WOOLLY ROADSHOW

The Woolly Roadshow will be touring the country this October to spread the word about British rare-breed yarns

Discover this exciting project

LONDONERS WILL be treated to the unusual and rather wonderful sight of sheep being herded down The Mall on 12 October. Flocks of Southdown and Oxford Down will descend on the capital as part of the Woolly Roadshow, a project aimed at educating people about British wool and our native sheep breeds.

The project is spearheaded by David and Karen Griffiths, who are passionate about rare breeds. The couple, who run a mill in the Derbyshire Dales as well as farming their own rare-breed sheep, set up the Woolly Roadshow in 2017 during British Wool Week. They embarked on a tour of England, Scotland and Wales, organising displays of local sheep breeds and spinning demonstrations along the way. David and Karen visited towns and cities with historic links to the wool trade, including Norwich, Caernarfon and Exeter - they even set up camp in the heart of Glasgow’s shopping district, Buchanan Street.

“It was fantastic seeing people’s reactions to the sheep,” recalls David. “Many of the shoppers and office workers we met told us that they’d never seen a live sheep before! And most people didn’t realise Britain has so many different breeds of sheep.”

The Roadshow includes an exhibition trailer filled with yarns spun by Griffiths Mill from a wide range of breeds, which visitors are encouraged to touch and feel. “Education is at the heart of the Roadshow,” says Karen. “We want more people to appreciate how wonderful British wool is.” David adds: “Wool Week has sometimes been seen as being dominated by merino, much of it produced in the southern hemisphere. We wanted to promote wool produced in this country.”

This year’s Roadshow starts in Edinburgh on 8 October, and culminates in the London event. “We were delighted to get permission for a sheep walk down The Mall this year - it’s all thanks to the support of Prince Charles, who is the patron of the Campaign for Wool,” says David. Backing for the project has also come from the Rare Breeds Survival Trust - of which David and Karen are active members - along with a range of organisations and businesses including the British Wool Marketing Board and the National Sheep Association.

Gorgeous wools

When they’re not organising the Roadshow, David and Karen are busy running Griffiths Mill near Uttoxeter. They spin wool for smallholders requiring small batches of fleece processing, and there’s a high demand for their services. David is responsible for processing the raw fleeces, while Karen operates all the mill equipment. Thanks to her natural talent and sheer hard work, Karen has become an expert at getting the best out of each fleece, producing gorgeous yarns even from breeds often considered to be unsuitable for handknitting. Many of these are available to buy direct from Karen - to find out what’s currently available, you can give the mill a call.

Karen enjoys designing handknits showcasing the beauty of her breedspecific yarns, and has been proudly displaying her creations at the British Wool Fashion Show, which she and David have staged for the past couple of years at the Royal Three Counties Show in Malvern. On the catwalk have been amazing garments made by members of the Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers, and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, using British wool processed in Britain. Karen herself has modelled a stunning evening dress knitted from black Wensleydale wool, while her daughter-in-law showed off a sumptuous wedding dress in Lincoln Longwool lambswool, which was shorn, spun, designed and knitted by Karen.

If you’re likely to be in any of the destinations of the Woolly Roadshow (see details below), or are making a trip to the Three Counties show, why not go and say hello to Karen and David - they’d love to meet you! – Griffiths Mill: 01283 585444 www.griffithsfarming.com – Royal Three Counties Show: www.royalthreecounties.co.uk Woolly Roadshow dates 8 October Grassmarket, Edinburgh 9 October Market Square, Darlington 10 October The Spot, Derby 11 October Friars Walk, Newport, Gwent 12 October Green Park, London