Our exhibition of Garden Sculpture has now been put in place with superb work that has been produced by our students and those who work at the forge. It can be seen throughout the month of July. The exhibition has received maximum publicity and is attracting many visitors, the gardens are superb and looking the best I have ever seen.

For those of you interested in pursuing this type of work and be able to attend our forthcoming sculpture course in August, it will be the opportunity for you to create such sculptures for yourself.

The photographs are of some of the work currently displayed at Harpswell, they are in order as; 1) Angel oil lamp by Charis Jones; Aztec Trident by Ryan Atkin; Bowled Over,’ designed and made by a small group of students from Riseholme College during four Monday evening Sessions. These students were studying Garden Design and displayed the five feet high sculpture in a pocket garden they had designed at this year’s Harrogate Garden Show. They were subsequently awarded the ‘Silver Gilt Prize’ Following on we have; Euchlid on Slate by Bob Oakes, ‘Agate by Bob Oakes, using slices of polished agate within the design; ‘Orchids’ a seven foot high sculpture by Bob Oakes; Owl by Alex Burnet; Potted plant on stand by Bob Oakes; Scarecrow Birdfeeder by John Scott; Water Plants by Bob Oakes; and a Wind Dinger also by Bob Oakes.

On a personal note I have been chosen to create a “signature” piece for a new exhibition supported by The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky to mark the release of its new bottling, The Balvenie Signature.

Due to go on show this Autumn, the exhibition will showcase pieces hand-crafted in Britain and include exhibits from individual artisans as well as companies world-renowned for their hand-crafted credentials such as Morgan, Gieves & Hawkes and Holland and Holland. The Balvenie single malt Scotch whisky has commissioned the exhibition to mark its Distillery maltmaster, David Stewart’s landmark 45^th year with the company - which establishes him as the world’s longest serving Maltmaster. The Balvenie has also released a special new 12 Year Old single malt, The Balvenie Signature, created by David Stewart, to celebrate the occasion. Other artisans selected to participate in the exhibition include Suffolk woodcarver, Paul Jewby, Derbyshire textile designers Massey and Rogers and Scottish silversmith, Marion Kane.

RECENT VISIT TO SEE STEELMAKING LIVE

Our visit for  to see steel making at the Scunthorpe Corus Works on the evening of Wednesday 16th July proved to be a wonderful experience. After an initial health an safety briefing we were transported around the works by both  locomotive and coach to see the various aspects of steel productions  including the cokeing works, steel making and rolling mills. 

We are hoping to organise a similar visit in the future, it is an experience not to be missed! 

LATEST WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT

Best wishes, Bob, Carol and Nick

Photographs and write-up of all our past courses will from now on appear in the STUDENTS WORK section of the site under the heading devoted to each particular course. Those attending our courses will be able to send their own images and reminiscences for inclusion. We have now kicked off with our recent courses in Forged Metal Sculpture by Rachel, and Stone Carving by Sam. Please view for yourself the wonderful work produced. The next of these courses  will be held in May, book now to avoid disappointment! Click our list of courses to view what others we have to offer.

Corporate Announcement

The skilled craftsmen and outstanding facilities of Cold Hanworth Forge and Blacksmithing School are now available for team building events. These unique two day events can be tailored to suit the specific requirements and learning objectives of your organisation. They constitute a unique experience and challenge; testing resourcefulness together with the ability to adapt and respond to an unfamiliar situation and environment. We help and encourage team members to focus upon the end result rather than simply the individual tasks in hand. They learn to communicate and trust the other members of the team, assessing their diversity of talent and specialisations that can be employed in thinking creatively.

The events can be collaborative, or designed to encourage healthy competition. For example;

1. Groups can be split into two or three teams, who are then given a brief to design and build a project with certain conditions and objectives.
2. The group as a whole discuss and agree criteria for scoring success, and at the end of the project, teams would be awarded points in relation to their achievements.
3. The team scoring the most points will be awarded a framed certificate of recognition.

Should your team event have a specific issue, challenge or objective we are happy to provide an experienced independent facilitator to support the teams' learning and development. This facilitator would provide feedback and challenge to the teams in terms of their interactions and approach to the objective, allowing connections to be made between the Cold Hanworth Forge experience and the day to day back in the workplace.

Accommodation can be provided in three-bedroom, self-catering pine chalets or nearby hotels. Lunches and evening meals are available at quality local restaurants.

To find out more about how this unique opportunity could motivate your employees, please contact us by phone or email