Traces - Skipton’s history in focus was a great success attracted over 600 visitors to Craven Arts House. The brief took me immediately to mapping my grandfather's extensive gardens with the nearby  Wilderness now a nature reserve. Moving in during the 1920s he revived and extended the magnificent grounds of The Old Grammar School House and as a youngster, with cousins, we romped around the high walled garden, with its climbing rose trellis surrounding a full size tennis  court, his prized dahlias borders and variety of vegetable beds were a fascination.
During November and December my painting of Pendle Hill, 'Pendle Chill - beyond the freezing level' graced the walls of the lovely Badger in the Wall Gallery in Clapham in the Yorkshire Dales. Thanks to Nick Armstrong’s vision and business acumen many artists and makers have been supported over the past couple of years, thank you Nick.

At the end of October, we attended Holden Clough Nurseries Pumpkin Artisan Makers Market, alongside some wonderful stalls and met lots of visitors and stall holders - their artisan markets are always well supported and worth visiting https://www.holdenclough.com

Early November brought back the North Yorkshire Open Studios Winter event and it was good to be visited by so many people who had the added bonus of seeing not only the Craven Arts TRACES exhibition, but also 'ECHOES of landscape' an exhibition by the talented fine artist Brian Burton https://www.brianburton.art

Craven Arts Winter exhibition 'Present Perfect' coincided with our Makers Fair in early December, when my new range of tea towels proved popular.

It was a funny old year, hobbling around awaiting the new hip which was finally installed in January and I’m now on the mend ready to hit 2026 running!