January Events
South WESt England
The Cotswolds Decorative, Antiques & Art Fair
Westonbirt School, Tetbury, Gloucestershire 3-5 January
The Orangery, Great Hall and adjoining rooms will be filled with colourful temptations, ranging from Victorian to Mid-Century Modern pieces, which will be on offer to visitors. More than 45 exhibitors are taking part. www.cooperevents.com
Intermediate Acrylic Painting
Kingshill House, Dursley, Gloucestershire 7, 14, 21 & 28 January
Diana Aungier-Rose will be teaching the foundations of working with acrylic paints. Participants will learn how to use palette knife techniques, brush-handling and textures to create their own still life, landscape and seascape paintings, using different colour palettes. www.kingshillhouse.org.uk
St Buryan Farmers’ & Craft Market
St Buryan Village Hall, Penzance, Cornwall 11 & 25 January
A wide range of delicious local produce, handmade crafts and jewellery, home-grown flowers and plants are on offer. Visitors can enjoy tea or coffee while browsing the stalls, and a variety of reading material will also be available from the book stall. www.lovepenzance.co.uk
South EaSt England
Artisan Bread Course
Willow Bakery School, Shepperton, Surrey 25 January
Learn how to make traditional bread, using only the best ingredients, without any additives or preservatives. Participants will be taught sourdough techniques and how to bake farmhouse white tin, multi-seed and heritage grain loaves. Light refreshments will be provided as well as sourdough to take home. www.eventbrite.co.uk
Cliftonville Farmers’ Market
Oval Lawns, Cliftonville, Kent 26 January
Established in 2001 by the Cliftonville Residents Association and run entirely by volunteers, this award-winning market is located on the clifftop, which offers wonderful sea views. Visitors will discover a wide range of speciality pies, seasonal fruit and vegetables, cheese, handmade bread, wild game and fish on offer, which have all been sourced locally. www.visitthanet.co.uk
Photo-lithography Day Course
Surrey Art School, Dorking, Surrey 26 January
A guide through the process of transforming photographs and photocopies into works of art. Tutor Paul Wye will demonstrate how to use gum arabic, how to ink up and pull prints and how to use layering and toning. All materials and light refreshments are included. www.surreyartschool.com
Scotland
Bird Box and Feeder Workshop
Monikie Country Park, Dundee, Angus 12 January
This workshop will guide participants through the process of building a bird feeder from sustainable wood, which will provide much-needed food for garden birds throughout the winter months. Additional feeders will also be available to buy. www.visitangus.com
Birdwatching from the Battlements
Blackness Castle, Linlithgow, West Lothian 12 January
Visit this 15th century fortress on the south shore of the Firth of Forth and join the rangers on the battlements. These provide the ideal lookout for those who wish to learn about the wildlife living in the surrounding environment. www.historicenvironment.scot
Beginners’ Basket Making
Balallan House, stirling, stirlingshire 25 January ideal for beginners, this course, led by sculptor Geoff Forrest, will teach participants how to use a variety of weaving techniques to create a traditional round willow basket. all tools and materials will be provided as well as hot drinks. www.eventbrite.co.uk
Wales
Hen Galan the Dyffryn arms, Fishguard, Pembrokeshire 13 January celebrate the Welsh tradition of Hen Galan, which was new year’s Day according to the Julian calendar. revellers can gather together and share a tipple at the inn, which has been in the same family since 1840, and take part in Mari llwyd, where the effigy of a horse’s head is paraded around on a pole, decorated with ribbons and greenery by singers to bring good luck and fortune on the houses it visits. www.visitpembrokeshire.com Make a Felt Bowl with Carolyn Young narberth Museum, Pembrokeshire 25 January create a small felt bowl, based on traditional wooden bowls that were used in rural households. carolyn will teach traditional feltmaking techniques, using natural fibres, and will invite students to consider how Welsh women in the past would have lived. www.narberthmuseum.co.uk Needle-Felt Cats & Dogs
Denmark Farm conservation centre, Betws Bledrws, ceredigion 26 January suitable for all skill levels, crafters will be shown how to fuse fleece fibres and sculpt wool, using the core wool method and barbed needles, to create a miniature cat or dog. all tools and materials are provided. www.denmarkfarm.org.uk
NortherN IrelaNd
New Year’s Day Historic Ards Walk town Hall, newtownards, county Down 1 January covering the medieval, plantation and georgian periods, this tour will take walkers on a journey to discover the history of one of the oldest settlements in northern ireland and share the stories of John de courcy and oliver cromwell. www.discovernorthernireland.com
Monthly Birdwatching
Mount stewart, county Down 4 January
Join resident bird enthusiast Gemma sandford on a birdwatching tour around the gardens and wider demesne of this neo-classical house and discover the wide range of birds to be found here throughout the year. the event is suitable for everyone, from beginners to experienced birders. www.nationaltrust.org.uk Drawing Class ulster Museum, Belfast 25 January local artist Keith ayton provides the ideal opportunity for beginners and experts alike to explore and recreate drawing styles, learn new techniques and enhance their skills during this 2-hour session. Keith will cover a variety of themes, based on the museum’s collections and temporary exhibitions. www.nmni.com LandScape makes every effort to ensure all details are correct but recommends details are confirmed before travelling.