Bright ideas for dark nights

GREEK philosopher Socrates once said: “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel".

But you don’t have to travel back to Ancient Greece to find education of all sorts at your doorstep. Countess Wear Village Hall is once more gearing up for a new season of learning, with old favourites and new courses offering a huge choice to kindle the flame in students of all backgrounds and all ages.

The centre also offers a variety of experiences, with weekend workshops proving popular with those who can’t attend evening or day-time courses during the week.

This year all the regular courses are back, so you can study how to make mosaics or stained glass, learn to practice the Alexander Technique, get the best from your digital camera, or have a go at flying a bird of prey.

Alongside those there’s instruction in drawing, painting, crochet and willow crafts, or you could get outside and join a bird watching walk. But the Village Hall will be alive with the sound of music with new courses aiming to introduce people to different aspects of music.

Songwriter and musician Colin Wilson will be offering a short introductory course on Song Writing, which will take beginners through the process so that they can go home having written their own song or melody: some musical knowledge will be an advantage.

Colin will also be running a Guitar Fingerstyle Workshop, a one-day event which aims to teach finger-style to beginners and intermediate guitarists.
He promises lots of tricks to increase playing enjoyment.

Continuing the musical theme, there’s a new daytime course which focuses on Gentle Exercise to Music. Aimed at people with limited mobility, this 10-week course is run by Jane Fulford, and offers seated balance exercises to music, aiming to promote mobility, balance and general well-being. Plus pupils can enjoy a social gathering at the end of the hour-long class for a cup of tea and a chat.

Other workshops include instruction in a diverse range of subjects. These include: PowerPoint presentations; using the internet on your iPAD; designing and knitting a Baltic mitt; making Christmas decorations from fondant; ribbon embroidery; making festive wreaths, baubles and garlands; making a moving sculpture; encaustic wax painting for Christmas; plus Drawing and Painting for Beginner and Improvers.

It’s a fantastic range of courses, available for local residents, with concessions or reduced fees available on some courses to make them accessible to all. Socrates would have been very impressed:
For more details, visit the website at www.countesswearvillagehall.co.uk
and be inspired to start learning.

Ring Gill for more information 01392 682550