Down Memory Lane
In my life I have learned many crafts - dressmaking, embroidery, knitting, crochet, marquetry, soft toy making, glove making, basket weaving, upholstery, etc. etc… I expect most of us can say the same but the thing which has made the most impact on my life was an advert in the local paper stating that a course of spinning tuition would be held at College Hill House in the Autumn. I wasn’t bored and looking for any more interests and I had just started an interesting new job - and here I am still working for the same firm 20 years later (but not for much longer), I had seen people at fairs spinning and found it fascinating. Here was an opportunity to actually learn how to do it and perhaps use some of the wool reposing in our garage from Alec’s time as a fell-monger.
You will note from this that our garage has always been a home for the odd bag of fleece I used to wash it for stuffing toys or cushions - so nothing changes much, does it?
There were obviously lots of people interested in spinning because two separate weekly classes were arranged with the tutor, Mrs Helen Marshall. I can’t remember meeting at College Hill House but I can remember Helen Marshall’s house in Ridgebourne Road. She had Ashford spinning wheels set out in her conservatory for us to use and fleece everywhere. There was a huge basket of dyed yarns in the middle of the floor in every colour imaginable and usually a cat asleep somewhere in the fleece.
Over the weeks, we learned everything there is to know about the craft, from sorting a fleece to hand carding and making designer yarns by weighing each colour before incorporating it into a rolag. It was a very exciting time. When the 10-week course was finished no-one wanted it to end and so we continued to meet at Helen’s every week (for a small fee). Amongst other things, we held dyeing sessions - Helen’s kitchen was enormous with several sinks and cookers and ideal for the purpose and she found all sorts of interesting fleeces for us to buy.
As time went on, most of us acquired our own spinning wheels, mainly Ashfords of course as that was what we were used to. Some of us still have those original wheels and they still work very well.
Eventually during the following year Helen suggested we should form a Guild (she probably thought she would never get rid of us otherwise) and this was formed in June 1979 with a few keen members, a written constitution and properly elected Guild officers. We have held elections each year since then and still enjoy many of the friendships formed all those years ago in Helen’s kitchen. Long may they continue, Deo volente!
Joan Bellamy in 1999