Category: Urchfont Manor

Important news about Urchfont Manor

Some of you may already know that Wiltshire Council have decided to close Urchfont Manor and sell it in the very near future.  This will mean no more wonderful courses, no more use of the wonderful grounds, and no more of that wonderful and delicious food.  They have decided this with no public consultation, and if someone hadn’t got ‘wind’ of it and begun a fight, probably without anyone knowing.  There is more information here, which just happens to be the Liberal Democrats Wiltshire Council website.  From what I have been told there has been the inevitable manipulation of figures, and, as in most cases like this, everything is being kept secret.  It is possible that it is already a ‘done deal’, but in the hope that something can be salvaged an online petition has been set up.

Anyone can sign the petition.  Urchfont was the very first  Residential College for Adult Education in the country.  It has been attended by students from all over the country, and also from all over the world.  This year alone I know that students have come from as far away as New Zealand and the USA.  The petition states:

‘We the undersigned petition the council to Retain Urchfont Manor as an adult education facility, or support any bid by a purchaser for the property that intends to maintain it as a residential adult education centre.

There has been very little public consultation on the proposal to sell Urchfont Manor, please lend your support.’

You can help by registering your interest and signing here.  This might be more important than you think because local business men have already expressed an interest in buying the property and continuing Adult Learning at the site.  This would be very good news, and your signature could help persuade the council that this is a good idea.

I couldn’t resist!

There’s quite a lot I want to tell you about, but I’m waiting for some information before I pass it on.  In the meantime, I couldn’t resist showing you these dye pots.

I’m teaching a multi-day workshop called Let’s Play with Dyes.  It’s slightly different, and looks at a variety of methods, including a very easy, but fun, introduction to natural dyeing.  It’s in a short while, so I’m preparing some samples.

Those of you that have done a course with me before might think you know what I’ve done here…….

……. but it’s something quite different!

The next course is for a private group, but I’m teaching it at Urchfont Manor in July  if you are interested in joining in there I suggest you book asap.  (If you look at the photographs there don’t panic, they are not from this Let’s Play with Dyes but Urchfont’s photographs of a previous course)

These samples are not the main focus of the weekend.  I’ll show you the results and some of the others at another time.

As soon as I have that information I mentioned at the beginning of this post I’ll be back to pass it on.  Please watch out for it.

Quick catch up

How are you getting on with your drawing?  I’ll be back with the next stage soon, but I have something else to share with you today.

The new Urchfont Manor Brochure is out!  If you already receive it you’ll be getting one in the next short while, but if you haven’t discovered this gem of teaching I suggest you ask for one asap.  Either phone 01380 840495 or send an email via their website.

Within the pages you will find three courses that I am teaching.  One on the embellisher, another ‘Let’s Investigate’ and a new dyeing course.  Get your name down early if you want to attend, they do get booked up, and now you have advance notice.  Please note that the number of embellisher loan machines is limited, you really do need to book early if you would like to use one of these.

Advance notice too, that I’ll be back on TV with the Embellisher next month.  Probably on 16th November, but I’ll confirm those details once they are definite.