Take 5 with the Team - festival travels 2024

Visiting events each September reminds me why our festival is loved by so many people… who often keep coming back for more (myself included)! Over the 2^nd weekend I dropped into a handful of events and left each one with a grin on my face having experienced the very best of what HODs has to offer. Highlights included touring the Studio B Letterpress Workshop & trying my hand at the traditional print process by creating my very own Heritage Open Days print. The creativity continued at FleeceFest exploring the history of the Morlands factory through sheepskin-inspired craft linking to the artisan skills from the area. Finally, I joined the excellent team at the Royal Artillery Museum Collection Stores as they gave a sneak peek into their unrivalled collection of over 600 years of artillery history with an extraordinary behind the scenes tour, giving an insight into their conservation work to ensure that they can continue to share their stories for years to come. As always it was absolutely fantastic to see first-hand the passion and enthusiasm of local organisers & volunteers across the country.

I kicked my travels off by braving the wet weather in Salisbury for one of this year’s New Wave events – a fabulous workshop organised by ArtCare in collaboration with the wonderful artists of Wavy Line Studio where I designed my own one-of-a-kind t-shirt. In Worcester, I popped into St Swithun’s for possibly the most pink event of the year to ‘make my mark’ and create a lino stamp before uncovering secrets and hidden marks around the church. Over in Bath, I had so much fun at the Roman Baths’ Learning Centre for a second New Wave event with loads of activities on offer including playing a water organ and finding replica objects in a dig pit! It was wonderful, I discovered so many new stories and it was lovely to see events buzzing with energy and enthusiasm. I can’t wait for next year! 

 

My festival travels led me closer to home this year; I got to explore Farnham, a place I visited often growing up, discovering the hidden stories of some of the buildings I walked past and perhaps the most unique and fantastic studio of sculptor, Ian Bishop, in the Chapel of Rest (Wow!) Then, I was able to get closer to my own ‘roots’ and had the opportunity to visit Dean Close school, where both my Dad and Grandfather went. While I am certain the school is much changed now, it really made the stories I heard of my dad growing up seem so much more tangible. Finally, a trip to Oxford to launch the Oxford Preservation Trust’s events combined with the 250-anniversary celebration of the Covered Market, a place I often ventured when visiting my sister. I discover so much from visiting festival events, but the personal elements this year were the cherry on top.

1. 🌊 You can’t see it, but if you stand over certain drain covers in Preston, you can hear the old River Syke running below the streets. (SHOP Preston x New Wave)
2. 🐟 Preston once had 129 fish and chip shops! (Preston City Council – Markets Tour)
3. 🏊‍♂️ ‘The Lairs’ is the local nickname for a once popular set of lidos. (Ipswich Borough Council – Fore Street Pool)
4. 🥕 Wortley means: ‘Clearing in woodland where vegetables are grown’ – names can tell us so many things! (Leeds Civic Society – Time Travel Through Placenames)
5. 🎄 Christmas lunch was held in a crypt during WWII (St Alfege Greenwich)
6. 📷 Some of the oldest photographs ever taken are in Ipswich…
7. 💻 … and it has taken 25 years to digitise the 2,000+ images in their collection! (Ipswich Maritime Trust)
8. 💫 Kevin Bacon can be connected to a local town in 6 steps (Reading Libraries – Six Degrees of Separation)
9. ⚓ The man who designed Nelson’s ship ‘Victory’ is buried in Ipswich (St Clement’s)
10. 🚪 You can find sunflower seeds and pen nibs embedded in the doors of this chapel! (Lancashire County Council – Christ Church)