Education Environments, Cookery Schools, Courses & Activities

When I set up my bed and breakfast in Shropshire in July 2004, I was overwhelmed by everything I needed to do and was in desperate need of some help and advice. I had a good book but what I really wanted was some training and some support from someone who had actually set up and run a B&B.

Once Hopton House was up and running, I realised that I was rather good at being a B&B landlady! We received a gold award from VisitBritain and most importantly get wonderful feedback from our guests – many of whom can’t seem to stay away.

I’m a great believer in networking, sharing my own experience to help others. I am also an experienced trainer and facilitator so it was a natural next step to set up my Bed and Breakfast Training Courses. They are available both as 2 day classroom courses here at my B&B in the beautiful countryside and online via email. Accommodation is available for course attendees at the B&B or at other area B&B’s that we work closely with.

As well as all the legislation, quality standards etc. I share my own successes and mistakes – you can sometimes learn a lot more from the things that go wrong! I encourage attendees to stay in contact with me as they progress through setting up their B&B so that I can continue to provide support and answer the adhoc questions that only arise once your first guest arrives.

Colliers Hill is 15 miles from the town of Ludlow with its many starred restaurants and medieval castle. The castle is the site for the renowned Ludlow Festival where you can enjoy a Shakespeare production or music set in the splendid ruins. Ludlow is also known for its Food Fair in September.

Colliers Hill is approximately 50 minutes from Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick Castle, both sites of great historic and cultural interest and Shakespeare events. It is also an hour's drive from Hay-on-Wye and Cheltenham, both venues for Literary Festivals.

Jackie Miller, owner of Colliers Hill, is passionate about Shakespeare and regularly runs special Shakespeare events. These events take in some of the local Shakespeare productions and include bed and breakfast accommodation at Colliers Hill. Alternatively, bespoke individual and group activities can be arranged based at this venue in the Heart of England. Please access link to her website for full details and view her informative listing about their excellent accommodations in our Inns Category.

Fully licensed with wine lists and menus available upon request.

Marlboro College is, by design, one of the smallest liberal arts colleges in the U.S., with 335 students and 42 fulltime faculty. They offer a student-centered approach to education that is structurally and culturally different from those of other colleges.

Marlboro's mission "to teach students to think clearly and to learn independently" is best served when students experience a wide variety of ideas, opinions and cultural backgrounds. Students are thereby better prepared to recognize and then to acquire the skills and understanding they may need to succeed as citizens in the wider world. Marlboro seeks, then, to sustain a community diverse in the background experience, interests, ideas and cultural practice of its members and to engage one another constructively toward that end.
 
Students initiate their own sports and co-curricular activities. As an example, for the past four years, students have been building an organic farm on the campus, which serves as a laboratory for science projects, a focus for conversations about environmental stewardship and sustainability, and provides an abundance of fresh produce for student meals. The farm has provided a great way for students to connect to the knowledge and enthusiasm of local farmers, gardeners and others experts in environmental matters.

The renowned Marlboro Music Festival is held on the college campus every summer. Pablo Casals, Rudolf Serkin and YoYo Ma are among the famous classical musicians who have taught and performed at the Music Festival. Their public concerts are offered in July and August – see their website at www.marlboromusic.org 

Penyrallt Home Farm offers opportunities to learn about the importance of organic farming to children and groups of all ages. The experiences are individually designed to suit the particular interests and needs of each group of visitors.

Areas covered are as diverse as Environmental Issues, Animal Welfare and Food Production. Many aspects of the national curriculum can be explored firsthand. With this extensive farm as a living classroom, all visitors will benefit from the stimulating learning experiences available.

For full information and answers to your specific questions, please contact the farm directly.

108 Years Of College History (1899 - 2007)  The UK's Leading College for the Land-based Industries

Sparsholt College takes its name from the parish of Sparsholt in which it is situated and the neighbouring village.

Pronounced “Spar - sholt” (not “Spars - holt”), the name derives from two old English words:

Spar - a straight timber for making spears, roof timbers, etc.

Holt - an area of managed woodland.

Thus, rural industry, reflected in the local name, continues to be taught and promoted in its modern forms by the College today.

The mission of the College is:

To be the regional and a major national centre of excellence for landbased education and training for learners and businesses AND to provide high quality courses which meet the economic and skills needs of local communities and businesses

Higher Education at the College began in 1983, with the introduction of an HND in Fishery Studies. Since then, HE courses have multiplied. The College is directly funded for its Higher Education courses, not as a subsidiary of university-based courses. In common with all colleges of further education, the College became independent from the County Council in 1993 and is now funded, for FE courses, from central government through the Learning and Skills Council.

The present day College has excellent teaching and training facilities both for theory and practical classes. A superb library and four computer suites reflects the need to keep pace with new methods of learning, while recent construction of superb new training resources keep pace with rapidly developing industrial technology.

Sparsholt has more than 1,400 full-time students and 6,000 part-time enrolments. Please visit our website or contact us for full details.

Surrounded by textiles, knitting and sewing as a young girl, I never thought they would be part of my life when I grew up. First, a City and Guilds course in Art and Design – Embroidery with thoughts of becoming a 17th Century embroideress. This led to the discovery that I could not obtain the type of embroidery silks I needed. My path continued as I learned to spin silk and to use Natural Dyes and ‘The Mulberry Dyer’ was born. People then began to enquire about my silks and I began producing them for sale.

My partner, John Stoker, and I offer historically accurate and thoroughly researched presentations of natural dyeing, spinning and fibre production from Roman through to the advent of chemical dyes in the mid 19th century.

We can also display the techniques of the medieval stained glass worker, pin and needle making, bone working, sun dial making and techniques, apothecary/herbalist and for the 18th century an early hot air balloonist. Our presentations can be tailored to suit individual houses, museums and the national curriculum for schools including special needs.

We supply historically accurate naturally dyed yarns, fibre and cloth, natural dyes, yarns and artists materials. John produces small textile tools including hand carders and spindles all to museum quality.

Throughout the year we attend various Historical markets or Living Histories, working with our friends in the Myddelton Household, the Fairfax Battalia, Hands on the Past, The Original Reenactors Market or by direct invitation.

We are happy to run Workshops by invitation and we run dyeing and spinning courses in North Wales. Please contact us to arrange for a workshop on either Natural Dyes, Drop Spindle spinning, Lucetting or Embroidery, (period specific, or as a general topic). We will travel to any part of the UK or even into Europe, our fees depend upon the subject matter and how the workshop is to run, we also require any expenses pertaining to our visit.

Clients include: The Globe Theatre, V & A; Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Hampton Court Palace and the Ashmolean Museum

Note: Please also visit The Mulberry Dyer Listing in our Artists and Craftsmen Category for additional information about their diverse Online Offerings.

Educational Events

At Zarza we run educational events that cover everything you need to know about alpaca husbandry and ownership.

We offer a three part educational programme which takes you from the initial stages of decision-making and basic information gathering through to successful breeding.

Part One - The Alpaca Experience

An introductory day which will tell you all you need to know about keeping alpacas for pets or as a business. This is a hands-on day and is fast becoming recognised as the most comprehensive in the business.

Part Two – Assessing Your Alpacas

Often it is not until you actually own alpacas that all the questions arise. This in-depth course shows you how to assess the quality of your alpacas both in terms of their conformation and their fleece. You will learn the importance of heritable and non-heritable traits. Finally you will learn the basics of showing alpacas.

Part Three – Successful Breeding Strategies

After ensuring you have the right foundation alpacas, developing your herd depends to a large extent on making the right breeding decisions. This course includes an in-depth section on heritable and non-heritable traits,  planning your breeding programme, selection of stud males, successful matings, pregnancy diagnosis, budgeting for success, and much more.

Zarza also runs special events which cover holistic veterinary care, pregnancy and neonatal care, fleece sorting etc.

The courses are run either by Zarza's Hilary Shenton - a qualified British Alpaca Society Judge - or visiting British and overseas experts.

They can also be tailored to suit the specific needs of a group of breeders - and held either at Zarza's Redwood farm or at a venue that suits you.

Please also visit Zarza Alpaca’s listing in our Farm Category for additional information and visit their website, using our direct link, for answers to any questions you might have.