WEEKLY COLUMN of Tetbury news by Kevin Painter 

1. First ever Tetbury Wool Fair takes place this weekend

Amazing but true. 

The first ever Tetbury Wool Fair takes place on Sunday 20 October 2024, at the Tetbury Goods Shed Arts Centre. 

Do you remember the old children's tale of the sleeping beauty? Where she pricks her finger from the spindle of a spinning machine and falls asleep for 100 years?Well the first ever Tetbury Wool Fair is happy to provide the direct opposite of that experience.Featuring independent yarn manufacturers, spinners, dyers, eco-friendly dyers using only naturally sourced colours, lectures, workshops and a knitting table where you can seek advice on your latest project.

And also yarn accessories; a children’s corner with screenings of Shaun the Sheep, courtesy of Aardman; a display by Flaxlands, the Stroud Flax Farm; a spinning wheel just like the Sleeping Beauty’s; two local yarn retailers (Tetbury and Stroud) and a knitting pattern exclusive to the Fair. 

The event opens at10.00am till 4.00pm and best of all, entry is absolutely free. So you won't be fleeced! Marian Beales, an expert on the spinning wheel, is adept at explaining how her skill on the wheel will keep you wide awake and concentrating fiercely, unlike the Beauty.

Watch the yarn grow under her expert fingers. And while you are focussing on the diversity of yarn ranged around the Tetbury Good Shed the children will be fascinated by the adventures of Shaun the Sheep on the screen and the very real live sheep assembled outside in the old station yard.

There are 16 individual exhibitors showing a range of skills, including spinning, dying, felting and amigurumi. And if you don't know what the last is, come along and find out.

On Sunday Oct 20 Tetbury Wool Fair are pleased to present a special Workshop with The Makerss. This is a ticket event  and takes place in the Finnish Railway Carriage behind the main Goods Shed building. 

Creating toys and household objects out of felted wool is one is the newer hobbies that has grown out of a passion for yarn. In this workshop, Nailsworth’s The Makerss supply you with the kit, then take you through the easy steps of toy (or object) crafting.

The workshop is suitable for those aged 14 years and above – ticket price includes the costs of the kit, which you can choose from their collection.

The Makerss is a locally based company in Nailsworth, now in a small factory setting but originally to be found in a Nailsworth shop.

Its growth has expanded over the past 10 years with the popularity of the art of felting. Today its range is wide, with kits on offer from Aardman sheep through to crafting your own cat. Among the present creations are kits which include Percy the Park Keeper, Flower Fairies and a Teddy Bear which you can construct to look exactly like your own childhood one.

On top of this the Makerss are committed to recycling, packaging and renewable energy.please note The railway carriage can be accessed by stairs only and therefore this event is not suitable for those with limited mobility or wheelchair users. Please accept their apologies For more information or to book your ticket, please visit the  website:www.tetburygoodsshed.co.uk 

 Tickets cost Adult £20 PLEASE NOTE:  Workshop Ticket will include materials              

On Sunday Oct 20 also as part of  Tetbury Wool Fair I'm pleased to present a special  Tetbury Wool Fair Talk: Cotswold Sheep with Sophia Ashe. 

This too is a ticket event  and takes place in the Finnish Railway Carriage behind the main Goods Shed building.

As part of our Wool Fair on 20th October please join local Cotswold sheep farmer Sophia Ashe. Cotswold Sheep have long been famed for their soft but hardy fleece. Sophia is a young farmer who now breeds this traditional species. Here she talks about the role her sheep play in today’s “woolly ” climate.Sophia graduated from the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester in 2019 and now work full-time on a local farm. She also spent a few months working in Australia and Argentina to gain a greater knowledge of global food production, and has been been selected as one of the NFU Young Ambassadors for 2024. The railway carriage can be accessed by stairs only and therefore this event is not suitable for those with limited mobility or wheelchair users. Please accept their apologies For more information or to book your ticket, please visit the  website:www.tetburygoodsshed.co.uk .  Tickets cost Adult £4.00              

2. Next iSing Pop Celebrate 

The next fantastic and fun  iSing Pop Celebrate will be on Sunday October 20  starting at 4:00 pm and continuing until 5:30 pm.

At the St Mary’s School Hall St Mary's CE VA Primary School,St Mary’s Road, Tetbury, GL8 8BW. This is for all the Family where are you will be exploring the best of bible stories and ask questions big and little, and enjoy time together with Christ, chatting and sharing icing pop song and prayers.

Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. All are welcome as this is run by Churches in Tetbury: Saint Mary's, Christ Church, Five Valleys Christian Fellowship and Saint Michaels Catholic Church. 

This is for all the family to enjoy  on Sunday afternoon. And please bring your own cup              

3. Afternoon music at the Good Shed      

Tetbury Good Shed present, on October 23  2024 at 2.00pm Afternoon Music at the Goods Shed with Teal Trio and Octavo OCT 23 Oboe trio & eight-part vocal harmony The Teal Trio, oboes and cor anglais, returns to the Goods Shed, along with Octavo, an eight-part a cappella vocal group from Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.

Their “Autumn Winds” programme will be an eclectic range of music from Byrd through to the Beatles – a cornucopia of renaissance polyphony, beautiful romantic harmonies, folksongs and contemporary gems for everyone to enjoy! 

You can enjoy some super music, meet your friends as well as maybe making new ones. Advance tickets are  just £3.50 (plus booking fee) Tickets on the door cost £4.00.  The Whistle Stop Café will be open if you fancy a nice cup of tea (or coffee) and perhaps one of Sasha’s delicious cakes. For more information or to book you ticket, please visit the new  website :www.tetburygoodsshed.co.uk There will be a selection of tables and chairs set out in the hall for you to choose from on arrival.

4. Film followed by talk by farmers      

On Wednesday October 23 Tetbury Goods Shed Arts are delighted to present Six Inches of Soil a Film followed by a short talk from local farmers: Sophia Ashe and David Wilson. Film runs for 1 hour 36 minutes.

You’ve heard about the trials and tribulations of farming from Jeremy Clarkson, but here are some hands-on experiences of young farmers who are trying to transform our food system.Tonight’s film, Six Inches of Soil, introduced by Tetbury Goods Shed chairman, Richard Warrington, tells the story of remarkable farmers, communities, small businesses, chefs and entrepreneurs who are leading the way to transform how our food is produced and consumed.

The screening will be followed by short talks by former Highgrove farm manager, David Wilson, and local sheep farmer Sophia Ashe.Six Inches of Soil is a story of three new farmers on the first year of their regenerative journey to heal the soil and help transform the food system. Anna Jackson is an 11th generation Lincolnshire arable and sheep farmer. Adrienne Gordon is a Cambridgeshire small-scale vegetable farmer. Ben Thomas rears pasture fed beef cattle in Cornwall.

As the trio of young farmers strive to adopt regenerative practices and create viable businesses, they meet seasoned mentors who help them on their journey. They are joined by other experts providing wisdom and solutions from a growing movement of people who are dedicated to changing the trajectory for food, farming and the planet.

Our farmers will have to navigate a broken food system, farm in a landscape degraded by industrial agriculture and learn how to reconnect people with the soil, where their food comes from and how it is produced.The film looks at the history of British farming and asks “How did we get here?” through a short animated chapter that brings the audience up to speed with the industrial heritage of farming and the solutions that are within reach.the speakers are, David Wilson who was farm manager at Highgrove for 36 years followed by three years in the north Cotswolds at Fir Farm and Steve Winwood’s Lower Dean Manor Farm, establishing organic regenerative systems on both holdings. He is now at Bowden Park Farm near Lacock with his youngest son Benj, in a new venture restoring a rundown estate by reintroducing livestock as part of an organic mixed farming system. And Sophia Ashe who graduated from the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester in 2019 and now work full-time on a local farm. She also spent a few months working in Australia and Argentina to gain a greater knowledge of global food production, and has been been selected as one of the NFU Young Ambassadors for 2024.For more information or to book your ticket, please visit the  website:www.tetburygoodsshed.co.uk .  Tickets cost Adult £7.50            

5. Mayfair and Grace win hair salon of the year at UK awards 

Well done must go to Mayfair & Grace who are thrilled to announce they have won the prestigious title of ‘Hair Salon of the year 2024’ at the UK Beauty Awards on Saturday 5th October. This remarkable achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and creativity of the talented team at Mayfair & Grace.

Additionally, they are proud to have secured 2nd place in the highly competitive category of ‘Beauty Salon of the year 2024’. Patsy Robertson, salon owner, said ‘These awards reflect our commitment to excellence and the remarkable skills of our team, who each bring their own unique flair and expertise to the salon’. Ellen Guichard added ‘This recognition inspires us even further to continue elevating our services and providing the outstanding experiences that our clients deserve. Thank you to our wonderful clients who supported us in everything we do, we are constantly trying to bring more services to the salon to enhance the client experience – here’s to more successes in the future’.   

Mayfair & Grace is a luxurious 5-star hair, beauty, and aesthetics salon that epitomises elegance and sophistication in personal care.   Located in Tetbury, the salon offers an exquisite range of services designed to pamper clients and enhance their natural beauty. The salon has a prestigious partnership with Aveda, known for its high-quality hair care products and sustainable practices. The aesthetics department, helmed by the esteemed Dr. Nancy Sharma, a renowned dermatologist with a stellar reputation in the field, provides expert treatments tailored to individual needs. Mayfair & Grace would love to welcome new clients to the salon, where they can experience all that the salon has to offer.

Well done and Congratulations to this marvellous establishment  As Coco Chanel said ''A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.’’ when you visit you will be made to feel both of these things