I have had a long term fascination with all kinds of craft work but these had to remain hobbies for many years. Having finally escaped my career in science, academia and IT, I am now able to indulge my passion for making things, but my real love is for working with natural materials and the minimum of tools to create environmentally friendly products that are both beautiful and functional. Woven through this is a passion for the heritage and history of these crafts and their social and cultural meanings. as well as deep appreciation for all the craftspeople who keep these skills alive. I also love sharing this passion with both children and adults, whilst making my own contribution to keeping the skills and traditions alive.
Over the last couple of years I have been working with the Ufton Court Educational Trust to introduce natural craft activities, including making wattle mini-hurdles and roundhouses. I have also worked with other schools and charity projects on similar willow activities.
In 2013, I completed a MA in coaching looking at the benefits that physical activity, including craft work, can make to the conventional conversational approaches to learning and development, part of an ongoing fascination with active learning and physical intelligence.
In my spare time, I also teach the Japanese martial art of Aikido, which I sometimes describe as weaving people!