A Taste of Spain - a cookery demonstration £55

Paula Riggall is young and enthusiastic, a cook with a great deal of experience in catering and cookery demonstration. Born in Spain her speciality is Mediterranean, particularly Spanish food. Paula delights in introducing others to the tastes and flavours of spanish cuisine and her relaxed and fun approach to food is key to her demonstrations. She uses the finest local produce available to create delicious yet simple dishes.

Join Paula and learn how to create your favourite holiday dishes. The demonstration will include lots of ideas and a selection of typical Spanish recipes including an authentic paella. Lunch included.

Create a Living Willow Sculpture £55

Susi Mulligan grows willow on her farm near Louth for willow work and willow sculptures.
She has been teaching the ancient craft of willow weaving for several years and is renowned for her fabulous willow sculptures. Join her for the day and learn how to create your own living willow sculpture. This is the perfect time of the year to plant the willow in readiness for next year's spring. Lunch included.

Creative Writing - The Perfect Short Story £65

Widely published, short story writer, Joanna Barnden shares a few tricks of her craft in this creative writing
workshop. Joanna writes for all the major national women's magazines and this year publishes her first novel.
This workshop will look at developing creative writing techniques with the aim of crafting a strong, engaging, potentially saleable story.

You will explore plotting, character creation, dialogue and revision techniques and be encouraged to both write and share your work for constructive feedback. Do bring along a piece of work for a brief, individual criticism. Lunch included.

The Art of Composting £35

Doug Stewart is a freelance horticultural consultant who is perhaps best known in Lincolnshire as co-presenter of The Great Outdoors, a weekly gardening programme on BBC Radio Humberside.

Bette Midler put it best when she wrote: “My whole life has been waiting for an epiphany, a manifestation of God’s presence, the kind of transcendent, magical experience that lets you see your place in the big picture. And that is what I had with my first compost heap.”

Doug will guide you through the art of composting looking at all the aspects from the site to the best system for you and your garden.

Creating an Oasis - Learn to Manage Your Stress £75

Heather Bestel is a psychotherapist and stress management consultant. She runs a successful business working nationwide with individuals and organisations teaching people how to manage their stress.

If you would like to learn how to relax instantly in a stressful situation, switch off when you come home from work, enjoy a refreshingly, good night's sleep join Heather and she will guide you through a thoroughly relaxing day. She will demonstrate that it takes only 10 minutes to feel relaxed, refreshed and rejuvenated.
You will leave equipped with the strategies you need to deal with the stresses in your life. Lunch included. Find out more about Heather Bestel.

Design for Living - be guided through the design of a room £110

Jamie Hempsall spent a decade on the stage in London before he decided to commit to his first love, interior design. Jamie is an associate member of the British Interior Design Association and is much sort after for his skill for interpreting and understanding his client’s needs.

In this one-day workshop Jamie will guide you through the design of a room. Bring along a rough drawing of your chosen room as well as any inspirational cuttings from magazines or books, fabric or wallpaper swatches and colour charts. Jamie will show you how to create a mood board and he will discuss your ideas and desires
for this room. He will show you how to fine tune your concept and create a practical yet stylish design as well as giving you advice on how to set about realising your design. Book early, as numbers are limited. Lunch is included. Click here to find out more about Jamie Hempsall.

Larger Than Life Drawing - the less experience the better £55

Gervase Elwes trained at the Salde and strongly believes in natural draftsmanship.
He was the official artist for Comic Relief 2000 and painted portraits of most of the comic celebrities of the time including Ruby Wax, Lenny Henry, Angus Deighton, Stephen Fry and Barry Humphries. His pictures are in collections worldwide.
Gervase will introduce you to a new approach to painting. You will work to a very large scale to encourage you to loosen up. The less experience the better. Lunch included. Find out more about Gervase Elwes.

Flour Power - the art of pastry making £65

Clementine Monro is the creator of Pies and Delights, a delicious business producing mouth-watering, savoury pies. Her pies fly off the shelves of local farm shops and her own little Village Shop in Hackthorn.

Join Clementine for a hands-on, pastry making demonstration and benefit from her hours of trial and error in the development of the perfect pastry. Learn how to make a hand-raised, hot water crust pastry, great for cold pork pies. Master shortcrust pastry, perfect for most pies and sweet pastry for tarts. Last, and certainly not least, learn all about flakey pastry.

Making pastry is not difficult. It is how you handle it.

Make your own Christmas Cards £75

Jane Means, the "Gift Wrap Guru", is Britain’s gift-wrapping expert.

She conducts workshops nationwide and consults to companies, retailers and charities. She has provided a luxury gift-wrapping service for Selfridges, Blackwell Books, The White Company and last Christmas had her own gift wrapping store in Convent Garden. Jane is is often a guest on radio and TV and judged the “Gift Wrapper of the Year” final on This Morning and the Richard and Judy Show.

This workshop has been inspired by Jane’s passion for recycling and her desire to create cards for Christmas that are kinder to your wallet as well as the planet and still have the wow factor. All materials are supplied and you will leave with about 15 cards in various designs and lots of enthusiasm to keep going.

Join both Jane's workshops for £130, but book quickly as they are very popular. Lunch included.

Gift Wrap Guru £75

Jane Means, our Gift Wrap Guru will again teach us how to wrap anything! Join her workshop to learn how to wrap every gift perfectly, whatever the shape, occasion or budget. You will cover the basics, Japanese pleating, tackling bottles and awkward shapes, personalising your gifts, bows and making envelopes and gift bags.

Join both Jane's workshops for £130, but book quickly as they are very popular. Lunch included.

Sweet Treats - Hone your Baking Skills £55

Paula Riggall , young and enthusiastic, a cook with lots of catering and cookery demonstration experience loves the indulgence of baking.

Sweet Treats is a fabulous selection of desserts and cakes for those with a sweet tooth. Paula will guide you through some of her favourite recipes for cakes, muffins, tarts and desserts with an eye to ease as well as indulgence. The perfect time of year to hone your baking skills.

Christmas Wreath Making £65

Rachel Petheram’s business, Catkin Flowers, resides in the Victorian Walled Cutting at Belton Garden Centre near Grantham. From this lovely site Rachel runs her flourishing floristry business as well as running workshops on the cutting garden, flower arranging and photography.

Join Rachel for the day and learn how to make your own beautiful Christmas wreath in time for the season’s festivities. Wreaths are easy to create using seasonal materials from the garden. Take your wreath home with you as well as lots of other ideas for seasonal decorations. Lunch included.

Cooking for Christmas - A Demonstration £55

Paula Rigall loves Christmas and Christmas fare and she also likes to enjoy the party.

As we run head long into the festive season Paula will demonstrate a selection of mouth watering dishes which are sure to impress your guests and family. Paula works with
seasonal and local produce and the demonstration will include canapes along with a smart, dinner party menu which can be prepared ahead. Lunch included.

Winter Containers - Gardening for the Winter Solstice and the Festive Season £35

Doug Stewart is a freelance horticultural consultant who is perhaps best known in Lincolnshire as co-presenter of The Great Outdoors, a weekly gardening programme on BBC Radio Humberside.

Doug demonstrates ideas for planting containers that will look their best during the winter months as well as brightening up the entrance to the house over the festive season. Doug is brimming with folklore and legends surrounding the solstice and associated plants. If you need protection from witches, plagues and pestilence as well as an attractive winter container, this is the demonstration for you.

The Seasonal Kitchen – Spring - Knife Skills Workshop £65

Rosemary Leech is a qualified chef, has had a successful restaurant and catering company and now leads cookery workshops and demonstrations countrywide. She runs AGA training courses and her business, Serious Cookware,
advises on kitchen equipment, re-organisation, de-cluttering and design.

Spring is an ideal time to brush up on your knife skills. Knowing how to use and care for your knives is fundamental for all keen cooks. Rosemary will advise you on the right knife for the job be it paring, slicing, chopping, dicing, boning or carving and she will show you how to sharpen, clean and store your knives. You will then hone your skills preparing a three-course meal to enjoy for lunch. Click here to find out more about Rosemary Leech.

Pilates in Everyday Life – An Introduction £55

Lesley Covell is vitally interested in the body, its anatomy, exercise and nutrition. She first encountered Pilates while studying for her diploma in Personal Training and Sport Therapy at Premier Training in Nottingham. She furthered her training with Helga Fisher in Brighton and Stott Pilates in Oxford. Lesley continues to update her expertise and last autumn worked at the Kelly Kane studio in New York and the Stott studio in Toronto. She teaches Pilates classes and offers one to one training.

In this workshop Lesley will introduce Pilates, its history, the basic principles and exercises to integrate into your everyday life. There will be demonstrations and student participation. This workshop will give you an insight into what you can achieve with Pilates and the enormous benefits to your overall wellbeing. Experience is not necessary and there will be a light lunch at the end where questions will be answered. Click here to find out more about Pilates in Lincolnshire and Lesley Covell.

The Cutting Garden £65

Rachel Petheram’s desire for natural, seasonal and sustainably grown flowers for her wedding was the inspiration for her original cutting garden. Her business, Catkin Flowers, was born and now resides in the Victorian Walled Cutting Garden at Belton Garden Centre near Grantham. From this beautiful site Rachel combines her 11 years of lecturing experience and love of flowers by running courses and workshops on the cutting garden, flower arranging and photography.

Join Rachel for a day’s workshop and let her guide you through the planning and planting of your own cutting garden. A well-planned cutting garden can supply fresh flowers for your needs and pleasure all year round and save you a small fortune. With her wealth of experience she will give you advice on sowing, growing, staking and maintaining a well stocked garden as well as the best varieties to grow. Lunch is included. Click here to find out more about Rachel Petheram.

The Healing – Sowing the Seeds of Good Health £55

Christina Stapley is a medical herbalist with 35 years experience in her field.
She has created a well-known herb garden in Hampshire, featured on television and written three books,
Herbwise Naturally, Herbcraft Naturally and Herb Sufficient.

Christina will look at the most useful herbs to grow for home remedies and advise on how to set them out in a herb garden. The plan will include pot marigolds, purslane, marshmallows, chamomile, St. John’s wort, sage, thymes and mullein. Christina will address methods of sowing seeds for best results, harvesting and making safe, simple remedies. She will also explore the uses of seeds in the diet for good nutrition and look at oils from seeds of borage, evening primrose, flax and hemp and their use in aiding conditions such as chronic fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis and skin problems. Lunch is included. Click here to find out more about Christina Stapley.

The Potting Shed - The Art of Plant Propagation £55

Mick Cook was part of the team who were responsible for the renovation of the Victorian Walled Kitchen Garden at Normanby Hall. His experience is vast, his workshops inspiring and always popular.

The Potting Shed is an important resource in any gardener’s world. Mick will show you that the basic methods of simple plant propagation are easy to master. He will talk about the three main methods and demonstrate propagation from seed, cuttings and division. You don’t need much equipment and once you have mastered the techniques, propagation is an inexpensive way of increasing your stock. This is a hands on day so be prepared to get your hands dirty.This workshop is a good compliment to the Square Foot Garden. Lunch is included.

Rush Matters - Learn to Weave the English Bulrush £65

Felicity Irons is a leading practitioner in the ancient craft of rush weaving. She harvests and supplies bulrushes from the Great River Ouse, lectures and runs workshops as well producing beautiful woven products including matting, carpets, basketry, tableware, hats and bags. The National Trust, David Mellor Designs, Anoushka Hempel, the FitzWilliam Museum, the Globe Theatre and the film “Gladiator” have all commissioned her work.

Following an introduction on the history and use of the English Bulrush it will be a hands on day. Felicity will teach you the basic, age-old basketry techniques of plaiting and weaving bulrush. With this skill you will be able to weave a table mat. You can then apply your new skill to weaving hats, bags and baskets. Lunch is included. Click here to find out more about Felicity Irons.

Willow Work for Your Garden – a Two Day Workshop £120

Jo Hammond has a BA(Hons) in Fine Art and a City and Guilds teachers certificate and certificate in Countryside and Heritage Interpretation. Basketry and willow weaving is Jo’s passion and her enthusiasm and patience will contribute to making this weekend workshop a real treat. Jo is delighted that the craft of basketry is flourishing and relishes teaching the skill to others. She has worked with the National Trust, Mind, the RHS and The Woodland Trust.

During the weekend workshop Jo will introduce you to the basic skills you need to weave willow structures for your garden. She will demonstrate how to work with willow and then guide you through the construction of your own willow work. During the weekend you will learn to make plant supports, a play wigwam, simple garden sculptures and edging hurdles. Lunches included.

Grow Your Own Vegetables – The Square Foot Garden £55

Mick Cook was part of the team who were responsible for the refurbishment of the Walled Kitchen Garden at Normanby Hall and knows all there is to know about the kitchen garden. Mick advocates a system of gardening called Square Foot Gardening.

Square Foot Gardening is an ideal way to grow vegetables. It is a raised bed, no dig system which is economical in more ways than one. You need less space, soil, seed, tools, time, effort, water and investment. The results are a higher and continuous yield with no need to use pesticides. Mick will demonstrate how to build a raised bed, talk about soil, tools, seeds, compost, watering and pest control. He will give you templates for planting out your garden and demonstrate how successive sowing is the key to this way of gardening. This course is suitable for absolute beginners and more experienced gardeners. Lunch is included.

Container Gardening - Summer £35

Mick Cook worked for many years at Normanby Hall and has gardened all his life.
He is a master of container gardening and will guide you through the steps to make and maintain a great container garden.

Summer containers are an exciting and easy way to experiment with new ideas in the garden. Use them to make a statement, build a garden in a restricted site, grow vegetables and herbs, disguise a difficult spot, add height or variety. There are no rules, but preparation is important. Let Mick guide and inspire you this summer.

An Introduction to Beekeeping £35

If you would like a hive in your garden but know nothing about keeping bees, Ian Bailey and Dennis Giles from The North Lincolnshire Beekeeping Association offer the perfect introduction to beekeeping.

You will look at a working hive and handle bees, discuss the best equipment and clothing as well as talk about site location and stockists. You will also examine bees, their life cycle, honey, wax and pollens as well as taste a range of honeys. This is the perfect opportunity to have all your questions answered before taking the big step.
Bees will not perform in wet weather so the workshop will be postponed if the weather is wet.

Hats on Heads – Learn to make Fascinators and Headpieces £65

Fashion and accessory designers Angela Coupe and Carol Robinson lovingly create hat collections using traditional millinery techniques and beautiful materials. They have shown their collections at London Fashion Weeks and Bath Festival. They are sort after to demonstrate their millinery skills and run workshops.

Angela and Carol will begin the day with an explanation of basic millinery techniques and an interactive demonstration on how to construct simple fascinators and hat trims. With their guidance you will then spend the day making your own fascinator and headpiece. Lots of lovely fabrics and materials will be provided but
if you have a special outfit you want to compliment please bring along your material. Lunch is included. Click here to find out more about Hats on Heads.

The Seasonal Kitchen – Summer - Entertaining for Four or Fifty – a demonstration £65

Rosemary Leech is a qualified chef, has had a successful restaurant and catering company and now leads cookery workshops and demonstrations countrywide. She runs AGA training courses and her business, Serious Cookware, advises on kitchen equipment, re-organisation, de-cluttering and design.

Rosemary finds inspiration in local produce and the wealth of seasonal ingredients produced in Lincolnshire. Join her for the Seasonal Kitchen and the summer season, a time for lots of entertaining. Rosemary will show you how to feed as few as four and as many as fifty efficiently, effortlessly and deliciously utilising the cornucopia of wonderful produce available at this fabulous time of year. Rosemary’s demonstration culminates with lunch.

Keeping Chickens £65

Polly Gibb breeds and sells rare breeds chickens and is much sought after for her expertise. Polly advocates that 10 minutes a day is all it takes to provide your household with delicious, fresh eggs.

During this course you will handle hens, hatch chicks, discuss housing, feeding, breeds, a daily routine, eggs, current regulations and how to maximise production. Polly will look at common pests, diseases and treatments, breeding and showing. This course is ideal for the novice as well as the experienced. Polly believes keeping chickens should be fun. Lunch is included.