby. sport or activity :-
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Teach yourself by reading books and magazines
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Attend adult education classes
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Attend a formal education course
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Go on a leisure learning break
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Take an on-line course
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Watch a “How to...” video
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Find a national governing body or umbrella association and follow their recommendations
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Get a friend or somebody from the family to show you
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Study guides from retailers and manufacturers
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Join a club, specialist organisation or an online forum
There are pros and cons to each method of learning. Some people, for example, find that joining a club is a daunting prospect. This is partly because they think that by being a beginner they will hold other people back. It is important to find clubs that are friendly and welcoming for beginners.
For instance we've recently come across two good examples of local groups who will help you if you're interested in weaving, spinning and dyeing. Hallamshire Guild and Kent Guild have the credentials of having a modern outlook with traditional values and a passion for the crafts. They are both affiliated to the Association of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers which is the national umbrella body. If you want to find a Guild near you, visit the Association's website and look through their list.
Which method of learning do you prefer ?
Networking that's fun and free of pressure.
Feel shy about introducing yourself ? Can't find anything to make small talk about ? Uncomfortable making an elevator pitch ? Not rehearsed your USP ? Why pay to meet people ? Ever avoided a “same old “ local network event ?
Come along on a Netwalk. No formalities. No fixed agendas. Freedom to socialise and speak human. Walk and chat about anything. Rotation system gets you mixing. Build friendships and exercise at the same time. Enjoy the outdoors through the seasons and develop business relationships. Free to attend, just treat yourself to a reward at the end of the walk.
So if you're not a big fan of networking events come and try Netwalking.
Netwalking with Skylarks will take place at Cromford on 20 April 2011. Starting at 8.00 am and we'll end up for refreshments at Cromford Mill Cafe.
Details of rendezvous point will be given on confirmation of booking.
Spaces are limited to achieve good balance between walkers, leaders and the environment. Booking is therefore essential using the online booking form on our sister website Skylark Activities.
Posted by: paul in Untagged on
Mar 10, 2011
I'm really pleased to be leading a walk on15 April to help Hopkins Solicitors from Nottingham, in their support for an incredible local charity, Rutland House School for Parents. Rutland House helps parents of children with mobility and communication difficulties.
David Winnett of Hopkins Solicitors has adopted Skylark Activities idea of netwalking for a group of invited guests to a fun netwalk near Burton Joyce. The two hour walk will raise funds for the charity and will not only involve networking but also competitive wildlife spotting !
Its great to be able to contribute to the Charity's Taking Steps Together Appeal which was launched by their patron Des Moor. Learn more about Rutland House here School for Parents
This post at Travel Rants having a dig at Tourist Boards and the debate on the associated post on 501 Places reinforced to me the need for the industry players such as tour operators and activity providers to support the work of the official bodies. The commercial sector has to come up with ideas and products to appeal to tourists from Britain on a “staycation” or visitors from abroad looking to extend their knowledge of the UK beyond London.
One such idea that occurred to me at this time of year is to create walking tours that give you a chance to admire the dramatic changes of colour of trees. Leaf Peeping is done seriously in the USA where they have organised a Foliage Network to keep you updated on the progress as the season changes and they even have webcams set up so that you can watch. Crown of Maine
It got me thinking which are the best places in the UK for Leaf peeping. One hot spot has to be the National Arboretum at Westonbirt . On my patch in Derbyshire it has to be the National Forest. Here you can watch the season advance through the young plantations at Lamont Woods or the ancient woods at Calke and the adjoining Lime Kilns area.
Taking an interest in trees is timely as 2011 is the International Year of Forests. So I'm going to develop a walk themed on Leaf Peeping for Beginners and will keep you posted. In the meantime why don't you tell me where your favourite “neck of the woods “ is to see the colours change ?
Can't wait for the walk and want to go somewhere now ? … see the experts on our Resources page.
One of the great things about walking is making new discoveries especially those that are unusual or strange. Non more so than the Spanish Shrine we came across on Saturday in Derbyshire.
There's nothing about the building that reminds me of Spain; it has to be local building material to keep to the spirit of the National Park.
When you step inside you see the link;
but why is it here ?
The Early Purple Orchids are out.
When walking in Derbyshire in Spring one of the regular questions is whether the Early Purple Orchids have started flowering. Last year we met a couple from London who were making their annual trip to Litton Dale and Cressbrook Dale to see this event in nature's diary.
With a similar curiosity we started our walk at Cressbrook and managed to find the Orchid starting to come out last week.
Whilst many wild orchids in Britain are rare the Early Purple is fairly common. There are varieties of it in Bedfordshire that are pale and in Wales there is even an almost-white version.
Shakespeare mentioned it in Hamlet when Gertrude referred to it as “long purple” in “Of crow-flowers, nettles,daises and long purples, that liberal shepards give a grosser name”. Any guesses what that “grosser name” was ?
Our walk explored Open access land above Litton Mill which offered some new views of the gorge of the River Wye.
A gentle stroll through the picturesque and fun named Water Cum Jolly finished off a pleasing day.
Also heard that other milestone in the nature's calendar, the sound of the cuckoo, on a weekend walk to Willington Nature Reserve.
Are there any events in natures diary that you want to see or hear first hand for yourself ?
Have you ever wondered how wonderful it would be to
make your own fabrics, whether for suitings, skirts or for cushions, for example?
Do you think you need a
huge loom that would fill your dining room? Do you think that all you can weave on a simple loom is
scarves and table runners?
Well you might be
pleasantly surprised! Most of the introductory courses I teach are on simple and affordable looms that not only allow you to weave scarves, but beautiful fabrics that can be used to make clothes.
If you attended one of the courses I run for
Skylark Holiday, for example, such as the
Introduction to Weaving course you would:
- Learn to warp a loom.
- Weave a scarf.
- Learn how to plan a warp for fabric for a chosen project.
- Weave a piece of fabric for a cushion cover or small article of your choice.
- Finish your fabric to that it can be cut and sewn.
- Finish the ends of your scarf without knotting.
Hear I am (on the left) wearing a suit made of hand woven fabric. The swatches for this suit were woven on a simple rigid heddle loom.
Bibi (on the right) is weaving her hand woven scarf. She designed the fabric herself and it was woven on a rigid heddle loom. It could be cut and sewn to make a skirt, for example.
So you see, it's not so difficult!
Posted by: alison in workshops, spinning, dyeing on
Mar 25, 2010
I've just got back from the Netherlands where I had been invited to tutor a couple of two day workshops along with a my colleagues, Jane Deane and Amanda Hannaford.
The spinning and dyeing workshops were organised in The Hague by De Spinners and in Zeeland by Textielwerk Wol en Zo. They were so well received that we've been invited back in 2011 for a series of 3 day workshops at both venues and are being advertised at a Textile Festival. 
