Skylark Holidays

Alison Daykin

Alison is an award winning designer weaver who has been weaving, spinning and dyeing for over 30 years. She has taught spinning, weaving, dyeing and felt making since 1983. An HNC from Bradford College gives Alison an added edge when it comes to creating courses. Alison is the co-author of a stunning new book, "Creative Spinning", published by Gaia. www.alisonyuletextiles.co.uk

Paul Hunt

Paul had Senior Management roles in large corporate organisations and had 25 years experience as a Chartered Surveyor before deciding to follow his passion for the outdoors.
He is an experienced walker and enjoys travelling to unfamiliar destinations to experience new environments and cultures.

He is currently innovating walks themed around food and wellbeing and delivering walks combined with networking for the business sector.

Chris Gilbert for Landscape and Wildlife Photography and Photo Safaris

Chris lives and works in the Peak District. He has been walking its hills and photographing its vistas for nearly 20 years and has built up an impressive knowledge of the landscape and portfolio of images. He turned semi-pro in 2006 and now delivers courses on landscape photography, focussing specifically on the Peak District, as well as exhibit his work regularly and selling his images through a number of Peak District outlets. He also co-wrote an award-winning book.

Laura Donaldson is a professional artist living in Melbourne, Derbyshire. She studied fine art at Edinburgh, graduating in 1998.

Laura has worked on private commissions of all types, from painting themed series for company calenders through to board room pieces and family portraits. She also produces work for exhibitions and regularly has her work displayed at galleries.

Whilst Laura predominantly works with acrylic & oil pastels, she is an accomplished artist using watercolours, pencil, and oils - in fact, no medium is shunned in search of an aesthetic outcome - including gold!

Laura has delivered art courses and studios to all levels of ability as well as returning to Repton School’s Art Department as a teaching assistant.

Laura’s interests outside of art include cookery, walking, gardening, reading, music, socialising and some more reading!

Peter Gibbon who has lived in Derbyshire for 40 years and built his knowledge of birds in the county for all that time. Peter is the current Chairman of Carsington Bird Club and has been doing a survey of its birds for 17 years for the British Trust for Ornithology. He is also a member of Derbyshire Ornithological Society and also been involved in Breeding Birds survey work and the recent monumental Bird Atlas of the British Isles.

He has led bird watching holidays as far away as Northumberland, Norfolk and Aviemore.

On the other side of the coin Peter has been on bird watching holidays to the Fair Isle, Arctic Finland and Norway, Poland and Lesbos (Greece). These have given him excellent experience and insight into the needs of birdwatchers on a holiday.

Mark Fenton

Mark leads the walking and outdoor activities such as abseiling and has a passion for coaxing and encouraging people to have-a-go and to enjoy themselves. He is an experienced group leader, capable of recognising an individuals capabilities and respecting personal choices.

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Mark Whitehouse

Mark was born and grew up in the West Midlands and studied Astromony for his University degree. He has been a passionate photographer for over 17 years and finally had the opportunity to turn professional in 2003.

His detailed knowledge of Astronomy is compliented by his special interest of Astro Photography.

He has had his work displayed in several exhibitions and was the treasurer for a popular and critically successful local photography group in the Midlands.