The Passing Of An Old Friend
I hate this feeling – this feeling – this same old feeling – of hurt I am going to feel – of the scar to top all scars of feelings of hurt and damage.
Hay Fashion Show
The Great English Outdoors was asked to provide models and clothes for a charity Fashion Show held at the Swan Hotel in Hay on Wye. The Fashion Show was held to raise money for the renovation of Hay on Wye’s famous old cheese market. read more…
The Burren Revisited
Festival of Colour Report
Over 1000 people flocked to Penpont House to visit the Festival of Colour last weekend, and even the weather turned up in style to. This new Festival was conceived by Gavin Hogg of Penpont and Athene English of The Great EnglishOutdoors. read more…
A Festival Of Colour Reviewed
A Festival of Colour took place for the first time at Penpont House, near Brecon over the weekend of 22nd and 23rd October 2011, it was conceived and co-organised by Athene English of The Great English Outdoors and Gavin and Davina Hogg of Penpont House and proved an enormous success with over 1000 visitors to the event – even the sun shone all weekend read more…
New Press in Living Etc November 2011
Take a look at the November issue of Living Etc. Our beautiful Antique Welsh Tapestries are featured. They look amazing – it is a great photo shoot
A Festival of Colour
I am working flat out to put together our first Textile and Garden event. This Festival will combine the glories of garden autumnal beauty and textile colour. It is going to be held at Penpont House, a privately owned 17th Century country house situated on the River Usk, with stunning gardens and grounds near Brecon, www.penpont.com. This is a joint venture between Penpont and my shop, The Great English Outdoors
The Great English Outdoors is a shop based in Hay on Wye with a website, www.greatenglish.co.uk, specialising in World textiles, in particular old and new Welsh Blankets.
At, The Festival of Colour, there will be a variety of specialist textile stands located within The Old Stables, trading and exhibiting all kinds of fabrics, cloth and clothing from around the World, along with jewellery, books and plants. We have worked really hard to make this event child friendly with lots of events and workshops for children which will be free of charge.
We have organized a programme of workshops, demonstrations, lectures and films throughout the weekend. Amongst those exhibiting, speaking and demonstrating will be:
JOHN GILLOW: renowned author and textile expert will be talking on world textiles. John has spent the last 35 years roaming across Asia and Africa collecting stunning examples of embroidery and weaving. ELIZABETH GIBBONS: lecturer at The Royal School of Needlework, sources antique textiles from around the globe, including hangings, rugs and unusual small pieces for example English and European lace embroideries. INGRID WAGNER: contemporary textile designer will be showcasing Big Knitting on her colourful stand. She holds the world record for knitting with the largest Needles ever, up to 1.2m long. Don’t miss it. Ingrid will be giving a visual and entertaining talk on Moroccan woven textiles, life, love, and couscous, as well as creative workshops. ROS PRICE JONES: will be exhibiting her stunning jewellery designs using semi-precious stones, Czech and Murano glass, and sterling silver. ATHENE ENGLISH: the Blanket Lady and owner of The Great English Outdoors will be unravelling the history of Welsh Blankets. PATRICIA DIGBY: head tutor of the Art department at Ruskin Mill, Stroud, will be hosting a wood block printing workshop/demonstration.
THE GARDENS contain many fine trees which will be in full autumn glory. Visitors are invited to walk through the grounds, discover the maze, topiary hedges and the walled kitchen gardens. Flag installations by Shona Watts will be specially erected for the Festival. Shona has exhibited around the world and at many of the major music festivals in the UK.
ART EXHIBITION: New works from the Penpont Artists. Featuring Robert Macdonald, Tessa Waite and Morag Colquhoun. This exhibition forms part of the Powys Arts Forum Month.
REFRESHMENTS (Most Importantly!): Homemade lunches and teas will be served all day from The Stable kitchens cooked with organic produce grown in Penpont’s Victorian walled gardens. The farm shop will be selling organic fruit, vegetables and plants from the Estate.
ADMISSION: £4.00 per adult, Children FREE.
Put This On….
We love this US blog. A Web Series about Dressing Like a Grown UP – and it loves us! This time they have featured our 200 year old Russian Reindeer Key Ring. Take a look:
http://putthison.com/post/
The Big Skill 2011
It was a lovely weekend….. again, so generously helped by the clement weather, which when it decided we had all had too much of a good thing, gave us an end of the day finale to remember!
This year went much better, and the event attracted many more people, though more could easily be accommodated. It really is worth coming too, especially if you have kids that want to get”interactive”. There was so much Skill on offer, and so many craftspeople willing to share their knowledge, patience and time.
On my stand, once again, called Wool Works: The Great English Unwashed….. I had brisk business all the time selling all my second hand knits. read more…
Green Man Festival 2011
The Great English Outdoors proudly presented their now well known Stall under the name of: WOOL WORKS
The sandwich board outside the stand read: Wool Works – with the Great English Unwashed
A Kaleidoscopic Cornucopia concoction of Wool Wear
Which is exactly what it was…… a wonderful selection of old wool clothing for sale.
Along side this The Crickhowell Guild of Spinners Weavers and Dyers gave a demonstration of spinning and knitting.
It was amazing how these stoic three ladies from the Guild, made their way onto the site, through endless security, they glided through the crowds and unloaded their zoo of spinning wheels and weaving materials. Then, undaunted they set up shop with The Great English Outdoors in Einstein’s Fields
Anyway it was all a great success and even Charlotte Church called by again to see us and drove a very tough bargain for some of my finest knitwear. Definitely in this season – Aran Sweaters.
