BRAVE LOCALS IN CHARITY FIRE WALK
It was a dark and windy evening at Loughborough University in February when I joined the crowd gathering around a 20 feet long trough of
flaming logs and coal.coal. We were waiting for the group of volunteers who had raised over £120.00 each for Rainbows Children's Hospice in
Loughborough, as long as their pre-walk psyching up session had left them brave enough to go ahead with the challenge.
Three Barrow residents were included in the group, Sue Sykes, Chris Sykes and Lee Page, and they, along with every other participant, managed to
walk barefoot across the smouldering ashes, without so much as a blister.
The mood was euphoric and everyone was cheering because this stunt was not only spectacular to watch, it also defied belief! Apparently it 's
all in the prep talk by a professional organiser of these events.and a good dose of courage (or should I say craziness?).
Well done to everybody involved.
Hayley Francesconi
LOCAL DESIGN BUSINESS WITH COSMOPOLITAN APPEAL
In the first of a new series, Laura Hegarty goes behind the scenes of one of Barrow's small, specialist firms.
Many people in Barrow have their own businesses. Often, it is obvious what they are e.g. the butcher's, the upholsterer's and so on. However,
what about the hidden gems? In the first of the series I look at a business you might not know about.
At the top of North Street in Perkins Yard there are three workshops; an upholstery business, a furniture restorer's and, tucked in the corner,
Teresa Green Design. Here, Teresa Cole produces a range of practical, natural fabric textiles featuring her own hand screen printed artwork.
While teaching me to print a tea towel and answering my questions about her business, Teresa showed me some of her inspirations. These included
an antique whisk with its wooden handle worn smooth with use, a box filled with beautiful old buttons and a well used water canister from her
grandparent's garden.
Originally from Norwich, Teresa studied for her degree in printed textiles at Loughborough University. Aided by grants and funding from the Crafts
Council, Princes Trust and Arts Council she has now had her workshop in the village for three years. From here she produces tea towels, table linen,
bags and bed linen, printed with her distinctive take on everyday objects such as taps, pegs, whisks or scales.
As well as her own website www.teresagreen.co.uk Teresa sells her work locally in the Ferrers Centre, Leicester Print Workshop and the City
Gallery in Nottingham as well as in London through Liberty, Mint and the Designers Guild. She has had work featured in House and Garden and
The Telegraph gardening section. Added to this, she is currently in talks with Conran and is in the process of designing a tea towel and apron for
the Savoy gift shop.
I was astounded to see that our quiet Leicestershire village should be home to a thriving design business with such a cosmopolitan appeal. It
will be interesting to see how Teresa 's designs are influenced when she returns from a visit to Scandinavia planned for spring 2004. Funded by
a bursary from the Arts Council, this will enable her to test the market for her work and follows on from her being short listed for the Scandinavia
Award at the Chelsea Craft Fair.
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