With this glorious weather and the Eldest’s arm out of plaster, we have been back out on our bikes without any more catastrophes. This weekend we cycled to Quarley and visited the Project Workshop’s Open Day. From the end of Cattle Lane, we ride down
the hill into Monxton and then managed to cycle up the steep hill out of the village and along the old Roman road before taking the turning on the right towards Quarley. This stretch of the ride is breathtaking at the moment. The road is little more than a single track, either side lined with glorious swathes of cow parsley and the fields full of deep green crops.
It is quite blissful coasting along the road under a clear blue sky, not a car in sight. We cycle through Quarley and find the Project Workshops, a group of renovated farm buildings, on the left. We first visited Project Workshops before it expanded to its current size when the stonemason, Henry Gray, did some work for us. He is no longer based there, having moved to the Chalke Valley just south west of Salisbury, but the Tribe still remember his powerful work, ‘Angel and Wretch’ that he was working on at the time.
The current resident artists are of similar ilk; there are painters, potters, sculptors,a furniture designer, a letter cutter amongst many more. The Tribe love the ceramic animals by Elaine Peto; the Littlest particularly loves the foxes (‘What does the fox say?’!).
The glassmakers, Mark Taylor and David Hill are fascinating to watch and the Tribe are enthralled as they watch the techniques, time and patience it takes to blow one exquisite glass.
One of the most impressive exhibits is the life size War Horse and Trooper that Amy Goodman is still working on – it isn’t only the Tribe whose eye is caught by this particular piece. It will eventually be situated at the entrance to Romsey Memorial Park as part of the WW1 anniversary. Beautiful and intricate metalwork and jewellry by Marek Woznica includes stunning designs around themes of magic and alchemy which rather appeals to all the Tribe; a Welsh dragon rather catches my eye. Before taking a break, I manage to pop in to see Marc Johnson’s jewellry; I will definately have to return with FotT alone – his work is beautiful – contemporary and simple.
Before leaving we wander around the rather beautiful Courtyard Garden which is shown off to perfection on this magnificent May day. There are a number of striking sculptures including one that shoots more than 20 feet in the air and sways gently in the breeze.
Despite the Littlest stepping into the pond and getting soaked almost up to her waist (she didn’t realise that it was water and wanted to get closer to the penguin sculpture!), there are no tears and it is time for us to cycle home and marvel at the county (and country’s) glorious nature at its best.
Project Workshops, Lains Farm, Quarley, Nr Andover, Hampshire, SP11 8PX Telephone: 01264 889889 www.project-workshops.co.uk