9 minute read
Learn Something New
WHERE COULD PHOTOGRAPHY TAKE YOU IN 2022?
FIONA TURNBULL, co-owner and tutor at Lacock Photography, discusses her lifelong passion for photography and the spectacular places it can take you.
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I have been in love with photography since my early teenage years growing up in Glasgow. I quite clearly remember my first camera, a Kodak Instamatic, purchased with my Saturday job savings, and how much fun I had documenting my school friends on our drizzly walking holidays in the Scottish countryside. Technology has certainly changed since the 1970s, as you can see from my telescopesized lens, but my enthusiasm for photography never has. On my most recent and perhaps most daring photography expedition yet, my ‘photography buddies’ (as we call each other) and I journeyed 10 hours to the Isle of Mull by car and ferry, in pursuit of otters in their natural habitat. Arriving on the mountainous island of the Inner Hebrides, located off the west coast of Scotland, we were astounded by the sheer abundance of wildlife - along the road we casually encountered red deer, herons, golden eagles and highland cows and felt privileged to witness a thriving wild place, dominated by nature.
Led by our truly expert guide, Andy Howard, who can be aptly described as the Sherlock Holmes of the otter world, we caught sight of the first just 15 minutes after setting up camp. Camouflaging ourselves amid seaweed and rocks, with Andy even tracking the wind’s direction to prevent the otters picking up our scent, we witnessed their day to day lives at the loch. As we watched these curious creatures dive, fish, snack on crabs, play, nap and fight for a week, 6 hours a day in the wet and cold, I reflected thankfully on how my interest in photography has shaped my life and propelled my most magical adventures.
If you have an interest in photography and would like to see where it could take you in 2022, take a look at Lacock Photography's ‘Beginner’s Photography Workshop (Part 1)’ on their website.
Fiona has been teaching the beginner’s course at the independent photography training school in Lacock, Wiltshire for a decade, and has helped thousands of students take the exciting first steps in their photography journeys.
• lacockphotography.com
The stars of the show, the otters!
A SUMMER OF OPPORTUNITY
With a huge range of courses and activities to choose from, MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE SUMMER SCHOOL is a great way to learn something new in 2022!
2021 has been and gone and the possibilities of a fresh year are upon us. If you’re looking for ways to really make the most of your time in 2022, Marlborough College Summer School is an excellent place to start.
After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, this much-loved event will return from 10 July to 6 August 2022. Whether you wish to enjoy a favourite pastime or try something new, Summer School has it covered. Choose from an amazing array of courses suitable for all ages, abilities and interests by day and then indulge in eclectic entertainment by night!
Courses for 2022 encompass everything from Tutankhamun to fantastic female philosophers, Nordic walking to vintage dancing, calligraphy to picture framing and upcycling your old denim. You can boost your wellbeing with plant-based cookery or some yoga, mindfulness and meditation, or even overhaul your home and garden with An Introduction To Interior Design, Declutter for Good with the KonMari Method™, or a brand-new gardening skills course by award-winning Wiltshire gardener Sonia Wright.
There is also a fantastic programme of activities for 3-17-year olds, which working parents have the option to pay for using Childcare Vouchers or the tax-free scheme, Childcare Choices. The new Watersports Activity Week, High-Performance Tennis Camp, Drone Coding, Teen Apprentice, Songwriting Fun and Crime Scene Detectives courses are all sure to be popular choices for young people this summer.
Another highlight of Summer School is the impressive array of evening entertainment on offer to guests and the wider public. In addition to recitals, film nights and lectures on a range of fascinating topics, showcase Gala Performances take place every Tuesday and Friday. This year’s superb line-up includes evenings with Kate Adie and Janet Street-Porter, outdoor family theatre from Illyria and music from Only Men Aloud, The ELO Experience, a tribute to Sir Elton John and much more.
Marlborough College also offers accommodation throughout Summer School, which is ideal for friends and family joining from further afield. In fact, with all your meals and entertainment included in the cost, even locals may be tempted to stay over and take full advantage of all that Summer School has to offer!
To ensure you don't miss out, head to the website where you can browse and book the full range of courses, accommodation and Gala entertainments now.
• summerschool.co.uk
Junior Troopers for ages 3-6
READY STEADY COOK!
The Cooking School is a unique culinary school at The Old Silk Works in Warminster offering cooking lessons, gift vouchers, children’s parties, team building and private hire of a modern kitchen space.
Fully accessible, The School offers a warm, relaxed and welcoming atmosphere complete with an informal dining area to enjoy your culinary creations with new-found friends. Whether you are a kitchen novice or worthy of a MasterChef title, you will find a lesson or a course to help you improve your skills in the kitchen.
The team of chefs at The Cooking School have been hand-picked for their passion for food, creativity and ability to inspire in the kitchen. Take a journey around the world on one of their ethnic cooking lessons, find out how to select and make the perfect steak or learn how to make simple, satisfying midweek suppers for the whole family. As well as grown ups, they also offer cooking workshops for children, as well as group bookings (including birthday parties for adults and children and hen/stag parties). Call 01985 213214 for more information and if you use code WESTWILTS21 you will receive 10% off your booking too!
• thecookingschool.com
The Cooking School caters for all abilities
GET GARDENING!
After the last couple of years we have all come to realise how much we need to get outside and fill our bodies with fresh air and fresh food. Gardening is a fantastic way to do it. Gardening is a great form of exercise - you can easily work up a sweat doing more rigorous jobs like digging and raking and it also gives the different muscle groups a good workout too. It’s equally good for the mind too – it is a great stress buster, it connects you with the natural world and by growing some of your own food you are improving your nutrition too.
If you want to get gardening in the new year then why not take an inspirational trip to The Nursery in Hilperton? The quality of plants really is second to none. As well as growing a large number themselves, they also source their plants and shrubs from a selection of tried and tested nurseries and they have the largest selection of trees in the area. It also has a great range of houseplants for those without a garden! Their friendly, knowledgeable staff are also on hand for you to call upon for advice along the way. They have seeds, bulbs, compost and more to help you embark on your gardening journey. They are also lucky enough to the wonderful Avonfield Kitchen café onsite, it’s a fab place to sit down with a cup of tea and a slice of cake and consider all your options!
• the-nursery.co.uk
The Nursery is a great place to learn more about plants
YARN FOR THE SOUL!
Yarn for the Soul is a multiaward winning boutique that specialises in natural fibres, hand dyed luxury yarns and beautiful knitting, crochet and spinning accessories. They stock West Yorkshire Spinners, Sheepjes, HiyaHiya, Soak, Knit Pro, Sirdar, Rowan and of course their very own brand of hand-dyed yarn, which is made in their own studio.
As we enter the new year, Yarn For The Soul has some exciting news - it has just made the move to larger premises! Still in the centre of Warminster, the new shop, based at 6 East Street, has space to sit and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee while you craft, a regular knit and natter group and the room to run more of their very popular classes.
If you are keen to learn how to knit, crochet or even how to hand dye your own wool, get in touch today on 01985 219737 or pop into the shop, which is open Monday to Saturday 9.30am to 4.30pm
• yarnforthesoul.co.uk
Yarn For The Soul is an award-winning arts and crafts business
GET BEHIND THE WHEEL
Drive-Tech Ltd are Skid Control, Karting and 4x4 Off Road experts. Providing unforgettable Covid-safe driving experiences that make great gifts any time of the year for all your family and friends.
Skid Pan training courses are both great fun and an educational must for all drivers! On the course you are given standard road cars to drive whilst their experts will show you how to react to adverse conditions and put you back in control! This is a fantastic course if you want to build your driving confidence under controlled conditions.
Alternatively, if you have a budding Lewis Hamilton at home why not consider a Karting experience to try it out first hand? Drive-Tech’s
Junior Karting (for kids aged 10 – 15), offers boys and girls the chance to learn top class racing skills under the professional supervision of their marshals and experienced instructors. Junior Karting sessions can be done as a ‘one off’ or drivers can progress and eventually get to race in their Junior Championship Kart Races, it’s completely up to you.
Head to the website for details and prices - they also offer vouchers from £40, valid for 18 months.
• drivetechltd.co.uk
Drive-Tech offer a range of driving courses covering different motorsport interests
