Day 17: Arts Heritage Centre & change of plan

Over the last couple of days I have been fluctuating between (1) relaxing into a week at the Mitre Hotel Hampton Court while waiting for my 2 day course at the RSN and (2) changing my flight home. This morning I had another serious look at altering my flight. My finger paused over the button for the best part of a minute - then I pressed it. As a result I am booked to leave Heathrow  next Wednesday at 11.55 am and arrive in Adelaide at 7.15 pm Thursday.  This means I have cancelled my 2 day course at the RSN. 

My concern is not so much contracting the virus but finding myself locked out of Australia if the government extends its European travel ban to the UK. It’s a bit of a long shot at the moment but as things are changing rapidly I’d like to be home sooner rather than later. I don't think I can relax at the Mitre while wondering if my flight will take off.

Next Wednesday’s flight is on the same schedule on which I was originally booked - even the same seats! While I could have had flights sooner, l had to alter either my route or connection. It will cost me - but less than the cost of staying.

At times like this I just want to be at home.

It took me a while to organise this and subsequent hotel and class changes so I did not get to breakfast until 9.40 am , forgetting that on weekdays breakfast finishes at 9.30. Staff cleaning tables as the stragglers finished told me firmly that breakfast was finished. I didn’t argue so took myself off to my stitching corner. Soon my favourite staffer, Lilliana, arrived to check my stitching. When she discovered I had missed breakfast she asked if I’d like coffee - and croissants. Soon she had rustled up a more than adequate breakfast . Yar boo sucks to grumpy wait staff!

When I had eaten and cleaned my hands, I set to work on the plaited braid pea.


I am pleased with this. This is definitely a stitch that improves with repetition. I'm getting there.

My plan was to visit the Heritage Arts Centre, which did not open until 1.30 pm.  I walked down to the river.


There was not a lot happening. The magnolia tree is magnificent.










It was still only 1pm, so I called into the Cancer Council Op Shop. In addition to used items they sell a range of sewing kits and packaged accessories.




I liked this pack of zippers - which gave me an idea.


By now the Heritage Arts Centre was about to open.  The Entrance is marked by yarn bombing.

On the pamphlet that led me here, the centre is simple billed as "Heritage Arts Centre". Its website has it as 'Slaughter House Heritage Arts Centre'. 





The building was apparently a 15th century mill, a 16th/17th pub (The Crown) an 18th century rope walk and a 19th century butchery.

The last is the explanation for the name, and for the equipment displayed in the main room.



There are displays of heritage items - most of which I have used at one time or another in my life!



A charity, Escape Arts, manages the site, running a lego club for kids and engaging in community projects, such as the re- upholstering of this chair,  which had been the favourite of Arthur Weatherhead,  an electrician at the RST.


The group clearly does a good job of engaging the community in both the past and present day art enterprises.








This section of Stratford is picturesque and well-maintained. Some signs, like the one on the bank, seem redundant.




Back at the hotel I had what has become my regular lunch. The soup is very good. So are the scones.








By 5.30 pm I had finished the blackwork piece - or more accurately, the plaited braid stitch piece. It is far from perfect but I am pleased with it. I got the hang of it and can do the stitch without looking at the instructions. The trick is in the tension and spacing. It is much harder in gold passing thread than in perle, but  I did get into the rhythm.

When it was finished I tried out my zip idea. I think it will work. This will be my pouch for goldwork tools








and this will be the pouch for keeping silk threads. Reckon it will work.


With that sorted, I rang my friend Christine Thatcher and sorted out the problems of the world for the best part of an hour. She approves my decision to return home early. Although we won't be able to meet this visit we will talk again in a couple of days time. These friendships are why I keep coming.

Last day in Stratford tomorrow.

Day 10: Stitching, stitching.

There were very few takers for breakfast at 7.30 this morning. Most people drifted in after 8.00, perhaps worn out by our night at the theatre.

It was a bright sunny day in Stratford-on-Avon. It looked great from inside the hotel. Outside, though sunny, it was cold.

This didn't much matter, because we were stitching inside all day today - the best of both worlds, cosy and warm, looking out on sunshine.

Our group made good progress on the Blackwork in the morning, working a range of stitches and beginning the outlines.

After our coffee break we began the first of the gold work.

Like Nicola's project, Kate Barlow's is really well designed for the teaching time. There is a variety of stitches and techniques, all on an achievable scale so a stitcher has a continuing sense of achievement. The project grows quickly. I realise some like projects that are larger and require a lot of ongoing work after a class, but I very much want to get close to seeing the finished thing. This one is really doing it for me.

I have been meaning for days to go out and photograph the lamppost opposite the hotel. Melody told me about it on the day we arrived. I could see it from the dining room but did not realise for several days that it was the one Melody was looking for. Today I finally walked across the road with Melody and Genevieve to have a closer look.

There are three bronze figures - the owl from the Owl and the Pussycat, the Fiddler on the Roof and Bottom from A Midsummer Night's Dream.


The sun was not in the best position for photographing it, so I might try for some better shots early in the morning.

The lamppost was a gift to Stratford from the Israeli Government. The owl oversees the scene from the top.




























NickBottom sits on one side, playing what appears to be a lute and singing, seemingly unaware he has the head of a donkey.


On the other side of the lamp is a Jewish fiddler - fiddling on the roof .






Stratford has many lampposts donated by various organisations and countries. None I have seen are as elaborate as this, but I will perhaps go looking for others next week.



In the afternoon we did the needle lace strawberry. I was pretty pleased with mine The first row should have been tighter, but other than that it came out well.







This is where I was at the end of the day.

I was feeling very tired again this evening, a combination of the theatre, a later night than usual last night and a full, concentrated day of stitching.

Before dinner Prof Richard McGregor interviewed our five tutors (Jenny Adin-Christie is on her way to Australia/NZ) about their entry into embroidery and their lives as professional embroiderers. Richard is very good at this and there was much lively discussion and interaction. Most had begun their post-school lives in an area other than embroidery and found their way there through an encounter or idea. The Royal School of Needlework had played a significant role in  the lives of three of them.

For all of them, the hardest thing related to the stress of having to turn time into money. What they can be paid for does not cover the hours of preparation and conceptualisation that goes into a product.

It was a most stimulating session and the conversations it provoked went on for hours through and after dinner. A fabulous day - great stitching and stimulating conversations with like-minded people.
Deo Gratias.

Day 9: Blackwork and King John

Today's post is a bit short. This is because it is the first day of our second project, and my concentration was on my stitching until we finished at 4.15pm. Our evening meal was at 5pm so we could be at the Theatre for King John at 7.30.  This left little time for blogging.

Our room for this project is not as pleasant as Nicola's room but we have excellent lamps and plenty of room to move. It is a small, pleasant group and Kate Barlow is an attentive and well organised teacher.



The kit is lovely and the instruction booklet very clear, supplemented by a large, clear and detailed diagram.

We began on the Blackwork. The linen is 32 count which I don't usually work, but it was lovely to work with and fine with magnification and light.

There is much hilarity about the Australian toilet paper crisis. During this afternoon's session I received an email from the CEO of Woolworths explaining how hard Woolworths and their suppliers are working to replenish supplies of toilet paper. It seems it's a boom for a couple of rural towns, with the Kleenex factory in Millicent working 24 hours a day 7 days a week to meet demand. My fellow retreaters are offering to fill my suitcase with toilet paper to help out.

The world really seems to be off-kilter.

We had pre-theatre dinner at 5pm, I only 4 hours after our very substantial lunch - so we can be at the Theatre just after 7pm.  It's a 2 minute walk from our hotel. There was a lot of atmosphere and anticipation in the foyer.

We had very good seats. It was fairly full - though not a sellout house.

I thought it was an excellent production, directed by Eleanor Rhode, with King John played by Rosie Sheehy.

There is a food fight in the first half which takes most of interval time clean up.

I was not familiar with the play, but neither Shakespeare nor the production disappointed. I liked the modern costumes and sets carrying the words of Shakespeare, The stylisation of costume and use of dance movement carried the message of power, corruption and self-interest as universal. It left me, at least, feeling strengthened even in the face of such evil - a far cry from the impact of reading news reports every day and emails explaining shortages.

I'm very glad I went and grateful to Phillipa for thinking to organise it.

Our world seems less awry - or no more so than other times- after the play.