As you may have seen in the recent newsletter, through the summer months when we are quieter at the guild meetings, many of our members take on public craft displays and sales of work. On the 18th May five of our members did just that. Jenny Lang has written us an account of their day out.
Jenny wrote:
On Saturday 18th May 5 of us- Jenny, Jacquie, Sarah, Ros, and Les from Sarum Spinners, took part in a Rural Crafts Day at Harnham Water Meadows in Salisbury.
There were bodgers, basket makers and bee keepers, thatchers, hurdle makers and herbalists, lace makers and of course spinners weavers and dyers. We had a display showing all three crafts and demonstrated spinning all day. There were talks and tours of the water meadows, and they were shearing the Romney sheep which graze the meadows. A few unsuspecting spinners taken unawares succumbed to temptation and in the afternoon could be seen spinning the fleece that had still been on the sheep in the morning, still wet with yesterday’s rain! The weather was kind and the event was a great success; it was only a small event, literally in a garden, but over 500 people attended, and it was a high quality turnout with a genuine interest in, and appreciation of, our crafts. Several children had a go at the peg loom and one father promised to make his daughter one when they got home! They also bought a fleece, so hopefully we have passed on our enthusiasm to the next generation. This was the first time this event had taken place, so who knows maybe next year?