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News

Chester Hope Willow Stocks 13th March 2024

Posted on 13 March 2024

Limited stocks of willow bundles from the 2023 growing season are still available for NBG members at Chester Hope. If you wish to purchase any of the bundles listed below, please contact me at info@northumbriabasketrygroup.co.uk Four Foot – 7

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Beginners' Basket Two-Day Workshop in Whitley Bay - 3rd and 4th of April

Posted on 11 March 2024

Join Lorraine to learn to weave a round basket at The Workshop, Whitley Road, Whitley Bay. The price of £90 per person includes all tools, materials, tea, coffee, and biscuits. Please get in touch with Lorraine to book or for further information.

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Zarzo Basket Workshop

Posted on 02 March 2024

Justine Holdsworth and Lorraine Griffiths, members of the Cullercoats group, are running two Zarzo basket workshops in Whitley Bay on the 8th and 9th of this month. This stunning basket is perfect to use for picnics, shopping, or carrying/displaying

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End of the Willow Harvesting Season at Chester Hope

Posted on 21 February 2024

Arriving at the Chester Hope willow plot just after lunch, Siobhan and I were greeted by squally showers and strong gusts of wind. Fortunately, the weather improved during the afternoon, and in four hours, we had completed the cutting and sorting of

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Harvesting Colourful Willow at Chester Hope

Posted on 17 February 2024

The final two Salix Purpurea varieties to be cut and sorted at Chester Hope this season are Packing Twine and Brittany Green. The rods provide a delightful contrast in colour. The Packing Twine rods are bright green with a lovely sheen when freshly c

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Pockets and Pouches Workshop with Anna Corbett

Posted on 11 February 2024

People worldwide have been weaving and twining vegetable fibres and materials for thousands of years, creating beautiful and valuable baskets and containers from a myriad of fibres. Some of these fibres are hiding in our gardens and hedgerows. There

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The First 2024 Beginners' Basketry Workshop at Bowden

Posted on 23 January 2024

The first 2024 Beginners' Basketry Workshop was held at Bowden Village Hall on January 20th and 21st. Karla Pearce was the workshop tutor, and six beginners attended the class. The images show Karla demonstrating techniques to members of the course.

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Chester Hope Willow Sales

Posted on 16 January 2024

Bundles of the following varieties of willow are now available for purchase and collection from Chester Hope; Bleu Bleu, Dicky Meadows, Calliantha, Flanders Red, Green Dicks, and Norbury. It is anticipated that the following varieties will be avail

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2024 Basketry Workshops at Broadrake

Posted on 10 January 2024

Check out this delightful venue in the Three Peaks Country for basketry workshops organised by Rachel Benson. Please find attached a flier for the 2024 Basketry workshops at Broadrake, Chapel-le-Dale, Ingleton, LA6 3AX. If you are a member of North

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Twist - Twine - Loop

Posted on 12 December 2023

We are introducing a new exciting series of workshops with Anna Corbett at Bolton Village Hall in early 2024. The venue is west of Alnwick, not far from the A697 Wooler to Morpeth Road. There are three workshops in the series, starting with the first

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Willow Harvesting at Chester Hope

Posted on 17 November 2023

Siobhan, Jane and I made short work of sorting the Bleu Bleu in the fine weather today and started cutting the Dicky Meadows. As you can see in the attached image, we have an impressive willow crop this year. The second image shows the range of sorte

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Willow Christmas Angels Workshops

Posted on 03 November 2023

From the Hexham courant September 20th '23:With the approach of longer nights, the Highlights Rural Touring Scheme has prepared an exciting line-up of live events across Northumberland and Cumbria. Including 'Creative Highlights' events for the first

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A New Basketry Group Training Venue

Posted on 30 October 2023

The latest two-day Beginners' Shopping Basket workshop was held at Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre in the Eden Valley over the weekend of the 28th/29th of October. This venue is the furthest west of any location in England for teaching b

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Hand Broom Workshop run by Rolf Hoss at Cullercoats

Posted on 23 October 2023

Two one-day workshops took place alongside the self-help group meetings at Cullercoats to make hand brooms. The brooms are functional, decorative, and fun to make. Everyone involved on each day left with brooms to be proud of. Rolf's first experie

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Two-Day Beginners' Basketry Workshop (Weekday) - Basket 1

Posted on 27 September 2023

One place is available on this beginners' workshop tutored by Charlotte Lobb at Willowdene House, Longframlington. The dates for the workshop are the 9th and 10th of October. This is an excellent opportunity to learn the basic skills involved in maki

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Irish Skib Basket One Day Course Thursday 28th September

Posted on 20 September 2023

There is an opportunity to attend this one-day workshop organised by Elaine at Stainmore Village Hall. The class will be tutored by Jean Tinsley and is suitable for both beginners and improvers. There will be a maximum of eight participants, and the

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Picnic at the Plot

Posted on 22 August 2023

I went to the summer picnic at the Chesterhope Willow plot on Sunday. It was a lovely sunny afternoon, perfect conditions to spend a few hours meeting and chatting with other basketry enthusiasts, sharing delicious food, and learning new willowy thin

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A Weekend on Lindisfarne

Posted on 17 August 2023

You are invited by Anne Otley of Lucker and Bamburgh Weavers and tutor Anna Turnbull of Biteabout Arts to a quiet weekend of willow weaving on Holy Island, off the Northumbrian Coast. If you would like more information about this event, please click

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Beginner Workshops at Whitley Chapel

Posted on 07 August 2023

On the 8th and 20th of July, the Whitley Chapel Basketry Group ran two very successful one-day beginner workshops making a traditional potato skib. The workshops, held in the village hall, were attended by thirteen people over the two days. In the mo

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Border Union Agricultural Show, Kelso Friday 28th & Saturday 29th July 2023

Posted on 02 August 2023

The Northumbria Basketry Group stall at BUAS displayed the skill and diversity of the work done within our group.  It was staffed by enthusiastic members, happy to chat with visitors about NBG and basketry in general. We also offered have-a-go oppo

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Finding Fibres Workshop with Anna Corbett II

Posted on 23 July 2023

This exciting workshop is scheduled for September when there is an abundance of plants suitable for foraging for plant fibres. Anna is a specialist in weaving with locally available plant fibres, and she will help identify and process a variety of pl

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Northumbrian Fishwife's Creel Workshop - November 2022

Posted on 06 January 2023

Elaine Blackett-Ord has written an excellent article about the workshop tutored by Anna Turnbull, held on Lindisfarne in November 2022. The workshop was organised by Anne Otley, who I am delighted to report is now Co-Chair of the national Basketmake

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Nourish Exhibition

Posted on 20 August 2022

The Crafts Centre, Farnham, Surrey, is hosting the exhibition from the 9th of August until the 29th of October. Three of our members, Anna Liebmann, Anna Turnbull and Ruth Thompson, are among sixteen full-time professional willow basket makers, arti

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Sophia Sturge

Posted on 16 February 2022

For basketry group members who have travelled to Connemara to attend workshops with Joe Hogan and indulge in such noteworthy pleasures as seaweed baths at Leenane, this book adds a delightful chapter about the development of basketry in the area. Wr

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Website Home Page Updates

Posted on 22 August 2021

Our basketry group website homepage now has an improved format. It is now easier to find information about joining self-help groups, purchasing willow rods, attending basketry classes, and making commissions for baskets and other articles made by gr

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Borders Group Picnic

Posted on 15 August 2021

Despite an unpromising forecast, the weather held for a visit to David and Tamsin's willow plot at Craig in the Borthwick Valley on the 7th of August. Nine Northumbria Basketry Group members enjoyed the visit, and it was good to catch up after

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Willow Work Holidays

Posted on 04 August 2021

Please check out the What's On section of the website for information about an Autumn willow work holiday.

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Whitley Chapel Picnic

Posted on 31 July 2021

Daphne Turner has created this delightful ceiling-hung flower arrangement following her visit to the picnic event at Whitley Chapel. Daphne recently joined the Cullercoats group, and it was her first visit to Whitley Chapel. After a tour of the wil

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The Gritlin Basket

Posted on 12 July 2021

The photos show a cran, much larger than the quarter cran measure - four times larger - we are familiar with from seaside postcards and which many of us have learned from Colin Manthorpe. It is used to hold a great line, cork around the rim to protec

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Basket Making Back in Coquetdale

Posted on 19 May 2021

We can report several firsts today, the first NBG session back running after lockdown, the first basketry day in the refurbished Hepple village hall and the first basket for Jeanette. Nine of us met together, doors open for ventilation, willow outsi

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Willow Handbags and Shoulder Bags

Posted on 11 May 2021

An opportunity to enjoy creating willow handbags and shoulder bags with Anna in early June. See the what's on section for further information.

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A Stunning Willow Sculpture

Posted on 10 May 2021

This striking willow sculpture made by Anna Turnbull is for a client with echoes of his granddaughters and also his profession - bookbinding . Anna started with drawings, measurements and then a metal skeleton made by her husband, Richard. The sequ

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Self Help Group Meetings - Coquetdale

Posted on 14 April 2021

Coquetdale group are poised to resume self-help sessions next month! See the website "what's on" for details.

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Sales of Willow Cuttings

Posted on 19 February 2021

The group has sold 312 cuttings to a customer in Bratislava, Slovakia, this month. They arrived in perfect condition, as can be seen in the attached photograph. Varieties were Norbury, Packing Twine, Bleu Bleu, Brittany Green, Calliantha, and Dicky

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Willow Harvesting at Chester Hope Complete

Posted on 02 February 2021

I am delighted to report that willow cutting operations at the new plot at Chester Hope were completed for the 2020/2021 season yesterday. Work did not start in earnest until early January, and it is quite an achievement to have completed the harve

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Northumbria Basketry Group Self-Help Groups

Posted on 01 January 2021

If you wish to attend a self-help meeting, please note that there is generally a pattern of times in the month when groups meet. Exceptions to the practice are December and the summer holiday period. (Check the What's-On section for details) We

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News from Coquetdale Group

Posted on 18 September 2020

Hello Basketeers, here's what Coquetdale basketmakers have produced at their re-start meeting. We were all geared up for a Covid restart in a different hall, while the Hepple hall gets a new roof. Willow was already soaking when the rule of six

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Coquetdale Group (formerly Hepple)

Posted on 03 September 2020

Next meeting of the group is scheduled for Wednesday 16th of September. The venue is Harbottle village hall, to be found above the surgery in Harbottle. (Hepple village hall is being re-roofed) The surgery is located in the main street as you enter

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Willow Plot Update

Posted on 11 August 2020

The contract for the willow plot land at Whittondean ran out at the end of July. A new plot has been commissioned and is up and running at Chester Hope. This plot is located close to Ryehill up the Coquet Valley from Rothbury. Following the removal

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Coffin Workshop

Posted on 30 June 2020

Why run a coffin workshop? Willow coffins tick all the boxes, aesthetically pleasing sustainable materials, low carbon footprint on delivery miles within the UK, all-round environmentally friendly, particularly so if lined with felted wool. Even bett

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Laundry basket

Posted on 24 February 2020

Anna is running a two day course in Lucker Saturday and Sunday 21/22 March to make a laundry basket as featured in Jenny Crisps new book. We will learn how to work from a square base frame to a round topped basket. The frames will be provided but A

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Weekend of Basketry with Mandy Coates & Rosie Farey

Posted on 30 January 2020

There are a few places still available for this workshop that is taking place in March.     Please check out the "what's on" section of the website for further details.

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Coppicing Biomass at Whitley Chapel

Posted on 25 January 2020

Whitley Chapel group have invited the Association of Pole Lathe Turners and Green Woodworkers to help with coppicing the biomass at Whitley Chapel next Sunday the second of February. If you would like to join in the activity, you will be most welcom

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Happy New Year

Posted on 09 January 2020

This year our group is off to a flying start with a busier workshop programme than ever before. From making a vegetable hod to learning how to do invisible stitching, the choice is vast. This year for the first time the group are running a coffin ma

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Two days at Lucker with Eddie Glew

Posted on 02 December 2019

Lucker and Bamburgh Willow Weavers are pleased to invite you to a two day basketmaking course with Eddie Glew. 1st/2nd February 2020 At Lucker Making this Vegetable Hod Through weaving this basket we will learn how to leave a gap in a basket and

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Willow Storage Shelter on Site Chesterhope

Posted on 03 October 2019

The willow storage shelter was moved from Whittondean to Chesterhope yesterday. The loading and unloading were kindly carried out by Derek Milburn from Holling Hill. Our thanks to Derek for helping out. Photographs show Derek tying down the shelter

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Bark at Lucker

Posted on 03 May 2019

Maggie Smith, the artist who works in bark , is returning to Northumberland this Summer. She has kindly offered us a two day advanced workshop this time which will give us more time to develop our work and also learn to prepare the bark ourselves. So

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A Walk Around the Lindisfarne Sculpture Trail

Posted on 26 June 2018

The Peregrini Lindisfarne Partnership willow sculptures are now all back out for the summer. Yesterday evening Etal Group had their walk around the trail. It was a perfect evening, spectacular sunshine, lots of wildlife and a delicious picnic on the

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Basketry, Willow Sculpture and Felt-Making

Posted on 11 June 2018

The June/July Issue of the Northumbrian features an article about Anna Turnbull and her work with willow and felt. Written by Susan Burke it tracks Anna's progression from her early days of studying fine arts at Camberwell School of Arts and Cra

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Changes to Newton and Whitley Chapel Group

Posted on 26 April 2018

The last meeting at Newton Community Hall took place yesterday, with 14 people in attendance making a range of baskets, peony supports and trugs. The group will relocate to Whitley Chapel with effect from May, with the May, June and July meetings be

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Lindisfarne Nature Trail Sculptures Walk

Posted on 01 August 2017

Yesterday evening a group of 20 people attended the inaugural walk to view the willow sculptures located at various points on the Island nature trail. The walk was led by Andrew Craggs, Reserve Manager Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve. (Natural En

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How to Make a Willow Sphere

Posted on 02 April 2015

Look up the Gallery Section of the website to see Ruth's images showing how to make a willow sphere.

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