at Freeman College - Ruskin Mill Trust

Transcription

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RUSKIN MILL EDUCATIONAL TRUST
Welcome to the Winter 2006 issue of Run of the Mill Magazine.
Run of the Mill , founded in 1995, is published each term and distributed
freely to all connected with Ruskin Mill Educational Trust (RMET) colleges.
Ruskin Mill Educational Trust operates three colleges: Ruskin Mill College in
Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, founded in 1987, Glasshouse College in Stourbridge, West Midlands opened in
2000, and recently, Freeman College, Sheffield, in 2005.
The Colleges aim to help young people make the step through special education to a valuable and fulfilled
life. They exist to meet the needs of those who have reached school leaving age and whose educational needs
cannot be met in mainstream colleges. Each college provides a curriculum to develop practical, social and
living skills through practical activity and engagement and the development of transferable skills to prepare
each student for their transition beyond college life.
As well as being educational centres, each college runs a cultural programme including exhibitions, artistic
events and worshops open to both the public, staff and students. They are also centres for craft and local
industry regeneration; textiles and land work in Nailsworth, glasswork in Stourbridge and metal work in
Sheffield, and active in developing links within local communities.
Run of the Mill offers students and staff an opportunity to express their creativity, work and experiences
within college life and reflect the work and aims of Ruskin Mill Educational Trust.
The work draws inspiration from Rudolf Steiner, John Ruskin and William Morris.
PA to the Council of Management: Laura Cammish. Tel: 01453 837605
Admissions for all three colleges: Tel 01453 837521. Email: admissions@rmet.org.uk
Run of the Mill Editor: Tel: 01453 837509. Email: william.mercer@rmc.rmet.org.uk.
Web site: www.ruskin-mill.org.uk
CONTENTS
Front Cover: Michaelmas Produce
30. Around the World
4.
Michaelmas Festival
32.
Green Woodwork
6.
The Great Chestnut
33.
Marriot Garden Update
7.
Canoe Building
34.
Catering at Freeman College
8.
Meteorology
36.
World Peace Flag Ceremony
10.
The 2nd International Festival of Glass
38.
Wilderness Trip
14.
Workshop Crossword
40. The Running Club & Africa
15.
Redhouse Glass Repairs
41.
16.
Dylan Thomas & Student Forum
42. Kasper Hauser ~ A New Book
18.
Iron Age Forge & Sisters United
43.
Drama
Wimbledon 2006
20. The Question of Compost
44. Crete 2006
21.
45.
Venice & Florence 2006
22. Return to Nepal
46.
Young Person of the Year Awards
24. Work Experience at Boarding Kennels
47.
Hydropower
25.
Apple Pressing
48.
The Ex-Files & Cartoon
26.
Ballet Hoo
50. Dolphin Wordsearch
Edward Payne Centenary
28. Pewter Live
51.
Events and Credits
29. Freeman College Fundraising
Back Cover: Art
THE COLLEGES
Ruskin Mill College (RMC)
Ruskin Mill College is set in over 100 acres of the
Horsley valley and includes a working farm and fish farm.
The Ruskin Mill café serves vegetarian lunches, coffee and cakes seven days a
week, 11 – 4 pm (no lunches on Sundays or Bank Holidays).
The Gallery is open for exhibitions seven days a week, 10 - 5 pm, as well as
hosting an arts and educational programme.
Ruskin Mill College, The Fisheries, Horsley, Gloucestershire, GL6 0PL.
Reception: 01453 837504. Fax: 01453 837506.
Email: enquiries@rmc.rmet.org.uk
Arts, Crafts and Cultural Development: 01453 837537.
Glasshouse College (GHC)
Glasshouse College is based at the former Royal Doulton glassworks in
Stourbridge and draws upon 200 years of heritage of high quality
craftsmanship. It provides an increasing range of opportunities for students,
particularly in glass-related crafts and the performing arts.
The Glasshouse café is open Monday - Saturday 10 am - 4 pm serving
vegetarian lunches, coffee and cakes.
The Glasshouse Studio Theatre runs a full programme of artistic and
educational events.
The Ruskin Glass Centre continues the traditions of glass work in
Stourbridge by independent businesses.
Glasshouse College, Wollaston Road, Amblecote, Stourbridge,
West Midlands, DY8 4HF.
Reception: 01384 399400. Fax: 01384 399401.
Glasshouse Studio Theatre Box Office: 01384 399458.
Email: enquiries@ghc.rmet.org.uk
Freeman College (FMC)
Founded in the heart of Sheffield’s silversmithing and cutlery industry,
Freeman College opened in September 2005. Named after the founder of
the Settlement movement in Sheffield, Arnold Freeman, the college provides
a range of practical activities in the heart of Sheffield’s industrial heritage, as
well as a cultural programme at the Merlin Theatre.
Freeman College, 27 Leadmill Road, Sheffield, S1 3JA.
Telephone 0114 2130290.
Email: info@fmc.rmet.org.uk
The Merlin Theatre, 2 Meadow Bank Road, Nether Edge, Sheffield, S11 9AH.
Telephone & Fax: 0114 255 1638.
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Run of the Mill ~ Winter 2006
Michaelmas has been celebrated outwardly since the 6th
Century AD and was a popular feast in the Middle Ages.
Celebrated on 29 September, one week after the autumn equinox, it honours Archangel Michael who is depicted as
defeating the flame-breathing, sulphurous dragon by wielding his flaming iron sword of truth. Inwardly, Michael
and the Dragon invokes an image of the great struggle for self-consciousness in man, arising through developing
strength of thought and will, over his unconscious, desire driven nature. This inner Harvest naturally finds its place,
in the Northern Hemisphere, as we celebrate the fruits of our labour in harvest gatherings, apple picking, the
fattened goose ready for the feast and a time to settle old accounts. Michaelmas and its underlying inspirational
archetype is therefore regarded as a cornerstone festival.
Michaelmas Festival
Ruskin Mill College
From the top:
Chris Bailey, dressed as the Sun, signifying
another yearly cycle of Earth orbiting the sun.
Ben Margolis lighting the fire at
the centre of the mandala.
The Horsley Mill bell being rung marking by Joe
Western, 1st-year, at the end of the ceremony and
the beginning of refreshments.
At Ruskin Mill, a craft and land
based college, we are aware of the
impact that the seasons have on our
lives. We therefore have felt that it
would be valuable to come together
and celebrate the changes of the
seasons in a simple and experiential
way.
We have chosen to celebrate the traditional Harvest festival
on Michaelmas Day, 29th September, around the Autumn
Equinox. As a time of thanksgiving, Michaelmas also ties in to
the mythologies of St Michael and St George at a time when we
descend into the darkness of winter. Dates have been chosen
to suit the academic year and the festivals are accessible to staff
and students.
This year, Michaelmas (and the harvest) at Ruskin Mill was
celebrated for the second time, when, last year, it was linked
with the inauguration of the newly cast bell at Horsley Mill.
Everyone was summoned by the ringing of the bell at Ruskin
Mill gathering round a trailer decorated and laden with fruits,
flowers and vegetables (see Front Cover).
Due to the rain, the musicians were unable to play but
Hamish Guerrini stepped in explaining the meaning for
Michaelmas and the wheel of the yearly cycle. Everyone was
invited to take some produce from the trailer and process up to
Horsley Mill where a circle or mandala had been laid out on
the grass. At the centre was a straw pile around which
everyone laid their gifts. We then sang a traditional song led
by Marc Arles, watched the sun circle the gifts played by Chris
Bailey and waved her goodbye as she left for the winter. The
fire was lit, by Ben Margolis, 3rd-year, a time for silent
remembrance and thanksgiving which was broken by the
ringing of the Horsley Bell.
Refreshments of freshly pressed apple juice, local cheese,
fresh bead and chutney were accompanied by music from
Stuart Wright, 3rd-year, and members of staff. With thanks to
all those who helped organise and attend we now look forward
to the Lantern Festival, celebrated at the end of the Autumn
term, to bring light and warmth to last until the Spring arrives.
By Patricia Digby, tutor
Michaelmas at
Freeman College
Freeman College celebrated
Michaelmas on Friday 29th September
2006. It was a superb late summer day
with beautiful light and a gentle warmth.
Staff and students met at 9 am in the
Arnold Freeman Hall at Tintagel House.
They were greeted by cello music played
by David Brown and a beautiful table
with fruits and flowers in a splash of
autumnal colours.
After my introduction and
welcoming of new students to the college, Drama tutor, Johanna van der Voort, told the story of Theseus and the
Minotaur, an ancient myth about facing your own fears and knowing that the help you need, will follow. John Pickin
told a modern story of courage about a young woman, Mary Ann Taylor, which had a particular strong resonance
with some of our students. This was followed by an inspiring talk about meteorites given by Aonghus Gordon
echoing the theme of the day about the value of deeds, conscientiously and courageously done at this time of year, as
we go into the darkness approaching Christmas ready to emerge with the coming of the light in the spring.
We ended the morning with more cello music and all dispersed to the different sites to enjoy planting bulbs for
the spring. At Wentworth this was lead by Annette Petch, the Jewellery tutor, where all staff and students joined in
with good humour and cups of tea.
Helen Kippax, Deputy Head of College
Glasshouse College
Our Michaelmas was an extraordinary
celebration at the Glasshouse, reminding
us as we go into winter, of the power of
wakeful community.
We began with a short presentation of the
life of Kaspar Houser, whose birthday is on
Michaelmas day. Three moving images
were presented of the life of Kaspar, images
which a lot of us know from our own
experience. The first was of Kaspar being
chained up in a small cell, where for 12
years he played with two wooden horses, and survived
without any feeling of resentment or hate. The second
image was him learning to speak, and meeting his
teacher Daumer, who helped him learn in five years
what an ordinary person would learn in fifteen – to
become an upright adult human being with a sense of
destiny (hopefully).
The third image was the
assassination of Kaspar, and the representation of how
he carries on living in the hearts of those who strive for
community and brotherhood, that which Kaspar was
destined to achieve.
Left: Kasper Hauser by Greg Tricker (see page 42)
and the presentation, above.
The presentation was followed by the ringing
of the bell, the knocker of which is meteoric
iron. Meteors often fall to earth in showers at the time
of Michaelmas, when the spiritual world seems to
penetrate the earth with seeds. At the time of Kaspar’s
birth there was a huge comet, as there often is when
great people are born.
Michaelmas was followed by our festival, The Child of
Europe, which brought together communities and
individuals, in the most profound way.
Mike Chase, Director of Glasshouse Theatre
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Ruskin Mill College
The Great Chestnut
Rebecca Crowther and Clare McKinnon visited the Great
Chestnut in an art lesson with tutor Sue Reed, which inspired
Rebecca’s storytelling and artwork and Claire’s research.
The Old Grandpa
by Rebecca Crowther, 4th-year
Artwork by Rebecca Crowther
Here stands the Old Grandpa in the twilight,
reflecting the dark shapes of the shadows.
The wind is rattling and the cobwebs come off and fly like birds in the breeze.
The life of the Grandpa has seen King John sitting on the ground.
He has experienced war and hunting.
The Grandpa is safe, quiet, rough on the outside
and smooth as silk on the inside.
Grandpa’s heart is solid and calm.
The shapes on the outside show his life
and we can imagine what he’s been through.
If you stand next to him, you feel secure and it warms the cockles of your
heart. The world is an oyster around him.
When it is dark and silent, you can hear him singing in the breeze.
When we leave him we feel as though he is still in us, and when we walk out
we turn around, see him waving and smiling and disappears with the fairies.
The Great Chestnut at Tortworth, Gloucestershire
By Clare McKinnon, 3rd-year
The sweet chestnut was growing when Alwold held Tortworde in Bachestaines Hundred in the reign of King
Edward the Confessor. The famous ancient sweet chestnut was a landmark in the boundary records compiled in the
reign of King John and was known as “the Great Chestnut”. Legend has it that he sat under the tree, which had
grown from a tiny, tiny seed.
The enormous tree was measured over 50 feet in circumference in 1720 and it is still flourishing today. It is
generally accepted that the sweet chestnut was probably introduced into England by the Romans, using the chestnut
to make bread for the soldiers. In Frascatti (near Rome), famous for its wine, thousands of chestnut trees grow
along the ancient Roman roads. People collect the nuts and will
preserve them in syrup, roast them and dry them. At Christmas, it is
traditional to stuff the turkey with chestnuts. I tasted my first cooked
chestnut recently and it tasted like dried potatoes.
When I first visited the tree (right), I thought that it is beautiful; it
is tall and enormous. Lightning has struck the tree and it has grown
into different shapes. For hundreds of years, the tree was visited by
deer, wildlife and people, and in the seventeenth century, a large
stately home was built close to it. The home was destroyed by fire.
The tree now stands protected by a fence and a gate – it can be visited
at any time. A sign on the gate reminds us of the antiquity of the tree.
It says:
This tree was supposed to be six hundred years old on 1st January, 1800.
May man still guard thy venerable farm,
From the rude blasts and tempestuous storm,
Still mayest thou flourish through succeeding time,
And last, long last, the wonder of the clime.
Ruskin Mill College
CANOE BUILDING AT BRIGHTSIDE FARM
Article and layout and design by John Powell, 2nd-year
Peter Skinner came up with the idea to build a canoe using a Native American style. Instead of using
conventional wood, we decided to use marine ply, which is watertight.
It was originally a joining of two groups: Peter Skinner, Robert Palmer and myself, with Richard Turley’s
group, Michael Nares and Jo Moreland. Halfway through the project we were joined by John Cooper and his two
students Luke Turle and Tony Owen.
The planning began at Rich Turley’s green woodwork shop and then went to Gloucester’s old docks to pick up
four pieces of marine ply and a lot of watertight epoxy resin. We then began construction at Brightside where we
made a temporary dry dock. The equipment included hammers, hand drills, hand saws and clamps.
In order to get the length of the canoe, approximately 12 – 15 inches, two pieces of marine ply were glued
together. The measurements had to be exact otherwise it wouldn’t take shape.
We started cutting the two sheets to make the bottom and two sides which could literally be folded over. The
cut seams then had to be hand-sewn with copper wire which holds the form together until it can be glued with the
help of the clamps. The seams were glued to make sure that they stayed in shape and to help seal the boat. The
epoxy was then vanished and another layer added.
Then we added the gun rails, made from oak, which were shaped and held into place by clamps and using a
draw knife. We sanded down the corners of the rails and screwed the forward and back ends together to give the
canoe its shape. Afterwards, we varnished the boat and added more epoxy. We launched it on Open Day, 13th
July 2006, and found two small holes, one along the left-hand seam and one on the back tail.
We have recently finished a second canoe and both have been named. We named the first canoe “Old Spot”
after the well-known cattle breed from Gloucestershire and the second “King Arthur”, but the name is still under
review. The two canoes are now at Richard Turley’s workshop at Gables Farm undergoing seat fitting and paddle
making. We hope to take them for trials and we will keep you posted.
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Freeman College
Meteorology
By Tom Ridley, 2nd–year, Freeman College
Meteorology is the term used to describe the study of
our weather. Since starting at Freeman College, I’ve
been studying meteorology at Tintagel House with the
help of a little weather station.
Question: Why do we measure the weather?
Answer: Weather can be described using terms such as
wet or fine, warm or cold, windy and calm, so why is
there a need to measure the weather? For most people, a
description of the weather is adequate but for many
businesses more detailed and accurate measurements are
required. The science of studying weather is called
meteorology. Weather scientists or meteorologists
measure temperature, rainfall, pressure, humidity,
sunshine and cloudiness and they make predictions and
forecasts about what the weather will do in the future.
This is important for giving people advance notice of
severe weather such as floods and hurricanes.
Meteorology is one of the subjects that I have had on my
timetable for the last term. We are based at Tintagel
House where a small weather station has been set up.
When we arrive, the first thing we do is take the readings
from the weather station, also known as a Stevenson’s
screen. A Stevenson’s screen is a white louvred box
which enables a stable airflow over the thermometers
inside. It was designed by the father of Robert Louis
Stevenson. In order to prevent direct sunlight falling on
and affecting the instruments when the door is opened, it
is designed so that the door opens to the north in the
northern hemisphere. This is because the sun never
shines from the north. It is painted white to reflect
incoming radiation from the sun and is set at a height of
1.25 metres above the ground, so as not to be affected by
the earth’s low-level radiation. The screen should be
kept clean from dust and dirt.
The first reading we take is the temperature. The
thermometer we use to measure the temperature is a
little different to a normal
thermometer because it gives two
readings; the maximum and minimum
temperatures.
The diagram shows that there are two
markers one for the maximum
temperature and one for the
minimum. The mercury in the tube
pushes the markers as temperature go
up or down. After taking the two
readings, we set them back to the mercury column with
a magnet. After this, we read off the barometric
pressure. This is recorded in millibars, written Mbars.
An average low pressure is around 950 Mbars and the
average high pressure is around 1040 Mbars. When we
take barometric pressure, we measure the mass of the
atmosphere at ground level.
In addition to the readings taken from the Stevenson’s
screen, we measure the amount of daily rainfall in an
area close to the screen. This is collected in a metal
container with a funnel shaped lid. The rain water is
channelled by the funnel into the container which can
be removed to take a measurement. We measure the
rainfall in centimetres. There is often no rainfall, (and
therefore no reading to take) or on other occasions one
thunderstorm can give a measurement of 25 mm or
more.
You can learn quite a lot by looking at the sky and the
next thing we do is to observe the clouds. There are
many names to describe them. There are three levels of
sheet clouds; the first one is high level and they have
many different names; they are cirrostratus, cirrus
uncinus, cirrocumulus, and aircraft contrails. This section
of cloud is above 6000 metres. The medium section of
cloud is between 2000 and 6000 metres and their
names are altostratus, altocumulus lenticularis, altocumulus
castellanus, altocumulus undulatus. The low section of
cloud is below 2000 metres. The
cloud names are cumulus, stratocumulus,
stratus, fractostratus, cumulonimbus and
nimbostratus.
Finally we estimate the strength of the
wind which can range from dead calm
to gale force, storm force and only
rarely in this country, hurricane force.
The wind is officially measured on the
Freeman College
Beaufort scale, but a verbal description can be just as useful.
One of the other activity’s that we do is to compare the relative size of
raindrops. We cut some circles out of some scrap card and we painted them
blue; these circles illustrated the difference in scale of different types of rain
drops. We compared three different sizes. The cloud droplets are 100
microns, a light drizzle is 200 microns and a rain drop is 2000 microns.
And that is how meteorology works where you can find all sorts of
information about the weather.
Autumn around Tintagel House
By John Dean and Philip Rose, 1st-years, taken in
Meteorology with tutor, Emma Dent
John Dean, left, and Philip Rose at
the weather station, Tintagel House.
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Glasshouse College
The Second
International
Festival of Glass
A review by Directors, Janine Christley and Keith Brocklehurst with
articles from students and the Curator of the British Glass Biennale
The second International Festival of Glass was very
well attended, with lots of activities at venues all over the
Stourbridge Glass Quarter. So many people wanted to visit
that we had to hire extra taxis and coaches to pick everyone
up from the special park and ride service.
There were lots of exhibitions, including five at the
Glasshouse and the British Glass Biennale. Glasshouse
College students’ work
was on display in their
excellent end of year
exhibition. Visitors
were very interested
and Neighbourhood
Head, Ollie Cheney,
was delighted when a
prospective new day
student decided to join
after seeing it.
Some wonderful artists
from abroad joined us
for the festival. The
most
popular
workshops were in
Bruce Airhead entertaining
neon, beadmaking and
crowds in the courtyard
Viking furnace building.
The neon group made a
sculpture for us, now on display in the Ruskin Glass Centre.
The masterclass artists stayed on to demonstrate their work
over the festival weekend, drawing huge appreciative
crowds.
A glass eyemaker came over from Germany and showed
everyone how he makes
glass eyes. They looked
incredibly real, with little
red veins and clever
colouring.
The street entertainment
was fun; Bruce Airhead
blew up a giant green
balloon and climbed into
it; when it went pop he
came out dressed as
superman!
The finale was
Walter Hellbach
showed visitors how
he makes glass eyes
Ex-student Justin Wooldridge gets the Zandra
Rhodes treatment before the fashion finale.
spectacular. Famous fashion designer, Zandra Rhodes, and
glass sculptor Andrew Logan dressed and made up
glassmakers and volunteers in fantastic colourful clothes and
huge mosaic jewellery and they all strutted down the
catwalk in the Big Top to live Banghra music. Ex-student
Justin Wooldridge also took part – see photo above. The
Andrew Logan and Zandra Rhodes join the models on the
catwalk at the end of the glitzy fashion finale.
festival was incredibly busy; the student play, Through Glass
Darkly, was sold out, and students and staff worked very
hard to keep everyone fed, watered, parked and happy. A
huge thank you to everyone who took part or visited.
We look forward to the next festival in 2008.
Janine Christley
Norman Courtney, one of our
visiting masters from the U.S., who
directed the Synergy project, told us,
“The IFG was a pleasure to be a part of.
I had the opportunity to meet many
British glass artists that I only knew
from photos of their work.
The inclusion of other events,
especially the play and the fashion show
elevated the whole festival above a
mere seminar of technique and made
it a lasting memory”.
Norman Courtney
was one of the
visiting masters
Glasshouse College
A Festival of
Collaborations
A review of the Master Classes by Festival Director and
Head of Glass, Keith Brocklehurst
The second festival brought together an
extraordinary array of glass practitioners who
shared and demonstrated their particular skills
with both fellow professionals and public alike. The
list of artists gives an indication of the content of
this unique gathering.
Rik and Shelley Allen (USA) - Glass blowing and hot
sculpting; Elio Quarisa (Murano) - Venetian-style
glassmaking; Iestyn Davies (UK) - Hot sculpting; Frances
Binnington (UK) - Verre Eglomise; Deb Cocks (Aus) - Glass
painting; David Ruth and Norman Courtney (USA) - Glass
casting; Wayne Strattman (USA) - Neon; Josef Marek
(Czech Republic)) - Cold working; Loren Stump (USA) Flame working; Diana East (UK) - Bead making; Walter
Hellbach (Germany) - Lampworking; Torben Sode
(Denmark) - Viking glass making.
Husband and wife team Rik Allen and Shelley Muzylowski
Allen enthralled crowds with their hot glass sculpting work.
Bringing together this extraordinary group of makers was a
very significant event for many of them as it facilitated a
sharing of ideas and an exploration for future collaborations.
All the lectures were well attended and gave a contemporary
snapshot view of glassmaking around the world.
For me, highlights were the virtuoso demonstrations of
Venetian glassmaking techniques by Elio Quarisa, Rik and
Shelley Allen’s meticulous teamwork in realising Shelley’s
animal sculptures and Loren Stump, who usually works with
state-of-the-art lampworking tools, putting Torben Sode’s
ingenious charcoal-fired clay Viking furnace through its
paces!
Feedback from the masters has been very positive with
several asking when they can come back again!
Bruce
Airhead
Above:
Wayne Strattman
demonstrates
neon working
techniques to
class participant
Fiaz Elson.
Right:
One of Torben
Sode’s class
participants tries
her hand with
his little Viking
Furnace made at
the festival.
Iestyn Davies, Elio Quarisa and Richard Golding working
together at the Glassmaker’s Supper held at Richard’s
Okra Studios in Wordsley.
Right:
Loren Stump
shows some of
his students his
flameworking
techniques
during his
master class.
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Glasshouse College
Students Help Make International
Festival of Glass A Huge Success
A number of students worked in various capacities during
the Glass Festival; in the kitchen, serving meals and ice
creams, organising car parking and helping with the technical
services. Here are a couple of extracts from their reviews:
Working at the Glass Festival
Keeping The Cars In Order
by Rob Hansford 3rd Yr GHC
During the Festival I was involved in a play (see below) but I
also helped other students manage the site car parking and at
the overflow car park at a large factory next door.
by Nick Horton 3rd YrGHC
When I was doing the car park next
door, I had to stand a long way from the
entrance where other students and staff
were stationed because there was an
area at the back which can hold at least
131 cars. We had walkie-talkies so we
could stay in contact with each other,
the festival office and the main car park
at the college.
In the Glass Festival I worked on Friday
and Saturday in the organic shop serving
people. There were also people serving
ice creams and there was also a bar
which I frequented regularly which ran
out of beer twice because it was so
popular. There was also a tea and coffee
tent, a barbecue and a baguette stand.
On the Sunday morning of the festival I
There were some street entertainers and
went straight from the house to college
one, Bruce Airhead, got in a giant balJason Hall (on roof) assisted Greg
and started doing the last rehearsal for
loon and came out again dressed up as Bould in setting up sound and lighting
the play. Before the performance
Superman and Elvis (2 separate per- systems for the festival
though, I had to help out with the car
formances). It was very busy and the
park
for
the
last
time
and it was absolutely heaving with cars.
atmosphere was very exciting. If I was here for the next one
It
had
been
busy
on
Saturday
but Sunday was even busier. I
I would probably work but I probably won’t because I will
had to do the play for the members of the public and the
be leaving next summer. There were loads of people and I
visiting glass artists from around the world.
think all of them seemed to enjoy it – I certainly did!
My Part in Through Glass Darkly
by Rob Hansford 3rd Yr GHC
During the August Festival at the Glasshouse, I took part in a drama production called Through Glass Darkly. We had been
working on it for a long time and it was very difficult to do. The play was set in the Eighteenth century and was about a lad
called Will whose family were involved in the Glass Industry in Stourbridge.
In the production, which was a play within a play (there was a group of people in it who were putting on their own play as part
of the story), I had three parts to play which were Jack in the main play and Zeus, in the play within the play, and Heckler.
Jack was one of the glass blowers whose job was to gather the
glass from the furnace and make it in to a shape ready for the
gaffer.
Zeus was a God, a character in the second play, who only
appeared in one scene. Heckler was a member of the audience
and sometimes sat with them from where I shouted out my lines
(heckling the other actors).
On the Friday, we did our last minute rehearsal in the big top
tent while the festival was going on at the same time. About half
an hour before the show I felt a bit nervous, but was ready to do
it. During the show, some of us forgot our lines but we always
made something up on the spot and managed to make the
people laugh.
Rob Hansford (left) pictured in costume with other
members of the cast of ‘Through Glass Darkly’.
After the last show during the festival the reaction of the
audience was really great and it made us feel proud of what we
had achieved.
Glasshouse College
Two views across the huge exhibition space where the Biennale was held and in the centre, the winning piece by Max Jacquard.
The British Glass Biennale
Exhibition Curator Candice-Elena Evans interviewed by Rob Hansford 3rd Year GHC
The second British Glass Biennale was held once again
at The Glasshouses’s historic Lower Glasshouse, once the
scene of traditional glass making by one of the town’s leading manufacturer’s, Webb Corbett Crystal. Today the International Festival of Glass is bringing attention back to this
imposing space by exhibiting glass art by British-based artists
who competed to win one of two £5000 prizes.
R.H. Which was the most popular piece
of Glass?
C-E.E Colin Reed’s ‘Still Life (right)
with Vegetables’ was the public’s most
popular piece and was also one of the
jury’s top ten pieces from which they
chose Max Jacquard’s ‘For My Lost
Loves III’ (photo: top centre) as the
overall winner of the Biennale Award.
R.H. How many pieces were shown
and how many did you sell?
C-E.E There were 175 pieces in total and at the last count
thirty-eight pieces had been sold.
R.H. Which was the most expensive piece of Glass?
C-E.E Jessica Townsend’s ‘Perfect Home’
doll’s house was £11,000 and Margareth
Troli’s ‘Illusionary Space III’ was a similar
price.
R.H. How many visitors did you get over
the whole weekend?
C-E.E Approximately 3,000 over the festival weekend and a further 4,000 or so
over the following three weeks of the exhibition.
R.H. Did we have any famous visitors and
if so who?
Hundreds of invited guests
attended the opening night.
Piece: Vanessa Cutler ‘Spinal Wave’
C-E.E The Mayor and local MP Lynda Waltho attended the
Opening Night. Mrs Waltho presented one of the awards.
Andrew Logan and Zandra Rhodes also visited when they
came to the Festival Fashion Finale.
R.H. What did the artists think of the Exhibition?
C-E.E Most of the artists were proud to be there, enjoyed
the opening night and were pleased
with the way we presented their work.
Less established artists were very excited to be involved in a high profile
international event.
R.H. How long did it take to set up
the Exhibition?
C-E.E The organisation of the exhibition began before Christmas 2005 and
involved inviting artists to submit
work for the jury selection process. I
didn’t know how much or what kind of work I would have
to exhibit until after the jury process at the end of April. The
planning for the 175 pieces that were eventually chosen took
a further two months and the actual set up and build took
about six weeks.
R.H. What made you do the Biennale in
the first place?
C-E.E I had done the first Biennale in
2004 because the space was very inspiring
and challenging. Devising a new way of
presenting even more pieces of glass (there
were about 25% more than the first show)
was a new challenge and I was delighted to
accept. The response from visitors and artists has been very encouraging.
I was helped throughout the process by my
assistant, Michelle Keeling, and also enjoyed working on the Biennale catalogue
with the designer, Chris Day, and Festival
Director, Janine Christley.
See more at: www.ifg.org.uk
13
14
Glasshouse College
Workshop Crossword
Devised by Wayne Rogers, 3rd Yr GHC
Across
1. Create your own necklaces and earrings
5. Work with bodkins, fletchers and quivers
8. Taking a snap shot of college life
11. College is alive with the sound of …....
13. Improve your reading and writing
14. Make a new face for yourself
15. You can make vessels from the earth
16. Have fun on two wheels
17. Too cloudy to study the weather?
1
Down
2. Getting glass from old computers
3. Telling stories with models on strings
4. Get your motor ready to drive
6. Making things out of metal and fire
7. A chip off the old block?
9. Make glass bubbles with irons?
10. Opening locks to go places
12. Run the gauntlet with birds of prey
2
3
4
5
G
L
A
S
S H
O U
S
E
6
W O
R
K
S H
O P
8
S
7
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
b
y
w
a
y
n
e
r
o
g
e
r
s
The answers to the crossword can be found amongst the following workshops: (beware, there are a few ’Red Herrings’):
Hotglass, CarMechanics, Meteorology, Bikes, Weaving, CWN, MaskUse,
Recycling, StoneCarving, Jewellery, Art, Puppetry, Music, Archery, Falconry,
Narrowboat, Pottery, Photography, Blacksmithing, Basketry, GlassCutting.
Definition of A Red Herring: A distraction from the real issue.
15
Glasshouse College
Redhouse Glass Repairs
By Craig Ravenscroft 3rd Year GHC
One of the businesses at The Ruskin Glass
Centre is one of the very few specialist
repairers of crystal in the country. It is run
by Brett and Richard, who provide work
experience for students of The Glasshouse
College. I have been learning about the
process with them this term.
4. Intaglio Diamond
Cutting Lathe (inside
bevel). This is used for
smoothing the inside of the
glass and edging the inside of
the glass.
All kinds of glass can be repaired from wine glasses to
vases. There are lots of different machines for doing
various jobs such as smoothing and polishing the glass.
There are different sanding machines that give you a nice
finish on the edge of the lip so you don’t cut your lip when
you drink out of the glass!
5. Upright Linisher
Cork Polishing Belt –
There are various types of lathes for cutting the glass and
an edging wheel is used for getting rid of a rough edge and
making it very smooth. This machine is also used for
getting rid of a chip or unevenness on the top and making
the thickness of the glass uniform.
(A fun machine!). This is used
for polishing the outside and
edges of the glass to a fine
finish.
Here’s my guide to the tools of the trade.
1. Flat Diamond
Wheel
6. Belt ItPolishing Arm
This is used for
grinding a rough edge
on a glass and it is also
used for getting the
edge straight. The
wheel is covered with
used for polishing
the inside of the
glass for a fine finish
using a fairly fine
grade grit belt.
a wet rag to keep the wheel
moist and minimise
splashing.
2. Upright Linisher
(grit belt) for smoothing the
outside of the glass so
you get a good finish.
3. Flat Stone
Smoothing
Wheel
This gets the glass
even smoother.
7. Polishing
Brushes/ Mops
used for the final
polishing process. It has
fine bristles designed for
giving you a dull finish
on the small wheel.
Then for the final finish
there is another wheel
called a cerox which
gives the glass the highly
polished finish. After
you’ve used this
machine the job is
complete.
16
Ruskin Mill College
Dylan
Thomas
The Gower Penninsula
This summer, my wife Nagako, and I took Gareth
Taylor (1st-year) to visit South Wales. We based
ourselves on the south side of the beautiful Gower
Peninsula near Port Eynon and spent a week touring the
area together. We also very much enjoyed the
wonderful Gower beaches!
One day, we made a trip to Tenby in
Pembrokeshire and, on the way stopped off in the little
town of Laugharne (pronounced Larne) where Dylan
Thomas lived during the latter years of his life. His
famous story/play entitled “Under Milk Wood” was
written here and much of the setting and the characters
in the book were based on the town and its local citizens.
Gareth was extremely taken with Dylan’s Boathouse
where Dylan lived with his wife Caitlin and their
children. We also saw Dylan’s writing shed very similar
to Ruskin Mill sheds. As a consequence, we decided that
we would prepare an article upon our return so we will
leave Gareth to tell this part of the story. We have also
included part of Dylan Thomas’ “Poem On His Birthday”
which was penned here in Laugharne.
On the way back to Stroud, we stopped in Swansea
to visit the Dylan Thomas Centre, which was opened in
January 2002 in Swansea’s former Technical College.
The exhibition is beautifully laid out and celebrates in
words and images the life and death of Wales’ most
famous writer. This seemed a fitting end to our
wonderful week spent in Wales.
By David Cooper, Houseparent
Extract from ‘Poem On His Birthday’
by Dylan Thomas
In the mustardseed sun,
By full tilt river and switchback sea
Where the cormorants scud,
In this house on stilts high among beaks
And palavers of birds
This sandgrain in the bent bay’s grave
He celebrates and spurns
His driftwood thirty fifth wind turned age;
Herons spire and spear.
Under and around him go
Flounders, gulls, on their cold, dying trails,
Doing what they are told,
Curlews aloud in the congered waves
Work at their ways to death
And the rhymer in the long tongued room,
Who toils his birthday bell,
Toils towards the ambush of his wounds;
Herons, steeple stemmed bless.
In the thistledown fall,
He sings towards anguish; finches fly
In the claw tracks of hawks
On a seizing sky; small fishes glide
Through wynds and shells of drowned
Ship towns to pastures of otters…..
…..my shining men no more alone
As I sail out to die.
Printed with permission of David Higham Associates
Top Left: Dylan Thomas’s Boathouse. Above: His writing
shed as it may have looked in 1953. Overleaf: Gareth
standing outside the shed. Left: Gareth in Dylan’s sitting
room in the Boathouse.
Photos by David Cooper.
17
Ruskin Mill College
My visit to Dylan Thomas’s
Boathouse
by Gareth Taylor, 2nd year
On Wednesday 19th July, I went to Dylan Thomas’s
Boathouse in Laugharne near Tenby with Dave and
Nagako Cooper. I saw the writing shed that Dylan
Thomas once used to write his novels and one of them
was called Under Milk Wood.
I also went to his boathouse and I saw the lounge,
which had an old fireplace, old phone, old furniture,
clock, mantelpiece and fireplace. It had a view of the sea
and it was lovely.
When we went upstairs we saw pictures of Dylan
Thomas and his family. We also watched a programme on TV and it was about Dylan Thomas and his life.
Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea, Wales on 27th October 1914 and he spent some of his time in Chelsea,
London. He completed the novel Under Milk Wood in 1953 while he was living in the boathouse in Laugharne,
Wales. Sadly, Dylan Thomas died on 9th November 1954, aged 39. He had drunk 18 whiskies and was in a coma
for some time. Under Milk Wood was first performed in 1953. Myself, Dave and Nagako had lunch in the tea-room
downstairs and then we saw the sea from the window and it was lovely.
So, all in all, I really enjoyed the boathouse and shall go again soon.
~ To make a link between the college and the local
community
at Ruskin Mill College
The Ruskin Mill Student Forum was started in 2005
by tutors Ian Blythe and Tracey Bowen after hearing a
student talk about his
involvement with a student
council at his old school.
After a conversation with
management and a small
waiting period, the forum
was born.
The first meeting was
attended by two members
of staff and six students.
They were asked what
were the main goals of the
Student Forum and came
up with the main points of
how it would work:
~ So that the students can have a voice and make
suggestions towards how the colleges runs
~ To improve awareness about a range of different
subjects, including anti-bullying and equality &
diversity
~ To have a better link with the college
management
The Student Forum now meets weekly in the
Nailsworth Boys Club, instead of the college site, so we
can be closer to the local community.
Over the last few
years the forum has
organised fundraising
events, a Christmas raffle
which generated £600 for
the restoration of the Boys
Club which is now called
the N.Y.C.E. (Nailsworth
Community Youth
Enterprise). Some of this
has gone towards giving
the place a new lick of
paint.
The Student Forum is now looking to set up a
space to have a permanent exhibition where
information about different awareness weeks and forum
projects can be displayed. One possibility now being
discussed is to have the exhibition in the new student
portacabin. In the future we hope to form a student
council, which will be an elected body representing the
students.
By Stuart Wright, 3rd-year.
18
Ruskin Mill College
Iron Age Forge
The Process of Knife Making
by Justin Smith,
with tutor Arian Leljak,
compiled with Elly Pace, CWN tutor
My first project was to make a knife which I made out
of spring steel. First I heated the spring up until it
formed an orange colour. Using a hammer and anvil, I
straightened the spring until it was a perfect cylinder.
Then with a cold chisel, I cut this piece off. After this I
then flattened the piece. To make the shape of the flat,
I put the straight edge on the anvil and with a hammer I
hit it on a diagonal angle till the blade shape was
formed. I made the neck by using a neck fuller and
beating it with a hammer until the neck was formed.
reason I did this was so the metal would become soft.
The reason for this is so I could use a file to make the
edges sharper.
Next I made the basic shape of the handle which was a
rectangle. Using a hand drill, I drilled a small hole on
the top part of the handle so that the tang part of the
knife could fit in. I placed the knife blade in a vice with
the handle half way up the tang. Using a mallet, I
carefully tapped the handle into place. This part was
annoying because I split the handle twice and took three
attempts to do it right (picture below).
Next I used a filer to shave most of the wood of the
handle till it was rounded. At first it was going to be
quite a basic knife handle. I found it started to form a
curve at the end. Arian told me this was what
Norwegian knives looked like.
This was the most painful part of the process:
sandpapering!!!! It took me two weeks of constant
sanding. Sandpaper has grades to show how coarse it is
Next, using a chisel and hammer, I cut the remaining
metal which was no longer needed. I then started to
make the tang, which is the part of the knife which slots
into the handle. I placed just the smaller piece of metal
after the neck on the anvil. Then using a hammer (yet
again) I hammered it so the tang expanded. I would do
this until it formed a long narrow point (photo above).
After the tang, I placed the knife in the forge to heat it
up and left it overnight for it to slowly cool down. The
Ruskin Mill College
– the lower the
grade, the rougher
the paper. I rubbed
the knife with the
sandpaper going up
and down the knife
and never across. It
took 30–45 minutes
till I could move up
a grade. The grades
go from 60, 80,
100, 120, 140, 160,
180, 220, 280, 340
and then 600… not
much, huh? When
this was finally over
I smeared the handle with linseed oil which would give
protection and darken the colour.
I glued these all together so it could hold its shape when
it came to stitching. After I made holes in it with a hole
punch, I then threaded some lace through until it was
through the holes.
I feel I enjoyed my time at the forge with Arian and the
rest of the group and that all the hard work did pay off.
After the knife was made, I then made a knife sheath
(picture above). I drew the shape of it on a piece of
leather, folded it and cut it out. I made a third piece to
go in the middle of the sheath so that the knife wouldn't
cut the dried glue when it went in. I then glued the
folds together leaving room for the knife to fit in.
ISTERS UNITED (& DOG)
WALK FOR CHARITY
21st June 2006
In June, the two girls groups combined to take part in
a Sponsored Walk to raise money for the Williams’s
Syndrome Foundation. There were 23 of us in total, 14
girls and 9 staff members, We walked around two of the
lakes in Woodchester Park stopping for a picnic along the
way. We raised the incredible amount of £440 which was
sent off to the Foundation for them to use to help with
research. William’s Syndrome is a rare disorder and
Sarah Harley, a second year student who took part in the
walk, suffers from this condition and was thrilled that the girls had raised all this money. She has written the
following report.
‘The two girls groups decided to go on a sponsored walk so that we could raise some money for the William’s
Syndrome Foundation. We arrived at the walking place at 7.30 pm on a Wednesday evening. I was very excited
about the walk. There were a lot of girls on the walk. I walked with two of the girls. It was quite hard and
sometimes I stopped for breaks because I was out of breath. Four people hurt themselves but not badly. I felt sorry
for them.
After a while we all stopped for supper and Neesa said a speech, then Sally and then I did. It was wonderful and
then we walked back. When we got to the end of it, we all cheered and I said thank you. I was very touched by the
all the money we raised and very proud of all the girls.’
By Sarah Harley, 2nd year
19
20
Ruskin Mill College
The Question of
COMPOST
through a process of digestion. The countless
microorganisms, worms and insects, channel the
organic material through their system as food, and leave
an altered substance behind. We can only support this
activity by providing the right living conditions for
everybody involved, but it is certainly not us doing the
work.
I chose to work with compost as my project for a few
reasons. First of all I had a feeling that it was work that
needed to be done. Composting requires quite a bit of
time and effort, and needs to be held in somebody’s
consciousness. In that respect it is an ideal apprentice
project.
Article and photographs by Florian Sneider,
Biodynamic Apprentice at Ruskin Mill
During the last year of my apprenticeship at Ruskin
Mill College, I have been working with compost. My
aim was to create some infrastructure for a system
which is easy to use, and
suitable for the work c
environment at Gables Farm
Horticulture.
Also I was drawn to the forgiving nature of composting.
Whenever something goes wrong with the growing,
you pile it up and cover it, and soon there will be lovely
humus to support the new growth.
Weeding also becomes a pleasurable exercise, of
harvesting ingredients for the
c
compost pile. Nothing is
wasted in the garden, nothing is
worthless.
I was also building a rat-proof
Finally I developed a strong
worm compost to secure the
feeling of awe towards the
disposal of the food wastes
eternal wheel of life unfolding
from the woodland kitchen.
on the surface of Gaia, our
My internal aim was to get a
home planet. From dust we
feeling and insight for the
were made and dust we shall
Process of Decomposition,
be; in the end we all have to
which revealed itself as
face a composting process!
Florian composting at Gables Farm,
incredibly complex and
What closer relationship to the
and the final humous, below.
multifaceted, and which still
subject can we find?
largely remains a mystery to me. No scientific
These are just a few thoughts, feelings and pictures
explanation could so far satisfy my interest in the
about the work I have done with compost at during my
transformation of organic matter.
final part of the Biodynamic course at Ruskin Mill .
Why does a compost pile heat up? There is an increase
of activity of heat-loving bacteria. Yes, but why does it
heat up? Is there a process of unfolding of sunlight,
which has previously been stored in the plant body
through photosynthesis, and is now being unlocked by
the work of decomposing bacteria?
What turns a bit of soil, water and sunlight into a
colourful, organised, form of vegetation, and what
reverses that growth again, into a pile of dark brown
humus?
The compost pile is a living organism hosting an
intricate web of life, which transforms organic matter
Ruskin Mill College
Introduction
Edward Payne: 1906 – 1991
Earlier this year, as a celebration of the centenary of
the birth of Edward Payne, two exhibitions were
mounted – one at Ruskin Mill and one at Box Village
Hall. The first concentrated on his stained glass work,
showing sketch designs, full-size cartoons and how a
window is made. The second displayed his drawings
and portrait studies, as well as World War II drawings.
The two exhibitions attracted over 2,000 visitors and
catalogues of the exhibitions are still available through
Ruskin Mill.
Edward maintained the glass at Gloucester Cathedral
until 1983, when Graham Dowding succeeded him in
that role. Graham had worked as an assistant to Edward
prior to this. He has his studio at Ruskin Mill and still
works at Gloucester Cathedral, as well as at many
Gloucestershire churches. He also designs and makes
his own commissions in glass for churches and domestic
locations. You can visit his website, which is located at
www.grahamdowdingstainedglass.co.uk.
It is hoped that Ruskin Mill will house a permanent
display relating to the “Arts & Crafts” stained glass
artists who settled in this area. This would include the
work of Henry Payne (Edward’s father) and link to the
current work of Graham Dowding.
Edward Payne was born in Birmingham in 1906.
His father, an accomplished stained glass artist and art
teacher, moved the family to Amberley, Glos., in 1909,
where Edward grew up.
Aged 17, Edward went and studied Fine Art at the
Royal College of Art in London, and by 1932, he was
working as a professional artist.
In 1938, Edward returned to Amberley with his new
wife and was called up to fight in WWII in 1940, the
same year his father died. After the war, he set up his
stained glass studio in the village of Box, where he lived
and worked until his death in 1991.
He contributed much to the village through his art,
and drew on village life and individuals as the source of
his work in stained glass.
Thoughts on the Centenary Exhibition
By George Hayes, 3rd-year, RMC
Will Mercer and I went to the exhibition and I
thought that Edward’s work was quite good. I’m
interested in stained glass and have been working with
Alec Hole and have enjoyed work on two projects.
Because of my liking for glasswork, I found his
methods interesting, but although I liked his sketches
and paintings, the stained glass was of a traditional style
and I prefer a more modern design to stained glass.
Title: Box Village, 1945.
Pictures from http://www.edwardpayne100.org.uk.
William buried in the Trench; St. Andrews, Churchdown, Glos.
21
22
Glasshouse College
Return To Nepal
on, no one is allowed to work, enter or leave the town. It
took eight hours to get there and a further two hours the
following day to reach Pokhara. On the way we had to avoid
the huge tree trunks which had been cut down by Maoist
rebels and left in the roads to prevent people from driving
during the strike.
Helping out with English lessons
with Deborah Byrne
Pottery Tutor and Head of The Woodlands
Department at Glasshouse College
Three years ago whilst travelling in Nepal I
discovered, through a poster in a Money Exchange
office, the Children's Welfare Care Home (CWH) in
a town called Pokhara.
While we were there we went and worked at the home for a
month and fell in love with the children and everything they
were trying to do for the poorest children in the community.
When I returned to the UK I kept in touch and realised they
were struggling to generate the money they needed to keep
going so I decided to try to raise money for them here and
also go back to help them continue the work they are doing
because many more children need their help.
We left England in December for a four and a half month
trip and stayed near Pokhara at an area called Lakeside in a
very nice hotel which cost about £3 per night for the two of
us! - I went with my partner Richard.
The girls at CWH
We spent time in
India
before
travelling on a train
for 16 hours to
Nepal. We passed
through several
towns, saw bears in
the street and
eventually crossed
the border into
Nepal. There was a
curfew preventing
people being out of
their houses after 6
pm. We had to stay
at the border
overnight before we
could travel to
Pokhara but there
was a strike there so
we had to stay in a
nearby town as,
when there is a strike
It was very exciting to see all the children again and how
much they had grown after three years and to see all the new
faces. The children go to school six days a week, 10 am – 4
pm. They have Saturdays off – those children who don't go
to school, we helped teach English. We also helped them all
to speak English and do their homework in the evenings.
When we weren’t doing educational projects, the children
loved to play cricket, football and basketball and we had
great fun. We travelled around on bicycles and helped some
of the younger kids to learn how to ride the bikes. Every
evening at 7.30 after classes, all the children sit out side for
their dinner which is the traditional Nepali meal of dal baht –
lentils, potatoes, spinach and rice. The children eat this
every day and on Saturday they have a treat of buffalo meat.
Everyone who works at the CWH are school teachers and
take great pride in their work caring and educating the
children who are Nepal’s future. When we arrived and gave
them the £2000 we had raised for them, they were
overwhelmed
and said it was
the first time
in weeks they
felt
happy
enough
to
smile.
Unfortunately
they
had
sponsors who
had dropped
out last year
and so they
didn’t have as
Deborah with Beenu at Chitwan
much money
as they thought for this year.
We hired a motorbike and travelled for five hours across
beautiful countryside and stayed in an old hotel with a
wonderful couple called Dilu and Beenu. This area of Nepal
is called Chitwan where a day centre was being set up for
the village children whose parents couldn’t afford to send
them to school or stay off work to look after them.
The children here are much younger than at the CWH and
loved to play and were extremely energetic in between their
classes. All the children live in a village where the houses are
Title Picture: Deborah trying her hand on a traditional
Indian stone potter’s wheel.
Glasshouse College
mud huts and we visited all the
children in their homes with their
families.
The people in Nepal are having an
extremely difficult time politically
at the moment as their democratic
government was overthrown last
year by the 'King' who uses the
military to prevent any threat to his
rule. The curfews are put in place
by the King through the hours of
darkness and the Maoist rebels put
on the general strikes. As we
returned to England, the people were beginning to rise
up against this injustice and have since forced the King to
make concessions towards a more democratic country.
Deborah and Richard (at the back) with the ‘family’ at CWH
The Smallest Man In The World
Before we left Nepal, we went to see the smallest man in
the world. He is 20 inches tall and 15 years old. The
Nepalese people believe he is a very special person with
great powers. The day he arrived in town it started to
rain and rained for over a week – after not having any
rain for over six months and a shortage of water. We
were told that he was carried in his father's pocket. He
was a perfectly scaled down version of a normal sized
person, rather than a dwarf.
We were extremely sad to leave as it is likely to be a long
time before we see them again and it was an emotional
farewell. They held a party for us. All the roads to
Kathmandu were closed by the Maoist rebels so that
meant we had to change our $6 bus ticket for a $70 flight
ticket to reach Kathmandu.
Deborah helping Suman with his homework
It was an amazing adventure and I'd recommend
anyone to go and visit Nepal. I’d also like to thank
everyone for helping to raise the money we took out
there to donate. Your generosity has made a
huge difference to many lives!
A big grin from Thimn
An emotional farewell for
Deborah and Richard
Deborah with a few of the
younger children from Chitwan
23
24
Glasshouse College
Work Experience at the Boarding Kennels
By Rob Hansford, 3rd-year
Last year at college I was talking to Pam Stacey
about getting work experience for my third year at
Glasshouse College. We went on to the computer
and did a questionnaire which had lots of different
questions which aimed to help me find ‘my ideal
career’. After I finished the questions we got the
results and we found a couple of potential
directions.
After some discussion in which I expressed a desire to work
with animals, we decided to look at working at some dog
kennels in the local area. Pam found one which was in the
Wolverhampton area and arranged a day for me to go and
visit the place. Later we went and spoke to the owner,
Chris, and he showed me around and told me what he does
and how he runs the place. After he showed me round, we
were talking to him about what to bring and what time they
start and finish.
At the end Pam asked if I would be able to work there and
he said yes. He wanted me to work on Tuesdays and Fridays
which are the busiest days in September. The reason why it
is a boarding kennels is that when people come to drop of
their dogs it would either be that they are going on holiday
or they are going away on a course and no one was around to
care for their pet. I was told the time I would start and finish
– 9 am till 4 pm.
A view of a section of the kennels at Ashmore Boarding
Kennels where I worked for a few weeks.
Later on in the day we had a delivery lorry which bought
twenty bags of cement and about four big bags of sand which
Chris is going to use to build new kennels.
On Tuesday we all had to clean the kennels from front to
back because there was an inspector coming to check if
everything was up to scratch, so that took us about two
hours.
On Tuesday, 25th September, we put the trailer on the back
of Chris’s car and went to a farm to get
twenty-five bales of straw and hay, then
tied them all up so they wouldn’t fall off
the trailer.
Learning To Look After
The Dogs
Sometimes at the kennels there are some
dogs that can be quite moody, and some
dogs that are funny. When one is
grumpy Chris tells me to stay out of the
dog exercise area because the dog might
start to bite. Sometimes when Chris is
Teegan, a Border Collie, and Tazz, a liver-coloured Labrador, are two of Chris’s talking to the dogs’ owners I try to find a
own dogs.
job to do like checking to see if the dogs
are
OK
and
make
sure
they have got water. If they haven’t,
On the 15th September I went to Ashmore near
then I get another bowl and fill it up for them. After all, I
Wolverhampton to start my first day at the kennels. The
am at the kennels to learn how to look after the dogs and
first job I had to do was to help Chris clean out the kennels
make sure that they are fit and healthy and they are eating
and let each of the dogs run around for a while. Once the
their food.
wheel barrow was filled full of dog poo and hay and straw,
we had to take it to the muck pile so then we could burn it,
On one occasion I helped Chris start to build some gates for
so it wouldn’t smell. Then I was told that there were going
the kennels. He wanted to make them so that the dogs
to be lots of people coming to drop off their dogs for us to
would feel safer in their surroundings. After about ten
look after and that there would be at least eight dogs leaving.
minutes it started to chuck it down with rain so we went to
This is how boarding kennels work – sometimes there are
get some shelter and couldn’t finish the job because it didn’t
more dogs than others.
stop for the rest of the day.
Ruskin Mill College
OCN Horticulture
Apple-Pressing
With Tiffany Hurden, Edward Sharpe and
Joshua Bartel, 1st-years, and tutor, Annabelle
Mitchell
First off we picked an apple from each variety of
tree around the college. Then we labelled them with
where they were from and gave them numbers. We
chopped up the apples into small pieces and gave a
piece for everyone to try. It was interesting how
everyone liked different tastes from sourness to
sweetness. There were fourteen apples tasted: No 1
was described as ripe but tart or slightly sour. No 6
was sweet and good for juicing as it was very juicy (had
it rained a lot the day before we picked it?). No 11 was
a cider apple which we mixed in with the sweet apples.
After the tasting session, everyone went out to pick
them and sorted them into their numbers to make
boxes of each type. They were then cut up into
quarters to put them into the crusher part of the apple
press. The hopper on the top is filled half full and we
then had to find the right speed to turn the handle so
that all the apples went through the crusher. We
carried on with this until the vat was two thirds full.
The crusher had to be held by two people as the other
person turned the handle to stop the press from
wobbling or tipping. Then the crusher was taken off
and we put the press lid on the crushed apple. When
the press arm is brought down a metal plate made of
brass is put on the lid to spread the pressure and this has
to be aligned in the centre so that the press is right in
the middle of the vat. The handle is turned to squash
the cut up apples.
The vat slats are not sealed so that the juice can run
out into a tray below which has a plug hole allowing the
juice to run into a jug below. The pressing starts
smoothly but gets stiffer as the apples get compressed.
The juice was then poured into 1-litre bottles and we
all had a taste of the juice. Most people really liked the
juice with a bit of cider apple in it. The juice was then
drunk at the Michaelmas Festival on 29th September in
Horsley Mill courtyard. Most people liked it, including
the students, and came back for more.
“It’s been an enjoyable experience making apple
juice which I’ve never done before,” said Tiffany.
Joshua commented, “It was interesting from the
point of view of finding out how it all needed to work
but equally frustrating when other people didn’t
understand.”
(Note from Annabelle: Traditional cider was usually
made with a lump of meat and even a few dead rats in it
which was supposed to add flavour. Cheers!)
Pics from top: Labelled apple pieces, Joshua loading the
hopper, Tiffany crushing and Edward juicing.
25
26
Glasshouse College
Working with people with such serious problems for 18
months was a challenge, but most of them became my
friends; we could understand what each other was going
through at the time. They thought I was a very good cartoonist and an actor. Some of them were very good too
though there were some who just couldn’t go through the
disciplined routine and caused problems – for themselves
mainly. There have been a few fights (not scripted) but usually they made up with each other in the end.
My life in Ballet Hoo!
by
Paul Gribbin
3rd Yr GHC
My favourite lessons are Drama and Art which is how I came
to be involved in a special project called Leaps & Bounds.
This is the story of how I became involved in the project to
take part in a performance of Romeo and Juliet with the
Birmingham Royal Ballet (and a programme about it on
Channel 4 TV) even though initially I was too busy working
on a theatre production of Peer Gynt at The Glasshouse
which I took part in last year between June and July.
The project was presented to a group of students in the
spring of 2005 and because I was heavily involved in the production of Peer Gynt I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it so
initially I thought the opportunity was lost. I finished the
Peer Gynt show in July, had a summer holiday and came
back to college in September (2005) to start my second
year. Then Richard, the mask making tutor, asked me if I
still wanted to do Leaps & Bounds. So I said ‘Yes’ and had a
meeting with the Dudley co-ordinators of the project with a
few other students.
After discussing the idea with Mike Chase and assuring him
that it wouldn’t get in the way of what I was doing in the
college drama performances I agreed to take part in the four
day intensive sessions which would lead on to Phase 1. I continued doing things like drama rehearsals at college but I
loved doing Leaps & Bounds; exercising, warm-ups, sword
fighting, dancing and learning to do ballet with professional
ballet dancers and a group of young people with difficult
backgrounds and challenging behaviour.
The Director of Romeo & Juliet, Desmond Kelly, put us
under a lot of pressure to get the performance absolutely
right especially as it was to be performed live in front of
thousands of people AND would be shown to millions of
Channel 4 viewers!
Since September 2005 we had regularly attended rehearsals
at various places around the Midlands learning steps and
movements for two key scenes. We performed what we had
learned at The Drum (an arts centre in Birmingham) in front
of our parents. We did the two scenes; the ballroom dance
and a sword fighting scene. The cameras followed us
through the whole process and recorded our ups and downs.
Paul with other students listening to Director Desmond Kelly as he outlines the
plans for the project to turn ordinary young people into ballet dancers.
At the graduation to mark the end of Phase1, we had a big
dinner with friends and families and a special treat for all of
us to meet pop singer, Jamelia, who presented us with our
diplomas and her autograph - and a big hug! Unlike some of
the other students I didn’t know who she was before I came
to the graduation so I couldn’t see what the big deal was!
And in the end we had a party and I was dancing like it was
1999 again!
Left to right: Paul in rehearsal for the sword fighting scene with Andy, on stage (back left) before the fighting starts and fighting on stage (viewed from the back of the stage).
27
Glasshouse College
The Serious Work Begins
Moving in to Phase 2 and the work was getting more intense
and to complicate matters I was also working on a Glasshouse performance for the summer glass festival called
‘Through Glass Darkly’ which put me under more pressure
which was what Mike Chase feared – doing two performance so close together. So I had to make sacrifices on both
events. Of course I thought the BRB Romeo & Juliet was
more important
because of the big
stage, big audience,
bigger challenge and lots of beautiful
women! And of
course, I have
worked on several
college performances Paul dances with two girls during the opening scene
of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet at
before. This was all The Hippodrome in September 2006
new and exciting!
I missed most of the summer holiday doing rehearsals (for
both plays) and had to put a lot of effort in. A lot of the
young people were nervous about which roles they were
going to get. Desmond Kelly told us who was going to play
whom. A local boy called Lindon was told he was to play the
part of Tibalt - the lucky guy! and Andy whose mother had
recently died got the part of Friar Lawrence. I would have
liked that part but the director thought it would be good for
him to help with the loss of his mother.
As it turned out, it did!
My drawing of the
beggar, one of the
parts that I played
in the ballet.
Marion, the choreographer, told me who
I was going to play in the performance –
it was a bit of a disappointment. The only
single role I got was the beggar, with
shredded clothes and a crutch, but I also
played a dancer in the ballroom scene and
a sword fighter in the fight scene. I may
be a good actor but I’m not a dancer and
Desmond Kelly knows that I’ve got learning difficulties. He explained that he
couldn’t risk me making a mistake, but
still it was better than nothing and also I
loved the costume because it was so comfortable like a baby’s pyjamas, I also liked
the monk costume because I was wearing
nothing underneath!
I’d never been on TV before. The focus of the programme
was mostly on the young people with the biggest problems
in their lives, but still I was spotted on TV by friends and
family. A while back an old friend and I made a bet that if I
was spotted on TV he would eat his shoe! And so he has!
The programme had four episodes and the press kept coming
making up stories about the group saying the show was a
mixture of Brat Camp and X-Factor both of which I hate.
The thing that kept most of the young people going was that
they wanted to prove to the press that they are not just disadvantaged teenagers.
The last two
weeks before the
performance
meant even more
rehearsals and of
course I had a
very good excuse
to miss college
“YEAH!” The Paul tries to help a fellow actor who pretends to be ill
people at college after the ballroom scene.
were so excited
about me saying ‘I saw you on TV’, ‘I’ve spotted you on the
telly’, and ‘Could you get us a ticket?’ I told them the show
was sold out! That meant it would be a full house for the
final performance which made me feel VERY apprehensive.
The big day came. I wanted to see the room I had rehearsed
in for so long – it seemed to be filled with the ghosts of our
memories. We had a lot of laughs, fights, disappointments
and victories in that room. We gave each other cards and
presents and hugs and we had friends and family wishing us
luck for the night. We put our costumes on, went on the
stage and hugged each other in a very strong way. There was
lots of tension on the stage. I was very nervous and emotional and as the orchestra played the music I started crying.
It was the biggest opportunity of my life; the music was so
beautiful. I walked on to the stage threatening the Capulets
with my shiny new sword. The tension in my heart was
brewing because I had to sword fight a big guy named
Duane, hoping that I won’t make a mistake – I didn’t! I
made it out in one piece, rushed to get into my ballroom
outfit ready for the next scene. I loved the ballroom scene
because of the power of the music. I felt like “I was the
MAN!” As a student training to be a comedy actor I was still
able to have a few laughs. My part as the Beggar was never
shown on TV, but I will never forget how I managed to get
buttons and spit on my hand (holding my hand out like a
beggar!)
And in the end
when Romeo drank
the poison and
Juliet stabbed herself it was the finest
ending I’d ever
seen.
Then we took our
bows to the audiPaul and his fellow actors enjoy the moment when
ence.
It was like
they get through the final rehearsals for the ballet.
looking at a sea of
hands. It was our last time together as a group. I stayed with
them and went to the finale party and had a few drinks and
said my goodbyes and then caught a taxi and went home. But
as I got ready for bed I realised I was still wearing the cup
underpants (which male ballet dancers wear). I thought, at
least I’ve ‘won the cup’. It was the greatest performance I
have ever done.
28
Freeman College
PEWTER LIVE!
By Richard Abdy of Wentworth,
Manufacturers of Fine Pewterware
From left: Kristian, Danny Rowan and John Pickin,
Residential Manager at Freeman College at Petwer Live
Pewter Live is an annual design competition run
by The Worshipful Company of Pewterers. Its aim is to
revive interest in the use of pewter as the material of
choice for domestic and interior products, jewellery and
personal accessories. The event happens every June and
includes competitions for both professionals and
undergraduates. Kristian and Danny went from Freeman
College to talk about the work that the students are
doing as a PR exercise and hopefully to raise some
funding.
The college is currently based at our old factory in Sheffield. We
decided to move because our lease was running out and other
difficulties around the regeneration of the area. At the same time we
had the opportunity to move into our current factory and acquire a
company based here. It is a more modern factory, with more space and
better access. The timing of this move was perfect for both us and
Freeman College and they were also able to acquire some equipment
from us. We sell our pewter products all over the world and in a
variety of outlets including gift shops and stores. We produce
traditional pewter ware such as tankards and commissioned trophies to
modern vases, bowls, and even waste paper baskets as well as bespoke
items.
Right: Kristian
at work at AR
Wentworth
Work Experience at AR Wentworth
By Kristian Ceasar, 2nd-year
Above: Danny Rowan,
Pewter Tutor, with Jaimie
Redwood,
1 s t -y e ar ,
Working on his piece:
George and The Dragon.
Jaimie close to finishing
his work, right.
The college arranged work experience at
Wentworth’s, the company that used to
own the building that the college is now
in. I’ve been stamping tops and bottoms
in preparation for the spinning department
making tankards and quage bowls. I’ve
also done some sand blasting and casting
which is pouring hot metals into moulds. I
am now working on a copy lathe which
creates surfaces from raw castings. Last
term I went to an event in London called
Pewter live with my tutor, Danny Rowan.
We gave demonstrations on how to solder
tops and bottoms onto flasks. It went
alright and we stayed in a nice hotel in
London.
Freeman College
Freeman College
Fundraising
By David Heugh, Director of Fundraising
My main focus at present is a bid to the Heritage Lottery
Fund for over £500,000 and negotiating with the Objective
One European Fund for £400,000 in order that Freeman
College can secure the historic Butcher Works. This grade 2
listed building adjoins The Sterling Works which will be our
flagship site in Sheffield and has just completed phase 2 of its
redevelopment. I am also in long-running discussions with the
Arts Council with regard to Merlin Theatre and the Tintagel
site. The Merlin Theatre is 30 years old and when it was built
there was no thought to disability access and toilets and it’s now
showing its age, i.e. lighting, heating, seating and dressing
rooms. We can see this project taking a year to get funding of
up to £1m for a complete redevelopment which will give it life
for many years to come.
In parallel, we are approaching lots of local and national
trusts for grant funding. We’ve just received a £75,000 grant
from the Henry Smith Charity for our work at the Stirling
Works. It’s very exciting. I am also forging links with other
major business firms in Sheffield, by introducing them to what
we are doing as they are equally interested in sponsorship
opportunities in the future when the refurbishment at Stirling
Works is finished.
We had a PR lunch on 13th October at Stirling Works,
including chief guests the Lord Mayor and the Minister for
Sport, Richard Caborn and 140 VIPS from the public and
private sectors. We had a marquee in the courtyard, a buffet
lunch and Duncan Edwards, was cold forging copper with
students, Tom Ridley and Joe Norris. There were also
demonstrations of student work in copper, pewter and
silverware in the rooms off the Sterling Works courtyard. We
hope that this gave an insight to our VIP guests about what
Freeman College is bringing to Sheffield in terms of education,
investment and job creation. The Lord Mayor and Minister for
Sport gave warm speeches of support and congratulated The
Freeman College for the work we are undertaking in Sheffield.
At previous charities that I’ve worked at, I’ve put teams in
the London 10K run, which now attracts 30,000 runners each
July, through the historic heart of London. I was loathe to stop
doing it and I persuaded Aonghus Gordon, Helen Kippax, John
and Kate Picken, Ian Turner, Amanda Labron and Tyl van der
Voort to participate this year. In nearly 90o F (30o C) heat,
they did do it, with times varying between 1.25 to 1.75
hours. Aonghus is now extremely keen to enter a much larger
college team next year. It’s great fun whatever your speed and
fitness. The college pays for the entry and participant runners
just have to raise a minimum of £100. Next year’s date will be
Sunday July 1st and we will announce details in due course.
Pictures from the top: Joe Norris showing his metal work skills at the recent PR event at Stirling Works. Andrew Whitley,
author of ‘Bread Matters’ signing a copy for the Mayor of Sheffield. Richard Caborn, Minister of Sport with David and
Aonghus Gordon. Visitors to the exhibition and lunch provided by Angie Murray, Melvin Jarman, Ashley Wood and students.
Photographs by Jerry Lampson, QR8 Design. http://www.qr8.co.uk.
29
30
Freeman College
with Houseparents
Fraser and Karen Hesketh
At Freeman College
We are from ‘Aotearoa’, South Island, New
Zealand. We have a 14-acre block of land, named
‘Daisy Meadow’. We built our own ‘eco-home’, using
a post and beam greenwood timber construction, earth
floor and raw wool insulation, and we serviced the
home with solar and wind energy, as well as
experimenting with hydroelectricity. We raised three
boys, Ajala (10), Maitreya (6) and Sanjaia (4).
Operating an eco-farm park, with horses, donkeys,
alpacas, goats, sheep, geese etc and an ox team, we and
many folk enjoyed the opportunity to connect with
animals and meet with nature.
We ran this in conjunction with a backpackers
hostel and hosted visitors from the WWOOF (Willing
Workers On Organic Farms programme). Karen
operated her own business as a hairdresser. I worked
also in film, riding my horse in the Lord of the Rings
films, after helping build the ‘Rohan Edoras’ castle set
in the mountains, very near our home. Seven years on
and we were so worn out, juggling finances to support
this ‘natural’ lifestyle, hosting lots of travelling visitors
and facilitating the beginnings of an ‘intentional
community’. “We needed a break!” A sabbatical!
On a website we saw a job in ‘exotic’ Crete.
Unexpectedly we were offered the position. We had
three weeks to rent out our home, pack up my job
Ricky putting together the new bike rack
teaching yoga and Tai Chi, and turn down massage
clients. We then had nine months looking after four
luxury villas in Crete.
Already in Europe, it made sense to explore and
experience England, especially for the children to see
The household from the left: David Churm, Ricky
Felstead, Fraser with Maitreya, Ajala, Thomas
Rowe, Karen and Sanjaia. Top left: Daisy Meadow
and right, the view from the house.
where their heritage was. Being interested in Rudolf
Steiner’s observations, having a background in
biodynamic farming, my training in Waldorf education,
Karen’s working with natural medicines and using the
Waldorf home education curriculum, we then made
contact with Ruskin Mill Educational Trust!
Following an interview for the post of houseparents at Freeman College, and being accepted, we
had two months to occupy before we started our new
job. Rather than drive to Sheffield from Lancashire, we
purchased a run-down canal boat, which, after much
repair, we sailed our way along the Liverpool-Leeds
canal system.
Having moved into a lovely Victorian house in
Dore, Sheffield, we were then able to welcome three
very enthusiastic students to their new college home:
31
Freeman College
Ricky Felstead, Thomas Rowe and David Churm.
We all get on very much as a team, enjoy walking
on the moors, particularly on full moon evenings and
we all like cleaning the house …music turned up style!!
Everyone enjoys exploring the Shire. We’ve come
together as an extended family enjoying the comfort of
home and garden with BBq’s and games and many
adventures. It’s going to be a good year!!
David with Green Woodwork tutor, Graham
Aldred, on the pole lathe.
David Churm, 1st-year
I was born in Derby but then was adopted and
moved to Chesterfield in South Yorkshire. Previously I
was at Chesterfield College doing an Art & Design
course for a two-year diploma. It was my parents’ idea
to come to Freeman College. I came for a one-day visit
with a Connexions worker and then for my three-day
assessment. I wanted to continue to work with
jewellery and learn some new skills like green
woodwork and spoon-forging at Freeman College.
I am very interested in building and interior
design. I also like fashion and read a lot of magazines
and enjoy visiting new cities and towns and looking at
the buildings. I have seen some good architecture in
Sheffield such as the Winter Gardens. One of my ideas
is to get into interior design and architecture.
I would have preferred to have come to college as
a day student although I do like my new College home,
but I am finding out about many people at the college.
I’ve made loads of friends and I’ve also been doing
gardening, catering, spoon-forging and film making.
Yesterday we went out into Sheffield and took some
pictures in the film-making session with tutor, Sandra
Thomas.
Love Divine
By Andrew Burbidge, 1st-year
Ruskin Mill College
What is Love?
Love is!
Love is Spring.
But what is Spring?
Spring is Beauty.
Beauty!
What defines Beauty?
Beauty can be Seasonal,
But True Beauty
Only comes Once in a Lifetime.
What is the Difference, you ask?
The Difference!
The Difference is in the Colours that it
Produces.
Seasonal Beauty has Red Roses,
But True Beauty,
True Beauty,
True Beauty is the Rainbow.
It has Red Red Roses,
And there’s Dark Green Four Leafed
Clovers,
In Meadows of Gold!
And Sparkling Raindrops.
As You Look at this,
You Hear the Most Beautiful Sound You
Ever Heard.
And as You Listen to this Sound,
You Get Transported to the Heavens and
Beyond!
Forever and Ever,
It Goes On For Eternity!
And that My Love
Is what True Beauty,
True Love! Is.
32
Freeman College
GREEN WOODWORK
at Freeman College
By Graham Aldred, tutor
I was a chef for twenty five
years and then I changed direction
and went into carpentry and joinery
doing City & Guilds for cabinetmaking. Then a friend got in touch
with me saying that they had a team
of special needs doing woodland
work and could I come with my
pole lathe. I got offered a job in
training for Groundwork, inner
city regeneration teams. I did
NVQ training for six years in City
& Guilds and OCN. We had two
teams doing conservation work
through social services and the New
Deal which was more industrialbased. Then I worked in the
Yorkshire Sculpture Park for five
years, doing conservation training.
Then I saw a job advertised at
Freeman College, got interviewed
and I felt very enthused with the
whole ethos of the college. It’s also
nice to be in on a new project at
the beginning.
We are currently based at the
Merlin but we now have planning
permission at Ecclesall Woods
which is just outside of Sheffield.
It’s a Council-run site and an SSSI
(Site of Special Scientific Interest)
and it is a very sensitive site so we
must work hand in hand with them.
Hopefully we will move in the early
spring.
I love working with the students
Graham at work in the grounds of Tintagel
and the staff are fantastic and
house with assistant, Olly Dean, far left
everyone pulls together. Olly Dean,
my assistant, also enjoys it and we
work well as a team. 90% of the
students have taken to Green
Woodworking like a duck to water
and I knew how well the activity
would work, especially on the pole
lathe. The students are learning
basics such as splitting, cleaning and
turning. I go home feeling fulfilled
which is all you can expect out of a
job. Every day has a new challenge.
Adam Garlick, 2nd-year
Adam Garlick on the drawhorse
I am making baseball bats, using
a drawhorse and drawknife. I started
with a branch from a tree and
chopped the wood to get the bark
off. Then I used the drawknife to get
it round. Then it has to go onto the
pole lathe to get the final shape.
Daniel Gleeson, 1st-year
Daniel Gleeson shaping
a stool leg on a pole lathe
I’ve been on the pole lathe and
the drawhorse. I am making a chair
leg. I started with a branch and split
it with an axe and used an axe to
smooth it off. Then I used a
drawhorse to make it round then put
it onto the pole lathe to make the
chair leg. I used a spindle gouge and
a roughing out gouge. I am enjoying
going on the pole lathe. I like being
outside in good weather.
Freeman College
From left: George Pethers, Tom Ridley, Martina,
Ed Housden and Frances Gower
Marriot Garden Project Update
By Martina Gleadhall, tutor
Tom at the new fence
to remove some branches off the roof as we are in a
conservation area. The greenhouse is my project which
needs cleaning and making usable to sow seeds. The
roof has been re-glazed, brickwork cleaned up and
painted and most of the soil needs replacing with fertile
soil. The outside cold frame also needs
restoration. The garden will be completely
redeveloped with paths and raised beds
and it has been measured up and one of
my next jobs is to design it.
The maintenance department, with tutor George
Pethers, have moved into the garages, which
now houses their store room and workshop.
The garden group has three garages
including a tea room, tool shed and an
office and display area. There was no
running water, electricity or heat but
George and his team have just put in
Tom Ridley, 2nd-year
electricity so the tea room is in
I have been mostly working on
operation. For the rest, we are using
the new fence at the end of the
the hotel at the moment and the plan
is to have a compost toilet behind the
garden to keep the badgers safe and
greenhouse. I am now based fullhumans away from their homes. We
time at the Marriot as the woodland
have put in a hole in the fence so the
group have moved into the old
badgers can still explore the gardens
workshop at Tintagel House around the
and follow their tracks. It has taken
corner.
most of the term to put up seven fence
panels and ten posts. We are going to have to
We are going to grow medicinal plants,
put a badger flap into the hole in the fence as it is
herbs and plants for dyeing wool. We are the
chosen charity for the Marriot Hotel for the next two
required by DEFRA (Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs). The site has been neglected
years which is one aspect of funding this project. David
for years and the rest of the Marriot gardens are looked
Heugh, Director of Fundraising, is also involved in
raising funds. We are hoping
after by two gardeners. There is
to grow herbs for the kitchens
a badger watch in the grounds so
we have to be careful and even
at the Marriot as well as flowers
for their tables and some
to put up this fence we had a
flowers for the local
visit from DEFRA. This is my
community in the longer term.
second year at Freeman College
Since we have started here,
and depending how well I do, I
George and his team have been
might get another year. The
working on the garages and the
college is holding a special
greenhouse. This has included
occasion at Stirling works
the guttering to collect water
including the Lord Mayor and I
for the plants. The next job is
will be demonstrating how to
to repair the garage roof but we
make spoons with Joe Norris, a
Above: Martina in the greenhouse and
Frances doing a spot of painting.
need the consent of the council
second year student.
33
34
Freeman College
Catering at Freeman College
By Joe Norris, 2nd-year
Angie and Ashley feeding a healthy college
In September 2005, I started at Freeman College
in Sheffield. One of my favourite activities has been
working in the kitchen with Angie and Ashley. This
involves helping with the preparation of lunch in the
morning (e.g. peeling and chopping vegetables), and
cleaning up in the afternoon (e.g. washing up, mopping
the floors).
In the morning, there are usually two or three
students working in the kitchen. They will be involved
in chopping and peeling vegetables, washing or drying
up. If they are preparing vegetables they will be
standing around the central workstation and if they are
washing or drying up they will be standing next to the
sink.
day we might cook pasta salad. At lunchtime, there is a
main course with rice, pasta, or couscous. In addition,
there will generally be a mixed salad, a green salad, and
a dressing. Dessert is sometimes a cake or crumble with
cream, on other occasions it may be fruit yoghurt or a
piece of fruit.
The atmosphere is generally quite relaxed, but
on busier days when there are a lot of people coming
for lunch, it can be quite tense as lunch has to be ready
for half past twelve. Students don’t serve it but they
have to help get it ready for serving. They have to put
all the bowls of food on the counter along with some
bread, butter and fruit. The food is usually on the
counter by twenty-five past twelve. Sometimes, it can
be quite a rush to get everything ready on time. At half
past twelve, students leave the kitchen to have their
lunch and Angie Murray and Ashley Wood serve.
In the afternoon, there are usually two students
working in the kitchen. They will be washing and
drying up, and sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor
and the canteen floor. This might seem like quite a
tedious activity but is really very important. This is
because the kitchen needs to be kept clean and hygienic
in readiness for the next day’s cooking. Also,
regulations about hygiene in kitchens are very strict.
Occasionally, if we have time we may make a cake or
pudding for lunch the next day.
Although the food is all organic and vegetarian,
there is a lot of variety in what we cook. For example,
one day we might cook aubergine gratin, but the next
Sometimes, after an afternoon in the kitchen, I
can feel quite tired. This is because the cleaning takes a
long time and there is a lot to do. However, it does feel
rewarding when it is all done. Whilst I was writing this
article, I interviewed Angie to find out a little more
about her place in the college and her views about food.
Here are some of her responses.
Joe preparing an organic lunch
Joe: Where did you learn to cook?
Angie: I learned to cook at home and through work. I
had no formal cookery training. I have cooked in a
variety of different restaurants.
Joe: How long have you been cooking?
Angie: I have been cooking for 28 years.
Joe: Why are you are working at Freeman College?
Angie: I spent 2 ½ years at Ruskin Mill College.
Some of this time was as Coffee Shop Manager. I came
to Freeman College in the post of Catering Manager. I
saw moving to Freeman College as an opportunity to
see the opening of a new college.
Joe: Why do you think cooking is important for the
students?
Angie: I think cooking is an important life skill and
can make one more independent.
Joe: Did you want to be a cook, and if not, what did
35
Freeman College
you want to be?
Angie: I did a degree in humanities. I have also done
lots of education and therapeutic training.
Joe: What developments are planned? (e.g. woods,
Tintagel, Sterling Works)
Angie: There will be a total renovation of the Tintagel
Coffee Bar and a purpose built kitchen and coffee shop
at Sterling Works.
Joe: What is it like having a kitchen full of students?
Angie: It can be challenging at times because the
students all have unique personalities and difficulties,
but it can also be rewarding. It is also useful, as they are
needed to help with all the work.
Joe: Why do you cook organic food?
Angie: At RMET, the food policy states that food
should be organic and, if possible, bio-dynamic.
Joe: How have you found living in Sheffield after
living in Stroud?
Catering at the Merlin Kitchen
Angie Murray
Angie: I really like city life in Sheffield. It has a good
bus service, I like meeting different people, and there is
more opportunity to go out in the evenings than there
was in Stroud. I like the wide open spaces in the Peak
District compared to the tiny valleys in Stroud.
we may also incorporate cooking for the public in
connection with events held at the theatre.
Daniel Gleeson, 1st-year
I have worked (mostly in kitchens) and travelled,
both in England and abroad. First of all, I was at the
excellent Abbey Home Farm in Cirencester where I
was one of three chefs cooking daily meals for the
public, and on one occasion for HRH the Prince of
Wales. From there I moved to Hong Kong where I was
part of a team opening the city's first health food
restaurant as second Chef. It was a steep learning curve
in a big city restaurant. My job involved planning and
implementing menus, training staff, organising events,
as well as the day to day cooking.
After one and a half, years I came back to
England where I helped open a café in Bristol and then
worked as a volunteer in a Somalian youth centre
before joining Freeman College in Sheffield, where I
work as catering tutor in the Merlin Kitchen.
At the moment I teach two students at a time
(we have a cosy sized kitchen) with whom I cook lunch
for around thirty people - students and staff from the
Tintagel House and Merlin Theatre site. In the future
I’ve helped make shepherd’s pie and curry. For
the shepherd’s pie, I used potatoes, peeled them and
cooked them. I have also been peeling a squash. I’ve
made apple crumble, chopped up the apples, then
cooked them and then made the crumble. I have also
made a vegetable pizza with tomatoes for the topping.
I have made lettuce salads which meant washing and
preparing the lettuce and peeling and cutting onions. I
have made curry with onions, potatoes and carrots.
Catering is quite good and I like it.
I am a day student from Thorne in Doncaster and
get a taxi in and out to college.
Daniel Gleeson (left) and Joe Norris ready to serve lunch
36
Ruskin Mill College
World Peace Flag Ceremony
In June, members from two Ruskin Mill households
made the journey to Dumfriesshire in Scotland to
participate in the 8th Annual World Peace Flag
Ceremony at the Allanton Peace Sanctuary. This
ceremony was the centrepiece of a Peace Festival
involving several choirs, performers, Aikido
demonstrations, Japanese tea ceremony, calligraphy
and other cultural activities.
The World Peace Prayer Society was founded in Japan
and the organisation’s main sanctuary is located in
upstate New York, USA. There are other sanctuaries and centres around the world, including the European
Sanctuary in Dumfriesshire.
Ruskin Mill students Tony Owen, Sarah Harley and Ricardo Abrahams, together with house-parents David
and Nagako Cooper, made the journey to Scotland where they met up with many other international
participants. The Saturday evening and Sunday morning were spent in preparation for the festival with
everyone lending a hand.
As the festival drew near, students Tony and Ricardo, along with David, were assigned car parking duties (in
the light drizzle). Sarah and Nagako meanwhile helped with preparing the flags and rehearsed in a choir they
had joined.
For the flag ceremony itself, original music had been composed and all of the world’s flags were carried, by
continent and region by region, beginning with the Middle East. Peace was invoked with the words: “May
peace be in …” for every single country in the world. At the end, the Earth flag was paraded to represent all
the rest of the countries and those world regions that are not officially recognised by the United Nations,
including all the world’s oceans.
The Flag Ceremony was opened by Rika and was closed by Maki Saionji. Rika and Maki are daughters of
Masami Saionji who is the Chairperson of the World Peace Prayer Society. They had flown over from Japan
specially for the festival. It was, all in all, a very special event and we hope to make a return journey next year
for the 9th Annual Ceremony!
By David Cooper, Houseparent and Photographer
The Peace Festival
It was really exciting when we all heard the news we had been
waiting for. We were going to Scotland to take part in the Annual
World Peace Festival. I was very excited by the news because I had
never been to Scotland before. I was over the moon about it. I
remember the day we all set off for Scotland. Tony, Ricardo, my
house-parents David and Nagako, Jessica’s mum, Margaret, and I all
went by mini-bus. We left on Saturday, 17th June 2006, which was
HM the Queen’s birthday. When we finally arrived at Allanton
Sanctuary, we were tired from the journey.
The next day, on Sunday, it was the day of the festival. I joined
a choir and we prepared a song to sing in the festival. The song was
called “May peace prevail on Earth”. We sang this on the stage
before the flag ceremony.
What is a flag ceremony? Let me explain what it is. We used a
set of flags for every country in the world. In the festival, every
single flag was presented and carried, asking for peace to prevail in
that country. This took quite a long time.
It was a very cold afternoon and it was raining, but we all
carried on. I missed Margie and Lizzie because Lizzie was ill and
Sarah in
her
kimono
Ruskin Mill College
Ricardo with Yoshiko having written his name in Japanese, and with Tony on car parking duty
Margie didn’t want to come. I felt very happy and peaceful, but I missed them both. I was a little bit shy when I
first started talking to people, but I soon realised that everyone was so nice and caring about me. I felt so honoured
to be in such a beautiful place and I loved it there.
After the flag ceremony, there were lots of activities going on. First I painted the pattern of a national flag on a
stone. Then I tried on a pink kimono with beautiful patterns. I also participated in the tea ceremony and tried
calligraphy using a real brush and black ink. I wrote my name using Japanese characters, as well as the words
‘gratitude’ and ‘love’ on a piece of paper, which was very special to me.
It was a lovely visit to Scotland and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. We all hope that we can go there again.
By Sarah Louise Harley, 2nd-year
“May Peace Prevail On Earth”
This prayer for world peace was born out of the devastation of Japan, which had experienced two atomic
bombs, the first in Hiroshima on 6th August and the second in Nagasaki on 9th August in 1945.
Ten years later, a man named Masahisa Goi, born in Tokyo, a philosopher, a poet and a spiritual master,
started this movement to realise world peace through the prayer “May Peace Prevail On Earth”. He understood that
words, thoughts and actions are alive, that they radiate vibrations and energy. He realised that the thoughts and
actions of each and every individual, influence the destiny of humanity as well as plants, animals and the earth.
The World Peace Prayer Society’s European Sanctuary is located in beautiful countryside near Dumfries,
Scotland. It is recognised as an NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation) by the United Nations and is a non-profit
and non-religious organisation.
The World Peace Flag Ceremony is performed on the International Day of Peace (21st Sept) at the United
Nations, as part of a programme hosted by the UN Department of Public Information for New York schoolchildren.
On the International Day of Peace this year, 27 Slad Road household in Stroud had a small but significant flag
ceremony using a set of 193 national flag cards (recognised by the UN) and the Earth flag to represent all the other
regions of the world. After a short silence begun by the sound of the Tibetan bell, Joshua Bartel, Sarah Harley,
Margie Gibb and their house-parents, David and Nagako Cooper, prayed for each country together and placed the
flag cards one by one in a
spiral form, surrounding
the peace pole in the
centre. We all felt the
energy spreading from this
colourful flag spiral out into
our home, our families and
friends, our college and
community and all over the
world.
By Nagako Cooper,
Houseparent
Flag Ceremony participants
37
38
Ruskin Mill College
It took 12 hours to reach Scotland in total. First we had to take the motorway, then we
took the ferry across to the Knoydart peninsula where we set up our camp site.
Building the Yurt
Everyone is helping to set up the yurt. It was
the only place we would meet together. It had
a little stove to keep us warm and in the
evening we would hang out together, cooked
food, talked about the day, some storytelling
and music. The weather was on and off with
sun, rain, frost and even snow on the last day.
The yurt was a shelter from the weather.
The wilderness group (right) at base camp
at the start of the trip.
From left standing: Elly Pace, Ashley Stone,
Rebecca Bright, Gemma Gordon, Tommy
Brooker, Peter Smith, Daniel Lewis, Tom Best,
Isaac Davison, Carol Blofield, Sarah Fisher.
Kneeling: Richard Macbeth, Rebecca Crowther,
(hidden), Helen Honeychurch, Rich Turley and
Jay O’Connor.
Bench Duty
From left: Rebecca Crowther, Helen
Honeychurch, Gemmy Gordon and Rebecca
Bright gathering wood to make a bench for
seating in the yurt since there was no
furniture or shops around.
39
Ruskin Mill College
Food
Daniel (left) and
Richard building
the clay oven. It
was used to cook
fish and potatoes
and bread.
Otherwise normal
rations, left, and
the tranger.
Wild Donkeys
This picture (right) is of some of us who took the
long route back to our camping spot while the
other group took a shorter route but we got to
the camping spot before them. On the way, we
came across a wild donkey. And all so we got
loads of wool for a pillow and the walk was 8 miles
around the island.
Tom Best
On Top of the World
This trip was absolutely amazing. I’ve never
done any thing like it ever. We had snow, rain,
sun, sleet and every other kind of weather, how
did we survive? We had to pitch our tents every
night after a long, tiring, hilly hike. We cooked
out of tranger cans eating rice, pasta, couscous,
also custard and oat cakes. We filled our water
bottles from fast running rivers. I’m never going
to eat another oat cake again. In the evenings
we sang songs, told stories, had camp fires and
drank tea.
John Marshall
Farewell Fry-up
This is all of us having breakfast in a nice café after
walking from our campsite before going back.
Tom Best
Article compiled and designed in IT by Peter
Smith, 4th-year, with contributions from Ashley
Stone, Tom Best and John Marshall
40
Glasshouse College
The Running Club
By Nick Horton 3rd-year student, GHC
On Sunday the 11th of October I took part in a seven
mile run at Pattingham near Wolverhampton. There
were about 800 people taking part in the run. It was very
hard and tough up the hills because it was cross country
and I have never been in a race like this before but I still
did it even though I had a cold. I only joined the
Stourbridge Running Club this September and other
members encouraged me to have a go at the Pattingham
run.
I started out from home at about 9.30am with my mum,
AFRICA
By
Chris Enright
1st-year, GHC
The bones of Africa are still weak.
The race to save Africa has been long enough.
The children are still shrieking in pain waiting
for their saviour.
Will rich countries want to kill the name
poverty, make it history?
All this hard labour out in the dusty plains of
Africa with the effort and pain wasting away.
Will the great shoulders of Africa finally stop
eroding?
Isn’t it about time we did something for their
favour?
Judy, step-dad Mark and two German students who are
staying at my house (I was the only one running).
We got to Pattinghamthere at about 10.15 am. We
walked up to the village hall and had a look around and
met my home provider, Rachael, and walked to the start
and took our place for the race which started at 11am.
We did the race which was up two hills and down one a
bit and there were marshals showing us the way.
I completed the run in about 1 hour 19 minutes and
there were about two hundred behind me. I found it
very enjoyable and I got a brass medal for taking part and
a piece of fruit cake and a cup of tea. Mum brought me a
T-shirt with everyone’s name on who entered before the
race and my name is on it. When I finished my mum and
home provider said I did really well.
I was in the car once listening to music and I was
thinking of Africa and saying to myself; ‘Why after so
many years is Africa still in a state, how is it?.’ Comic
Relief and Live Aid are very serious and they appeal
every year and I think when the programmes are not
on the television, we seem to forget to donate. Big
countries like America, Japan and the UK should pay
a monthly donation as you do for the taxes. Five
pounds from each person will help Africa even more.
I joined the Running Club in Stourbridge by going with
my home provider and now go every Monday and
Wednesday and start running at 7pm. I enjoy it and
make loads of new friends. My running also helps me to
keep fit and I have nearly lost a stone in weight already.
So I wrote this poem to send a message of empathy
about Africa. I made the poem articulate and strong,
so you will read it and see how I feel now I’ve put it
down into words.
Freeman College
DRAMA at Freeman College
with Johanna van der Vort, tutor,
Michael Nares, 3rd-yr, Sam Winter, 1st-yr,
Daniel Fisher, 2nd-yr, and Sass Aley, 1st-yr
Johanna: We are currently working towards a
Christmas production called ‘Winter Child’ which will
include students and professional actors. I like to work
from the students’ own experience as it gives them the
possibility to gain ownership of their work. Instead of
giving them a text, I suggested we talk about our
experiences of Christmas which caught their interest as
they all have a personal story as to how they experience
Christmas. I then got them thinking about people who
From left: Daniel, Sass, Sam, Michael and Per Iversen, tutor,
don’t have anywhere to go at Christmas.
in rehearsal at the Merlin Theatre.
Michael Nares: We started with nothing so we
wrote part of the script ourselves. We chose some themes
Homelessness
around homelessness at Christmas and whether we are privileged or not. We started
by working on some frozen tableaus which is where you do a certain action and freeze
By Michael Nares
it like a statue. We chose themes such as a New Year’s party or a soup kitchen.
Johanna: We then improvised, transforming the frozen images into moving
I wait the long, cold, empty night
scenes, putting dialogue in at the very end.
Hungry, thirsty, full of fright
Sass Ayely: One of the images we have been working on is ‘The dog
Why me I think, to live like this
greeting’ where Daniel is the dog and I am inviting my friends in to have a party.
My soul feels empty, joy amiss.
Johanna: All this raised interesting discussions about the positive and negative
The other day, I saw a knife
aspects of homelessness, of Christmas, about seeing and becoming aware of the less
“Give
me your money”, yet more strife
fortunate. Comments came up such as Sam Winter's, (a first year student acting in the
No
food,
no water, no joy, no bliss
play): “They can steal your radio but they can’t steal your dreams”, and how he had realised
I
never
thought
it would come to this.
when walking through the streets "looking into the windows of the houses I pass by, each one
tells a story and I don't know why". Comments such as these then led me to read the
The occasional apple, that’s all I get
group the story of The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen, which is about a
They even kick the beloved pet
little girl who has nowhere to go, just like the homeless people we had been speaking
I wish I’d never taken those drugs
about. In the play the Match Girl is on the streets and looks into windows as she
I wish I’d never met those thugs.
walks by. This set off scenes such as meeting the dog, having a party, and a festive
meal where everyone is a bit merry.
To join a gang to protect me
Michael Nares: They are supposed to illustrate how awful it is for the girl to
Silly now, I can see
be on the streets when everyone else is having fun. Another one will be a scene where
Too many gangs, I can’t avoid
the Match Girl is being threatened. We also wanted to do something about Christmas
Where life was full, there is a void.
but not from the point of view of any religion.
I long for money, I long for food
Johanna: In between these little cameo scenes, the Match Girl is selling
I long to not be in a mood,
matches; it is a cold New Year’s Eve. She gets so cold that eventually she lights one of
I long for fish, I long for peas,
her matches to warm up. In the light of the flame she has an unexpected
I long to feel really at ease.
hallucination. I have adapted two stories as journeys on which the Match Girl goes in
her imagination/hallucination. One is called The Dead Moon and is a traditional
But this is the life I’ve made for me
English tale set in the Fens. The girl becomes the moon in this tale. She comes back
I’m not happy as you can see
from her journey, is very cold and lights more matches, the light of those flames
taking her on another journey, this time to the land of Masha and the Firebird, a Russian No friends, no money, no job, no hope
Did I ask for this, never, nope.
tale. In this story the Girl becomes Masha. Finally we end up back to the Match Girl
who has died. It is about bringing light into the darkness and ends with the chorus
To get a job, that’s what I’d like
saying:
No home they say, get on your bike
This night the little girl was found dead
Life for me is really tough
A smile on her face and cheeks rosy red.
As you know, I’ve said enough.
But the people who found her did not know
That whilst she was being buried in snow
What the future holds, I don’t know
What warmth she'd felt, what things she'd seen
What to do, where to go
As wonderful as her wildest dreams
This is me, this is my life
No need for them to shed a tear
I’d really like a little less strife.
On that frozen cold last night of the year.
41
42
Ruskin Mill College
A New Book by Greg Tricker
with text by Johannes Steuck
Who was Kasper Hauser? What was the meaning of his life? Why was he murdered?
Greg Tricker, stone carving tutor at Ruskin Mill College, produces another excellent, high quality book with 144 pages in
full colour of Greg’s artwork and a fascinating and erudite text by Johannes Steuck exploring the key questions about
Kasper’s short life. Kasper Hauser follows on from Greg’s previous books on the Catacombs and St Francis.
The Mystery of Kasper Hauser
The Holy Fool
The Red Apples
Theatre of the World
Kasper Hauser is available from Wynstones Press: Tel: 01384 399455 or from Greg Tricker: Tel: 01453 834975
43
Ruskin Mill College
On the morning of Thursday 6 July 2006, Will
Mercer, my Personal Tutor, came to pick me up at 4 am
to drive us to the Wimbledon championships in London.
We got to London for about 6.30 am. We parked and
went to find the queue to buy tickets for the day which
was only about 50 yards up the road. At the time, there
were about 50 people in the queue. Then we were taken
to the next section and queued until about 8.30 am
during which time they were handing out some free
samples of juice. At 8.30 am, we moved through
security to go to a holding pen outside the ticket office.
At about 9 am, we paid for our tickets for Court 1, they
let us through and we had to wait until 10.30 am to get
into the courts. Then at about 11.30 am the rain
started to come down.
The weather cleared and, at 12.30 pm, we saw a
warm up game on Court No. 3, then took our seats right
in the corner where the stars come out. At 1 pm we saw
the men’s singles match, Nedal vs. Nieminen, which
Nedal won 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Then we went out for a break
and ate our packed lunch on Henman Hill. We then saw
Woodbridge and Woodforde take on the Jensen
brothers. The woody boys won the match 7-5, 6-2.
Then we saw McNamara and McNamee take on
Bahrami and Mayer which McNamara and McNamee won
7-6, 7-5. Finally we saw the great Ivanisevic and Henry
Leconte take on Donnelly and Zivojinovic where they
entertained the crowd. When they first came on, they
decided to tie up the umpire and stick him in the middle
of the court while Leconte took over his chair. Then
they decided to play three against one and three
against one in a chair. They were playing badminton
style more than tennis. Then the crowd all shouted
harder and harder to get Ivanisevic to do a big serve,
so he hit one at 141 mph.
Left: With Will in front of one of the court-side press boxes.
We left at around 8 pm and ate at Reading Services.
Above (from top): Nadal and Niemenan coming out onto No. 1
I really enjoyed going to Wimbledon 2006 and I hope I
Court. Nadal signing autographs next to us. Standing on
will be going next year.
Henman Hill. Watching Nadal serve from our front row seats.
By Andrew Blandford, 4th-year
Photos by Will.
44
Ruskin Mill College
History of Art Trip
Crete 2006
On Thursday, 18th May 2006, a group of students
and staff from Glasshouse College and Ruskin Mill
College flew to the Greek island of Crete. We went
there to learn about Greek mythology and art in the area.
I rode a donkey (left) for the first time up to the
Diktaion Cave where Zeus was born. He was the son of
Cronos and Rhea. The cave was wet, damp and cold. It
echoed when people were talking and there was no light.
When you went outside, you saw the view of the plain of
Lassithi.
Anna Robertson
We went to the palace of Knossos. We did a play
(right) about the Minatour and I was Ariadne who fell
in love with Theisius. We used masks made at the
Glasshouse College.
Kate Hynam, 3rd-yr
We saw the king’s throne and the queen’s bath.
We saw frescoes of the king-priest and of lots of
dolphins.
Anna Robertson, 3rd-yr
I woke up at 4.15 am to get ready for a very long, hard
day walking the Samarian Gorge (left), which was a
challenge for me, but I made it all the way through,
despite the pain after hurting my ankle. The walk was 17
km long.
We had lunch and I had to walk the second part of the
gorge on my own, which was really difficult, but I
managed to get to the end, despite the fact that I sprained
my right ankle. I was proud of myself and when I told
Darryl, he was delighted and supportive towards me. I
am up for big challenges, so if I have the chance again, I
would do it again. I will never get over being so pleased with myself after being the third person to make it to the
end of the gorge in very hot conditions. The gorge was the very best thing that I have ever done since I was about
14 years of age.
When there were seven people who’d finished the
gorge, we all went to a restaurant bar and Mike bought
us an ice-cold drink and an ice cream for passing the
gorge and surviving the hot weather.
Kate Hynam
In Chania, we went to see Rokka Carpets, which is
the name of Mahalis’ weaving workshop (right). His
family have lived and worked there for at least 400
years. It was really beautiful and magical and full of
colour. He uses natural plant colours for dying the
wool before he weaves it into rugs and bags.
I made friendship bracelets.
Anna Robertson
Ruskin Mill College
History of Art Trip
Venice and Florence
2006
Impressions by Andrew Binnie, 3rd-year
That was my first trip to Venice and Florence. It was
thrilling flying over the Alps which still supplies fresh
water to the people below.
When we landed, we waited for the bus to take us to
the Hotel Plaza and then we took the train to Old
Venice. We boarded a gondola which took us up the
Grand Canal. The gondolas had very comfortable and
soft red seats and some red roses on them. We also
went to St. Mark’s Square and looked in all the shops
and ate Italian ice-cream. We also had our meals in
Italian restaurants called ristorantes.
On our journey through the canals, we went under
bridges, saw the sides of the old houses and the white
and red striped poles with golden tops. We went into
palaces that once belonged to merchants, princes and
lords. The palaces contained paintings, sculptures and
old china. One of the palaces was once rented by Lord
Byron who lived in it for a few years before he died in
Greece.
We went to St.Mark’s Basilica which was very old
inside with mosaics, paintings and gold statues. It was
very quiet inside. We also saw the Lion of Venice
overlooking the whole square and looking
east to the sun when it rises in the
morning and resting its paw on the
Bible. The Cupola of Genesis
represented the story of The
Creation. Each of the five circles tells
of the most important events that
happened during the Creation.
The next day, we went to the
Galleria dell’Accademia. There
were lots of very famous paintings
done by famous artists. One of
them is of the Virgin Mary holding
Christ inside an egg. She wore a
black cloak which represented the
night sky and a red one with gold stars on it which
represented blood and life. The sky behind her was
gold representing the heavens. The Renaissance period
didn’t start until 1415.
We went to see the glassmakers on Murano Island and
the old stone church on Torcello. I went inside it and
there was an old sculpture of Jesus on the cross in front
of the seats and a mosaic covering the back wall of the
creation over a door with a curtain on it. I then went
around to the other side of the church and walked up
the stone tower which looks over the whole of
Torcello. Before I went inside the church, I saw a small
statue of Mary on top of a small column with her foot
on a snake.
Florence by Ben Waters, 3rd-year
In Florence we went to the Academia museum to study
Michelangelo's art. We saw the sculpture of David. The
sculpture has David looking to his left for Goliath and
in his right hand is a stone ready to throw.
Another sculpture we saw was of Christ coming off the
cross. The title of the sculpture is called ‘The Pieta of
Palestrina.’
On the final day in Florence we went inside the
bell tower of the Duomo Basilica (the Dome
Cathedral, above) which is really big and
we had to climb about four hundred and
sixty steps to get to the top which was
very tiring. Once we got onto the top
of the tower, we saw the view of
Florence which was very beautiful.
I really enjoyed my stay in both
Venice and Florence and learnt many
new things. I found Venice very
exciting but I loved the view of
Florence.
The Church of Santa Maria Della Salute,
as seen from a gondola.
45
46
Ruskin Mill College
Gloucestershire
Young Person of the Year
Award
I work as a young person volunteer at The
Door which is a Christian Youth Project in
Stroud. As I came to work one day, Jo, the
Coffee Bar team leader, asked if she could
nominate me for an award. I just agreed
without really knowing much about it.
You can imagine my shock when I got a
letter inviting me to the Gloucestershire
Young Person of the Year Awards. I was so
excited and started telling all my family and
Alex Farrow, chair of the Youth Council and last year’s winner with
friends.
Grant (centre) receiving his certificate from the Mayor of Gloucester
Before the ceremony I had to go to the
Severn Sound studio in Gloucester for the preliminary judging where I also did an interview with Joe Lemer, a
presenter on Severn Sound, and a photo shoot.
On the day I was so excited. My mum had brought my suit back from Essex and I went out to buy some new
shoes. We all had to speak to the judges again and have a rehearsal. Finally it was time for the nominations. Joe
Lemer read out the nominees and explained why they had been nominated. I was nominated for my charity work
that included work at The Door serving in the coffee bar, St John Ambulance, GlosAid, SASG (Stroud Autistic
Support Group) and my work dealing with issues around bullying. At the end of the ceremony, which was attended
by many important people, the trophies were handed out to the winners of the different categories and the overall
winner. I won the 'Making a Difference in the Community' category. It felt so great as my parents were able to be
there to see me get my award. I will remember that day forever.
I also received the Stroud Town Council Young Person of the Year Award and received a shield, a Stroud Town
Council paper weight and a certificate from the Mayor of Stroud. Although I don’t do my work in order to gain
rewards, I am very honoured to have my work acknowledged in this way. The Door, a Christian Youth Project
where I work as a young person volunteer, has been short-listed to get a Faith Works award and I, along with
Brendan Conboy, are going to the House of Commons to attend. I am also the webmaster for The Door so to find
out more go to: www.thedoor.ik.com/
Grant Harman, 4th-year.
The Principals of Re-organisation
Ruskin Mill College and Glasshouse College have a new post of
College Principal following a recent reorganisation. Richard
Rogers was appointed as College Principal at Glasshouse College.
Richard had previously been Head of College, Residential, at Ruskin
Mill College, where he worked very closely with his old colleague
and good friend, Michael Frosch, who has now become College
Principal at Ruskin Mill College.
Richard (left) and Michael also graduated at Lancaster
University in July on completion of a Postgraduate Certificate in
Management (Education).
At Freeman College, now starting its second year, Helen
Kippax has been appointed Deputy Head of College and will
continue to work closely with Amanda Labron (Education &
Therapy Manager), John Pickin (Residential Services Manager) and
Aonghus Gordon, who will continue as Head of College.
Ruskin Mill College
RUSKIN MILL
HYDROPOWER SCHEME
From left: Jacqui Rogers, Sue Reed Mayor of Nailsworth, Amy
Cross (Powergen), Aonghus and Victoria Lake (Powergen).
The Ruskin Mill Hydropower scheme is the latest
development in the RMET renewable energy programme.
It follows on from the installation last year of 30 solar
photovoltaic panels at Gables Farm and a self-generating
Vulcan Ram pump supplying spring water to a work area.
The flow of water running next to the waterwheel is a
valuable resource to Ruskin Mill building and craft
workshops. A feasibility study was carried out by Phil
Davis who was born in Stroud and is passionate about
installing hydropower turbines in the Stroud Valleys. The
study recommended that an Ossberger crossflow turbine,
which operates over a wideflow range, be located adjacent
to the water wheel. This has a rating of 5.71 kW and will
generate an estimated 22,562 kWh of electricity each
year, which represents 15% of the total consumption for
the building. This is equivalent to the electrical energy
needs of over five average UK households.
An interactive demonstration system will be created
using the waterwheel to turn a flushing system initiated by
pulling a chain. The wheel will set the gear driven layshaft
in motion, powering the old, flat-belt driven, direct
current generator. An incandescent light bulb fitted to the
generator, will glow as electricity is generated from the
flow of water driving the
mill wheel. The
waterwheel room will
be refurbished to enable
visitors to access the
demonstration system
on designated open days.
Completion is due for
January 2007.
The British Trust
for Conservation
Volunteers (BTCV)
spent five days tirelessly
clearing out the silt and
Bill Benton, engineer on the waterwheel for over 20 years
rubble from the river bed around the millwheel and from
under the track. Fuelled by good food and refreshments
from the Coffee Shop, the teams filled three or four skips
with rubble, reserving the Cotswold stone for wall
repairs. As water bailiff, Howie Keightley controlled the
flow of water to enable volunteers to work safely.
Howie, Lander de Meulineure and Sarah Kelly spent a
week working with students to clear the undergrowth
from the banks of the river and continued de-silting the
riverbed. Rayner Grant was called in to remove the larger
branches, some of which were growing of out the stone
wall. Bill Benton, who has been tending the waterwheel
and its machinery for over 20 years, has been lending his
valuable expertise to the development of the project and
filming by Mango Productions for a documentary film
about the educational, heritage, community and
environmental aspects of the project, has begun.
Ruskin Mill Educational Trust acknowledges the
generous financial support totalling £65,656 from the
following organisations which has enabled the project to
go ahead: Clearskies (Department of Trade & Industry),
Powergen’s GreenPlan Fund and The Gloucestershire
Environmental Trust Company (Cory Environmental
landfill tax credits distributed as grants).
Ruskin Mill Educational Trust will be awarded ROCs
by The Office of Gas Electricity Markets (OFGEM) for all
electricity generated by the hydropower scheme.
Renewable Obligation Certificates or ROCs are digital
certificates that hold details of how a unit of electricity was
made, by whom and finally who bought and used it.
Ruskin Mill has entered into an agreement with Ecotricity
and will be trading ROCs to create an estimated £1,015 a
year. This is in addition to the savings on electricity
charges of £2,000, making a potential annual income of
£3,015.
It is planned that two analogue dials will be mounted in
the foyer at Ruskin Mill showing both the amount of
electricity generated by this scheme and consumed within
the building. It is intended that this project will be
incorporated into the educational curriculum.
Jacqui Rogers, Development Co-ordinator.
Students Richard Moss and David Taylor clearing the channel
47
48
Ruskin Mill and Glasshouse Colleges
Welcome to all ex-students and we have, as always, had a good response from
many of you and here are some edited highlights. The Ex-Files offers a very
good opportunity to show some of the activities and experiences that ex-students
are involved in since leaving our colleges as well as passing on information to staff. Hope you enjoy this
issue and I look forward to getting your news for the next edition. Best wishes from all the staff.
Will Mercer (william.mercer@rmc.rmet.org.uk).
Ruskin Mill College
Joe Ambridge is living in Stroud with his family,
working as a Royal Mail postman and helping out at
home. He attends pottery classes one evening a week.
Oliver Blake left the Mill four years ago in the
hopes of visiting Russia. Provided with a lot of help, he
now lives in Yaroslavl (north of Moscow) with his
Russian fiancée and works as a teacher of English. In
the spring, they came back to the UK and visited the
famous London sites before coming to visit the Mill.
He would love to visit us again and says that to still be
in contact with his friends in England is the greatest
pleasure that life can give.
Matthew Brown is living in Clevedon, Somerset,
in an independent flat with five other residents. He
likes to go shopping for games and DVDs and hopes to
be doing an IT Course in September. He says ‘hi’ to
Elly Pace and Gudrun.
Matthew Gold is living in Chichester. He is
currently involved in a snooker tournament and enjoys
football, biking and swimming. He is doing a bike ride
in France in September for the NSPCC and hopes to
wed his girlfriend after Christmas. He says ‘hello’ to
Abby Blackwell and Jayne and Phil and would like to
meet up with Gareth Holiday.
Robert Jones is living in his own flat (with a
balcony) in Westcroft, Milton Keynes. He misses both
the challenges and the organic food at Ruskin Mill and
would like to say ‘hi’ to his ex-personal tutor Arian.
He says he’ll probably be at the open day next year.
Aaron Lockwood is living in supported
independence in Milton Keynes. He’s still practising
darts, doing Japanese, watching Transformers on TV and
DVD and collecting Transformers and Disney DVDs. He
plans to get into retail soon and wants to visit the next
sci-fi fair. He says ‘hello’ to Katie and Tara and
konnichiwa to Ayumi, and sends his love to Alice and
Carla as always.
Michael Pearce is living independently in
Horfield, Bristol. Whilst at the Mill, he enjoyed the
countryside and the people. He is currently between
courses and says ‘hello’ to Helen Bermingham.
Ram Ray is living in Strood, in Kent. He keeps up
with his craftwork and sports activities. He really
misses Ra and Iona and says ‘hi’ to Barry, Elizabeth
Affleck (now Johnson, having married Carl in 2005),
Kim Emmerson and Cathy Blofield, as well as to
Sammy Roberts, Kit Farrell and Martin Cox.
Jonathan Silverstone is living in Southend-onSea, Essex, though he is trying to move into a new flat
locally. He is currently doing volunteer work and
hopes that it will lead to exciting new possibilities.
Hugo Taylor is living in Shoeburyness, in Essex,
with his family. He goes to his adult placement two
days a week, learning housekeeping and mechanics. He
volunteers one day week at Hamelin Trust, doing
furniture restoration, and spends time with his floating
support worker for another day each week. He would
like to contact Warwick Bardsley and Ben Laird.
Jonathan Wilson is still living at home in West
Ealing, London. He has been doing computer courses
and some work experience at a Wilkinson warehouse.
He has been helping his mother with the housework
and the cooking and is looking into more formal
housing arrangements.
Robert Winterbottom is currently living in
Woking, Surrey. He is currently doing two sets of
voluntary work at the British Heart Foundation and at a
charity shop called Connect. He’s on his local housing
list, but is as yet unsure when that will come to
fruition. He says ‘hello’ to Joseph Ambridge and Anna
Leesley-Brown and anyone else who knew him at the
Mill.
Ashley Wood is living in Sheffield with Jon
Leonard (a Glasshouse ex-student), both of whom now
work at Freeman College. He likes going to the
cinema, bowling, walking and food shopping and
enjoyed our most recent Open Day.
Glasshouse College
Alex James (2001 – 2005) is now living in
Halesowen, West Midlands, with his parents. He is
doing a paper round for the Chronicle, he plays pool for
the Maypole pub on a Thursday night and on Tuesday
for the Nelson in the new year. He does gardening
twice a week at the Hillside Herb College in Dudley
and he mows the lawns at home and at his nan’s house.
He enjoys watching films and visiting places.
Edited by Richard J Thatcher.
Ruskin Mill and Glasshouse Colleges
Kit’s visit to Downing Street with the Scouts
On Saturday, 9th September 2006, I went to
London with some of my Scout group to visit
Downing Street where the Prime Minister lives. It
was my very first time going into the actual street,
past the gates where the police are guarding. I
arranged the visit. When I first heard that Scouts,
schools and youth clubs can do special visits in
Downing Street, I thought I’d discuss it with my
helpers and they thought that it would be a
wonderful idea.
I wrote to the Prime Minister’s Events Office at
10 Downing Street and got a reply. When the date
was planned, we had to send by fax all the helpers’
names to go on the police list so that we would be let
into Downing Street. If not, we would be refused entry.
The time we were due into the street was 11.30 am. When it was 11.25, we made our way to Downing
Street. As soon as we arrived, one of the police officers let us in through the side gate. I was really excited to get
in, and as soon as we entered, we were security searched.
We went right up to number 10 and I couldn’t believe I was in the actual street. We all stood in front of the
door and had our photo taken. There were lots of people at the end of the street in Whitehall, looking in through
the massive gates.
The Scouts and I enjoyed the visit. John Bonorrer, Sarah Stone and Sue Kemp were the helpers that came with
us. Marbles, Chris and Liz (in the wheelchair), who also came, really enjoyed the visit to Downing Street.
I’ve had dreams about going into Downing Street and when we were there, everything looked the same as it
was in my dream. It was all a dream come true. Entry into the house was not possible and we didn’t meet Mr.
Blair.
By Kit Farrell (2002 – 2005).
Cartoon by Stuart Wright, 3rd-year, Ruskin Mill College
49
50
Ruskin Mill College
B F N M A Q T Y O A M A Z O N R I
V E R K L D E A I
C V B R
I O A E W R T Y K T V B T Y A S L P G H K E S O O R F I P E
F A T Q Y B N M M A O C S R A V N Q I L H D X V M R L O E V
B V X T R J H G Y L F D U I O B P N R T V X P H I A D O L I
O N M Y L L Q W E P R T Y X C M P T O S P I
M S U W H I
N R
R C A W H E A L E A Q L X A C N M O X L P R E A Q A G T A S
S T C S T H N S A L N B Q G P P T X A V B I
D T Q D A Q I
T G N M A S V O K O P I
E P I
R F G H B X Q A S I
E
D A S N G
D A C Y T O P I S V C X Z Y G Y G G K R A T K L L Y G E N N
C I N D U S R I V E R O H U R C H P H I N P A B N M X Z Q A
G H Z Q C V A G H I O P O C H E E F W H I T E S I D E D J G
A S D F U G H J
F G B N X I
Y Z I
J
I
K L Z R X C V B N M Q W E R B T Y N H T O K
Z Q G O H T O A H U M P B A C K E D A V Q Z I
Q W E F G H N Q E R T Y U I
X C V G H J
Z Q E A S U I
T Y N M A Q W E R T I
S O N I
O P A T S D G F H L J
P O B G M D E A B I
F C V H J
J
U R R A J
G B
L H O P P A H E C T O R S Q
Z E B R R T B R B C O M M O N N Q Q W V V H O I
R S
K Y N A C L U M A S R A A S R H D U A Y Q X C L P O U G T V
V X K Y H G I
H M L A S E I
C A P R V A X M C P O B T H P O
X C M S X A T R R O O E P V B H F G X X A S D F G H J
F P O I
U Y T R E W Q R C V B E N L M A S D F G H J
Z T A D Q D E T T O P S V R X A O A E Q L K J
X A M F A E N Q T Q X A B U C V I
P I
U B W P I
V F T N E I
B G I
Q Y Q X E N Y B I
S S O S Y J
R M I
K W L X
I
U T D H A B
S N O N A Y I
P A N A Y L
U S P I
N N E R K B M L X A
M A V Q X T H T N S Y P B G M I
M X R I
T K L
O Q G C L E W C
T F R H N U P A H D K O V K
Z N K Y F T B T V Q A P A E E D R G F J
P Y H X X E J
P U C
A M V Y D S L Y S R D C O M M E R S O N S T K H Y F I
Q T H
Q H B G X A E O Q A G O B Q A S A B X K A F X N Z G H R S I
P J
M H U S P P T X K L N X P A G N A M Q P C C H I
Words
Bottlenose
Dusky
Common
Tucuxi
Spinner
Striped
Rough-toothed
Hourglass
Irrawaddy
Humpbacked
White-sided
White-beaked
Spotted
Hectors
Commersons
Heavisides
Right Whale
L E A N
Amazon River
Chilean
Chinese River
Indus River
Rissos
Blackchin
Frasers
La Plata
Ganges River
CULTURAL EVENTS & WORKSHOPS
GLASSHOUSE STUDIO THEATRE
RUSKIN MILL COLLEGE
The Glasshouse Studio Theatre is situated at The Glasshouse College
Ruskin Mill runs a Cultural Programme of live
and the Ruskin Glass Centre which includes a visitors’ centre housing some of
events, lectures, exhibitions and workshops.
England’s leading traditional contemporary glass designers and makers.
REGULAR EVENTS AT RUSKIN MILL
Tickets for theatre events are available on the door and doors are open 30
minutes prior to each event. Reservations are to be collected 15 minutes prior to the
Rag Rugs & Felting with Margaret
event. Exhibitions are open from 10 am to 4 pm, Monday to Saturday.
Docherty (01453 833320). Felt Courses and
Workshops on site include glassblowing, blacksmithing, glass-cutting and
Plant Dye Workshops with Marianne van
jewellery, and are between 9 am and 5 pm, Monday to Saturday. The Glasshouse
der Tas (01453 762862). Soapmaking with
College also includes workshops on jewellery, mask-making pottery and weaving and
Jonathan Code (01453 766931).
can be visited by appointment. For more information contact:
Stonecarving with Greg Tricker (01453
Glasshouse College Office on 01384 399400.
755352). Children’s Storytelling (01453
Box
Office:
01384 399430; Administration: 01384 399458.
872099). Yoga with Chris Hewett (01453
Email:
glasshousetheatre@ruskin2003.fsnet.co.uk
834304)
www.ruskin-mill.org.uk
Tickets for events are available at the door and
the Gallery is open for exhibitions Tuesday –
THE MERLIN THEATRE
Saturday, 9 am – 5 pm. For more information
RMET has a mutually beneficial arrangement with the trustees of the Merlin Theatre in
contact:
Nether Edge, Sheffield. This allows Freeman College to be involved in continuing
the rich tradition of community based theatre and adult education that has taken place
Telephone: 01453 837537
at the Merlin Theatre for the past three decades. For more information on the
Fax: 01453 837506
programme for The Merlin Theatre contact:
Email: sue.smee@rmc.rmet.org.uk
Website: www.ruskin-mill.org.uk
The Merlin Theatre, 2 Meadow Bank Road, Nether Edge, Sheffield,
S11 9AH. Telephone & Fax: 0114 255 1638
Contributions by students
Sass Aley
Nicholas Armour
Joshua Bartel
Tom Best
Andrew Binnie
Andrew Blandford
Andrew Burbidge
Kristian Ceasar
David Churm
Rebecca Crowther
John Dean
Chris Enright
Daniel Fisher
Adam Garlick
Daniel Gleeson
Gemma Gordon
Paul Gribben
Rob Hansford
Sarah Harley
Grant Harman
George Hayes
Nick Horton
Tiffany Hurden
Kate Hynam
Katherine Kelly
Abigail Lightfoot
Clare McKinnon
John Marshall
Michael Nares
Joe Norris
Tom Odlin
Katy Ponting
John Powell
Craig Ravenscroft
Tom Ridley
Anna Robertson
Wayne Rogers
Phillip Rose
Edward Sharpe
Justin Smith
Peter Smith
Ashley Stone
Gareth Taylor
Ben Waters
Sam Winter
Stuart Wright
Contributions by staff
& others
Richard Abdy
Keith Brocklehurst
Graham Aldred
Candice-Elena Evans
Deborah Byrne Fraser & Karen Hesketh
Mike Chase
Melvin Jarman
Janine Christley
Helen Kippax
David Cooper
Annabelle Mitchell
Nagako Cooper
Angie Murray
Patricia Digby
Jacqui Rogers
Graham Dowding
Florian Sneider
Martina Gleadhall
Greg Tricker
David Heugh
Johanna van der Voort
Special thanks to Paul Jackson for technical support, Chris Day for co-ordinating, layout & design of all
Glasshouse features, Helen Kippax, Eleri Norris, Sandra Thomas and Angela Bell at Freeman College,
Richard Thatcher for word-processing, proofreading and additional support and to all those unnamed
members of staff and students who have supported the magazine from behind the scenes.
Run of the Mill is edited and set by Will Mercer at Ruskin Mill. Email: william.mercer@rmc.rmet.org.uk
Printed by Kristianstad Book Printers, Videllsgatan 6, Box 551, Kristianstad, Sweden.
‘One of the world’s most environmentally friendly companies’ on chlorine-free paper
from sustainable forests supplied by Arctic Paper. www.kristianstad.co.uk
51
Art with tutor, Patcricia Digby, Ruskin Mill College
Katherine Kelly, 2nd-year
Tom Odlin, 3rd-year
Katy Ponting, 3rd-year
Abigail Lightfoot, 1st-year
Joshua Bartell, 1st-year
Gemma Gordon, 4th-year
Nicholas Armour, 4th-year

at Freeman College - Ruskin Mill Trust

Transcription

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