#1

I had been writing the first edition of this newsletter for weeks, actually more like months… and then I thought why don’t just wait until after I got to Tear Up 2024 so I have lots more of exciting things to tell you about and now here we are. Spending my bank holiday trying to remember all the details you would want to hear about.

How to start, maybe right at the beginning? It all started in my little ford fusion on the M5 trying not to get annoyed about the traffic and that I might be late to pick Marie up from the train-station, thankfully I wasn’t late and I managed to get my tent up without any dramatics. OK I may have been a little dramatic when I realised how far the toilet was from my tent (a 10 minute walk there and back to my tent!). After struggling to light my burner to heat up my dinner, I gave up and ate cold pasta and then eventually noticed I had a critical piece upside down.

First morning madness started off strong with the most lovely Canadian women giving me a massive hug saying she had to text the group chat that she met me, I honestly nearly cried. And then meeting Peter Dibble, to put it into perspective I saw Taylor Swift 2 weeks ago and Peter dibble for me is up there next to her! Me, a mere mortal learning from a basket genius someone pinch me now. Peter was teaching me and 8 other people how to make a Great Yarmouth traditional herring swill frame basket. What started as a simple willow ring grew into this massive frame basket in half a day. I still don’t know how I had the strength to put it all together!

Day 2 we started adding in ribs and building up more of the weave, starting to create the end shape (which slightly looks like ½ a pumpkin). And I might of spent my tea break hoovering outside the tea tent because Jenny Crisp another Basket making Goddess was making a cuppa and I didn’t want to seem like a stalker. Obviously I held in all inner monologue and squealing so I wouldn’t seem like a utter wierdo.

Day 3 was when the weather really started to get good...46mph winds all through the night with some great rain showers in the mix as-well sent just to make sure I had put my tent up properly. While severely sleep deprived I finished the beast of a basket. The basket in question was used to carry the herring by 2 people when full. Hence the main handle and the 2 side handles. This basket is extremely heavy empty, I can’t imagine how heavy this would have been full. I am so grateful to Peter for sharing this basket with us all at Tear-up.

I chose not to attend any workshops at the weekend, my hands and body needed a break from weaving and there was so many people I wanted to catch up with, talks to go and other incredible weavers to watch in action. I was also lucky enough to get myself lots of beautiful new tools from Dave Budd who is based in Dartmoor but came up especially. I watched Rosie Farey create a rush basket similar to the one that will be on display at the Basketmakers Association new exhibition about basketry. Tom Keleay and his woven chairs, Phil Bradley teaching some people how to make a willow tray (He has been weaving since the year I was born!). Ali from Underwood crafts making some hazel hurdles and yes I did get to have a little go, he makes it look a lot easier them it was.

I have come away from this week in a field in Staffordshire feeling so inspired by the people I met an spoke to, making so many new friends and meeting people I had only met on social media. I feel determined to do some weaving as soon as I can and put everything I learnt and saw into practice.

Here is to the first edition of Lydia’s Willow Weaving Newsletter and hopefully many more to come.