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craftspeople & renovation Peakdistrictfarming is pleased to hear that regional mp tom Levitt has asked culture minister andy burnham to recognise england’s dying craft skills as being as worthy of preservation as famous castles and paintings. This move was prompted by a meeting with hope valley wood turner robin wood, the mp has written to the minister to call for an international convention on craft skills to be ratified and for more apprenticeships and other training to be made available in this field. “Many of these skills are dying out,” says the mp. “In areas like High Peak they are truly part of the cultural fabric of rural communities in particular, and it is right that they should be preserved.” Mr wood showed tom examples of a garden riddle made by the last one-man business in that craft in the country and a pair of hand made scissors from a small Sheffield firm. Traditional crafts focus - making lime simple An introduction to limecraft at Haddon Estate was delivered by a committed advocate of traditional techniques who inspired plenty of confidence to have a go (peakdistrictfarming.co.uk writes) I've always loved lime since childhood. In our old shippon the layers of lime on the walls and the faded hand written cow names on the old timbers seemed magical. Renovating an old cottage years ago there were lumps of horsehair under the layers of dolly-blue dyed lime and it was like peeling away the house's history. So, recently, with a mind to recreate a traditional look for a small renovation project it seemed like a great excuse to go on a days taster course to find out more about a traditional skill. It was a leisurely day with an introductory presentation by Andy lawson, a great expert who shared his wealth of experince and personal involvement in limecraft as an academic and hands on practical craftsman. He was awarded a William Morris Craft Fellowship after graduating and has been involved in a number of prestigious restoration projects working for English Heritage and the National Trust. It was clear that Andy has always been committed to limecraft which is now becoming more widely accepted as people want to revert to traditional methods. Understanding the variety of products on the market and the best type to use for each circumstance was a great starting point - it also gave you a idea of what the commercial cost should be and an ability to compare products and understand technicalities. So who goes on a course like this? It was a small group, only 4 in total - a skilled plasterer and three people carrying out renovation on their peak properties. Those renovating their properties were a bit overwhelmed about their projects and Andy's enthusiasm for his craft had rubbed off by lunchtime. It was good to see another woman on the course and better still to be able to say I've met a 'conceptual artist'. After the theory it was time for the practical stuff. In true Blue Peter style, we took time to check out the lime kiln he'd created months earlier and the slaked lime pit. Then onto working with the bought-in lime products for a demonstration on how to lime mortar and render. With some time to try for yourself the day was over and we left armed with useful technical information, practical introduction and, more importantly, great confidence to give it a try. Since the course one wall has been repointed so far with a tool the size of an artists palate knife & it's great to see the results of day put into practice which should last more than a lifetime. Contact College of the Peak for course details. To find out about advertising with peakdistrictfarming please email carol@peakdistrictfarming.co.uk. |
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