'A WONDERFUL DAY OUT - FOR ALL THE FAMILY'

PICNIC AREAS / FREE CAR PARKING / QUALITY REFRESHMENTS

Wrest Park Craft & Design Festival

Wrest Park, Silsoe, Beds MK45 4HR

28th, 29th & 30th August 2010

ON THE HUNTING PARTY LAWNS WITHIN THE GARDENS.

By kind permission of the English Heritage.

Traditional classic skills & contemporary design-led crafts at one major event. Indulge yourself - or buy that special gift.

Browse & buy from a selection of glass, jewellery, art, leather, ceramics, wood, textiles, metal and more...

Displays / Featured Exhibitors /Familiar Exhibitors / Demonstrations / Wooden Lovespoons / The Saxon Village / Pot Throwing / Stonemasonry / Food Village/ Croquet / Guilds / Music / About Wrest Park / How To Get There

ADMISSION: Adults £6.50, Senior Citizens £5.50.

Children (5-15yrs) £4.50, Under 5's FREE.

50% reduction for English Heritage Members.

WIN FREE TICKETS - 10 pairs of tickets to give away. Send an email to: visit@romorexhibitions.co.uk - in the subject line type 'COMPETITION WP AUG'. Then in the body of the email enter your full name and address. Closing date for entries 18th August 2010. Please state if you do not wish to be kept informed of future Romor events. Thank you.

All tickets are available on the gate

(no prebooking necessary)

10.00am - 5.30pm each day

Dogs welcome on leads.

We still have a few vacancies for this year.

If you wish to exhibit please email details of your work to: exhibit@romorexhibitions.co.uk and attach images of your work in jpeg format.

All work must be made by the exhibiting crafts person.

Thank you.

on display and for sale will include

Acrylics, Armour, Bird baths, Bookbinding, Celtic jewellery, Ceramics, Clocks, Coin miniatures, Collectors teddy bears, Contemporary jewellery, Cross-stitch, Cushions, Dichroic glass, Display cabinets, Earthenware, Fabric bags, Fashion accessories, Furniture, Glass & stainless steel sculptures, Gold & silver jewellery, Greetings cards, Hand-carved flowers, Hand-decorated glass, Hand-woven garments, Jugs, Ladies fashions, Lamps, Leaded mirrors, Leather handbags & wallets, Leather drinking vessels, Oil paintings, Painted glass, Panels, Pastels, Pencil drawings & prints, Pewter, Picture frames, Porcelain, Pottery, Pyrography, Silk laminates, Silk painting, Soaps, Stained glass mosaics, Stoneware, Sun dials, Tables, Tableware, Textiles, Treen, Walking sticks, Wall hangings, Watercolours, Willow baskets, Windsor chairs, Wooden toys, Woodturning, Wrought iron and much more.

A SELECTION OF THE EXHIBITORS YOU MAY RECOGNISE

100 Metres, 1 Off Handbags, Ann Benwell Stained Glass, Artizyne, Ayesha Asif, Bedfordshire Basket Makers, Bedfordshire Beekeepers Association, Bedfordshire Guild Of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers, Bexton Cheese, Bowbrook Studios, Candy Blossom, Carmen Jean, Clare's Creations, Click On Nature, Colins Turnery, Common Threads, Created and Felted, Daisy Dumpling, Dave Walker Furniture, Dawn Knights Fine Silver Crochet Jewellery, Designs In Glass, Designs On Silk, Designs On You, Dragon Ceramics, Dragonet, Educational Activities, Elisabeth Bailey, Elizabeth, Esther Rose Designs, Feather Graphics, Floral Art In Silk, Fluid By Design, F W Clark Stonemason, Giddygecko.com, Glass By Maxine, Guild Of Machine Knitters, Jane McCormick Ceramics, Jenny Oates, Joia Glass, Juko Designs, Katharine*Aleks, Land Cuckoo, Leighton Forge, Lorna Henderson, Loup Jewellery, Margaret Bolton, Marion Smith, MJK Woodcrafts, N & S Cheyette, Nada Davis, Nick Clarke Cabinet Maker & Designer, Norman D Whiting, Old Hall Confectionery, Partners In Pewter, Pepperstock Archers, Peter Cosentino Ceramics, Piskeyled Ltd, Potteryman, Pyroforms, Quirk, Strangeness & Charm, Ralph Hentall Spoonmaker, Replicafungi, Romany Crafts From The Hedgerow, Ruben Bears, Ruby and The Crow, Sally Ratcliffe Jewellery, Sandra Young Glass Sculpture, Sarah Ford Textile Designer, Sew Necessary, Silvia's Jewellery, Socon Bookbinding, Sparkly Mary, Spinning With Jenny, Sticks & Stones, Swordweaver Armoury, Susan Cariello, The Leatherworker, The Olive Stall, The Rug Studio, The Stubbington Workshop, The Thatching & Building Company, Vivaldi Jewellery, Wheal Rose Windsors, Wheatley Wood Craft, Wongsam Design, Woodnewton Pottery, Works Inmaterial, Xanadu Crafts & Yorkshire water Features........

to name but a few...

Recent Industry Awards of Current Exhibitors

Sarah Ford - Craft & Design Selected, Silver Award Textiles & Needlecrafts 2010

Marie-Louise Denny /100 Metres - Clarions Top Draw Autumn/Winter 2009 show- 'Best products in fashion'

Susan Cariello - Susan has her first craft book published in the Summer of 2010 called 'Bags in Bloom' - copies will be available at The Wrest Park Craft & Design Festival

LINKS

www.craftanddesign.net

COLIN'S TURNERY / COLIN SMITH

Artistic and functional woodturning from native and exotic hardwoods. /colinsturnery.html

JOY & PETER COLE / JOIA GLASS

Individually designed and handmade contemporary fused glass art. www.joiaglass.co.uk

MARGARET BOLTON

Handforged jewellery and silverware all made in sterling silver.

DESIGNS IN GLASS / MARK & DEBBIE WARDER

Contemporary kiln fired formed glass.www.designs-in-glass.co.uk /designsinglass.html

JANET TOMS & SAMINA BEGUM / JUKO DESIGNS

A collection of handbags, notebook covers and accessories using our unique woven fabrics. The fabrics are designed, woven and made into our products in our studios in Yorkshire.www.jukodesigns.co.uk

IAIN GIBBS / THE REAL TIGERMOTH COMPANY

Individually handmade English oak garden furniture. www.real-tigermoth.co.uk

CAROLE WRIGHT / WORKS INMATERIAL

Handmade fabric sculptures suitable for home or garden. Each sculpture is unique and fully weatherproof. www.worksinmaterial.co.uk

SARAH CLARKE / FLUID BY DESIGN

Unique handcrafted gold & silver jewellery designed by Sarah Clarke B.A.(hons). Commissions undertaken. All work hallmarked at Birmingham assay office. www.fluidbydesign.net

CLARE DEAN / CLARE'S CREATIONS

Clare produces vibrant floral art using mixed media, watercolours & acrylics - also mugs, coasters & cards. www.clarescreations.co.uk

JANE McCORMICK CERAMICS / JANE & PETER McCORMICK

A unique range of hand decorated ceramics, inspired by English landscape scenes and the natural world. /janemccormick.html

ANJA PENGER-ONYETT

Hand thrown stoneware ceramics with beautiful oriental glazes. Vases, bowls and garden ornaments. www.ceramicsbuyanja.co.uk

COLIN BELL

Handmade walking sticks. /colinbell.html

PAUL & DIANE WEIR / BEDFORDSHIRE BASKET MAKERS

English willow baskets made to the highest standard by Paul Weir, a yeoman member of The Worshipful Company of Basketmakers - a mark of quality and excellence. Paul specialises in bespoke baskets.www.craftmaker.co.uk/paulanddianeweir

MARY THORPE / SPARKLY MARY

The only maker in the world of vibrantly coloured hand painted silk laminates. Paintings, clocks, tablemats, jewellery and furniture. Entirely handmade. Simply stunning! www.marythorpe.co.uk

RUTH ORPEN / STICKS & STONES

Unique birthstone jewellery made and designed by Ruth. Crystals and minerals for health and well being. www.sticksandstones1.com

NADA DAVIS

Quick caricatures drawn on-the-spot by an experienced artist - from sittings or photographs. Individuals or groups - children or adults. An ideal gift -great fun & popular with families.www.caricatures-portraits.com

SILVIA SAPSFORD

Contemporary handmade jewellery with a unique look and feel. Silvia uses enamels on copper and silver; anodises aluminium to give a silk like look and weaves silver wire.

The Guild Of Silk Painters www.silkpainters-guild.co.uk

The Guild of Silk Painters is a non-profit making organisation run by volunteers to promote the art of silk painting. We are based in Britain but have members from around the world. Enjoy viewing silk paintings by artists from Britain and abroad in our on-line galleries. Make contact with other textile artists who enjoy painting on silk. Share your ideas and enthusiasm for this wonderful art form. Increase your knowledge, be inspired and be part of our worldwide community of creative people.

The International Feltmakers Association www.feltmakers.com

The international Feltmakers Association was formed to foster worldwide interest in felt, to promote members' work and keep members in contact with one another via a network of regional groups, exhibitions, talks & workshops and through our quarterly magazine 'Felt Matters'.

The Guild Of Machine Knitters www.guild-mach-knit.org.uk

Demonstrations and hands on opportunities with The Guild Of Machine Knitters, They will also be displaying knitted items such as suits, coats, christening gowns, bags, cushions and blankets. The Guild aims to raise awareness of the craft and encourage and foster its members to a high standard.

The Basketmakers Association www.basketassoc.org

All aspects of basketmaking, chair seating and the allied crafts. Both traditional and contemporary are encompassed by the Basketmakers Association.

The British Sugarcraft Guild www.bsguk.org

Sugarcraft is the art of using icing and other medium to make decorations, mainly cake decorations. The British Sugarcraft Guild promotes this craft by sharing knowledge and improving standards.

Report from Local News TV from Bedfordshire

Watch demonstrations of modern, traditional and rural craft skills:

Wheelwrighting, Thatching, Ropemaking, Stone carving, Weaving, Bookbinding, Antique rug restoration, Willow basket making, Bone & Antler working, Chairmaking, Rune carving, Lip working, Woodturning, Maille making, Walking Stick making, Ceramics, Furniture restoration, Machine knitting, Silk painting, Jewellery making, Feltmaking, Spinning, Lovespoon carving, Leather working, Watercolour painting, Wooden toy making.........

and more.

A 'village' of producers of specialist food and drink products

Jolly Hucksters - micro brewery ales. The Olive Stall - the finest olives, olive oils & anti-pasta of the Mediterranean. Woburn Country Foods - Fresh meats, speciality sausages, bacon, ham & venison. Bexton Cheese - Handmade farmhouse cheeses individually waxed and in various flavours. Just Strawberries - Delicious strawberries with cream or chocolate. Humbers Homemade - Jams, chutneys & preserves from local produce. Real Tea & Coffee Company - Speciality teas & coffee beans and luxury cookies. Meah's - Infusions of Indian flavours & spices. Kernow Kreperie - Mouth watering crepes with wonderful fillings. Harvest Food Ltd - Handmade pies, sweet & savoury, local produce with no additives.

The Beverley String Quartet - four professional musicians led by Ian Smith. The quartet will serenade you with a varied selection of music - relax and enjoy one of their musical interludes throughout the day including lunchtime at 12 noon.

WOODEN FLOWER MAKING FROM THE HEDGEROWS

Romany crafts from the hedgerows, handed down through the generations.

RUG RESTORATION

Restoration demonstration of antique/old rugs & textiles. Bring your own piece for a free quotation & valuation.www.therugstudio.co.uk

ARCHERY

Pepperstock Archers invite you to meet them and to try your hand at this ancient sport. Full tuition & safety equipment provided.

TRADITIONAL & HISTORICAL SPOONMAKING

An exhibition of wooden spoons and associated customs and ceremonies from around the world. Ralph will be demonstrating wooden spoon making throughout the day For more visit romorexhibitions.co.uk/ ralphhentall.html

CLOGMAKING

Jeremy Atkinson - the last traditional green wood hand carving clogmaker in Britain. Bespoke clogs, 19th century style.

STONEMASONRY

Specialist demonstration of stonework carving, repair & restoration.

CROQUET

Members of the Wrest Park Croquet Club will be playing matches each day between 2.00pm and 5.00pm plus the chance to 'have a go' yourself.

POT THROWING

Visitor Comments

"This was without doubt one of the best shows I have ever attended - we definitely plan to go again next year"

"Having visited Wrest Park for the second consecutive year, I would like to commend you again on the superb organisation to make this such a splendid day out, in an environment with such a wonderful (almost magical) and delightful ambience."

"May I express my thanks for Nicholas the Maille Maker, his presentation was well worth the cost of admission by itself"

"An excellent show - beautifully laid out and in a great venue. The standard of exhibitors work was refreshingly high"

"At last - a craft fair where we could meet the crafts people and talk to them about their craft and even learn a little bit from them."

"Good variety of crafts and wonderfully friendly staff & exhibitors - thank you for a great day out."

"Wonderful selection of crafts - well worth the journey from Manchester. The medieval workshops were excellent & a real focus of interest"

Exhibitor Comments

"Thanks so much for another lovely fair! I had a great weekend. It was lovely to be back again - this really is the most friendly and well organised show I've done"

"Once again, many thanks for all your hard work in putting together the Wrest Park Festival. We had a wonderful weekend and feeling quite sad that it has ended. The atmospere in our marquee was lovely, possibly one of the best - we were incredibly busy! Thanks again and here's to next year."

"Thank you for a lovely setting. We've done well & appreciate the good organisation"

"I would like to say how much we enjoy the shows organised by yourselves. We love the super setting and have thoroughly enjoyed the weekends. Your organisation of such large events is superb"

"Thank you for providing us with the opportunity to sell our crafts at Wrest Park. It proved to be our best weekend's trading ever! What a smashing show in every way!"

"I really enjoyed my first year at Wrest Park. I have to congratulate you on your professionalism and friendliness"

"Many thanks for Wrest Park - we did enjoy it - lovely atmosphere, nice people - and a healthy profit!"

"We very much enjoy coming to Wrest Park. We have always found this event exceptionally well organised and friendly"

Bringing history to life, this educational group, formed in 1986, are fascinated with the craft skills, technologies and everyday lives of past peoples. From their traditional-style tents, in full authentic costumes they will present skills.

The Saxon Village people may vary at this event

Peter the Lantern Maker - lighten your life - there were two main types of lantern, those with windows and those with a pattern of punched holes (thousand eye lanterns). The word lantern may have come from the two main materials used in its construction, that is latten (thin brass sheet) and horn for the windows.

Nicholas the Rioveted Maille Maker - a link with the past and another and another! - made from drawn iron wire, shaped into rings and linked together to form mail. A very ancient form of body armour, though still in use in Tudor times.

Runar the Woodsman & Rune Carver - oak and ash, futhark and futhork - runes are an ancient and magical form of lettering that was originally designed, not to be written but to be carved into wood. Runar is deep in the knowledge of wood and rune lore.

Brother Stephen the Calligrapher - parchment oak galls and quills - Tytyvyllus willing - the scrivener, well practised in the skills, sits in his tent busy writing out important ducuments, charters and perhaps poems. Now and again he stops to cut a new quill. He is in need of a new apprentice and will have an eye for a likely person to try their hand with a quill.

Master Colin the Pewterer - holiday souvenirs (Holy-day souvenirs) - skillfully cutting his stone moulds. Using a small brazier, he melts and pours metal into stone and cuttle fish moulds to produce examples of pilgrim badges, livery badges, belt hangers, buckles and pins. His wife offers his wares for sale to the public.

Alys the Green Woman - worts & banes - herbs in medieval times had many uses - flavouring food, medicine, keeping away vermin, cleaning of clothes - the list is endless. Individuals either treated themselves with family recipes, visited travelling bonesetters and herb women or were helped by those in religious orders. Apothecaries purchased herbs and roots collected by wandering 'green men and women'.

Costume Maker - kirtles, liripipes, daggs & partlets- a display of hand sewn costumes from the Saxons & Vikings to the Early Tudors. Did they have pockets? Did they have underwear? How were clothes made? Who did the cutting & how were the customers measured?

Shoe & Leather Bottle Maker - Medieval England was famous for the making of leather. Every town had a variety of leather craftsmen. Shoe makers were only allowed to use certain kinds of leather. They produced such items as latchet poulaines, mules and slashed shoes. The leather bottle maker supplied costrols, bombards, blackjacks and many other kinds of leather containers. As these items do not break when dropped they were much used by pilgrims, soldiers and sailors and other travellers.

Narrow Ware Weaving - belts, garters, fillets and fripperies - the making of bands using different techniques, tablet weaving, finger looping, lucette and ridged heddle weaving. Tablet weaving is a craft that has been known since about 400 years B.C. so spans the ages. Narrow wares were used for, amongst other things, belts, garters, fillets, edging costume, point laces, purse strings and seal ribbons. Braids were woven in wool, linen, silk and sometimes a combination of all three.

Horn, Bone & Antler Working - what top do with leftovers - waste not want not. Some of the earliest materials used by man and fashioned into items such as farming tools, weapons, cosmetic instruments, gaming pieces, clothing fasteners, combs, spectacle frames - the list is almost endless!

Playing Card Making - make a 'snap' decision - developing from hand-made one off packs in the 14th century, only for the very rich, to block printed mass produced packs from the 15th century onwards. German and French packs were imported into England. The English makers forged and sold French 'Rouen' style packs to avoid paing the heavy import duty.

Explore the myths and truths of life in Medieval England with these colourful characters.

The appearance of this large eighteenth century French-style mansion surprises and delights visitors. It was designed by its’ owner, Earl de Grey and built 1834-1839 on the site of an earlier mansion belonging to the family. Its’ creation prompted the development of formal gardens near the house. The surrounding woodland garden had been developed over several previous generations. Three distinct gardening styles can be seen: the mysterious but inviting early eighteenth century woodland garden either side of the Long Water, the natural style garden made popular by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown and the more formal flower gardens in the French-style. The many attractions of Wrest Park provide hours of pleasure and interest for all the family. See the 18th century Bowling Green house with its’ stucco decoration, the rustic bath house with pebble pavement and knucklebone floor, the Chinese bridge, a pagan altar, lakes, rivers, lawns...... There is no end to the pleasures of Wrest Park.

Wrest Park is situated midway between Bedford and Luton, on the A6.

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