Out & About: The First of Liz's Two-Part Look Back Over Her Hectic 2017

Battle of Nantwich

It's that time again of the year... my two-part special looking back at my highlights of 2017.

January always starts with the Battle of Nantwich, an event for which I have been on the committee for five years. This year I have taken on the role as Chairperson following in the footsteps of the fabulous Keith Cafferty. Last year, as every year, the Battle was fought on Mill Island between the Parliamentarians and Royalists. If you don't know who won then be sure to come and support the event between 10am and 3pm on Saturday 27th January. 

We are doing a recruitment drive for volunteers so if you would like to help, please sign up to our Volunteers Briefing on Wednesday 10 January at Nantwich Museum.

February was the month I braved the slopes and experienced skiing for the first time. I can think of other ways I would prefer to spend my hard-earned holiday time, but with my other-half being a very serious (if not slightly kamikaze) skier, I felt I owed it to him to have a go!

March saw the first of my Kilimanjaro training walks up a very dank and dismal Snowdon but it gave me a good opportunity to meet some of my fellow walkers and determine my baseline level of fitness!

April is when my calendar entries begin to multiply like rabbits, beginning with the Nantwich Show Luncheon and the annual RedShift Quiz which this year raised £600 for our #ClimbKili2017 fund. 

Donkeys at St Mary's, Nantwich

We took donkeys Betty and Anne to St Mary's Church for the Palm Sunday service and we always enjoy the Bluebell Walk at Combermere Abbey. 

Beans, Berries & Beer Festival

New this year was the Beans Berries and Beer festival at the Crewe Heritage Centre hosted by the super team at Offbeat Brewery.

Our Spring Community Expo, sponsored and hosted by Rookery Hall, was the best one yet and featured an interactive demo by our resident Science Ambassador Chris Ridge from Air Products who hosts The Big Bang Query - a unique show on RedShift Radio all about STEM (Science Technology, Engineering & Maths). We are delighted to be heading back to Rookery Hall in April 2018 and are taking bookings for exhibitors and sponsors now.

Highlights for May would have to be the hilarious Spamalot at Crewe Lyceum featuring past and present RedShifters Chris Ridge, Adam Goode and Ben Stubbs. We also hosted our first Hustings event which was attended by over 100 people, all keen to hear what the local political candidates had to say about why we should vote for them.

Also in May, the #ClimbKili2017 training continued with a Zumbathon organised by walker Lydia Sharkey and led by ex-RedShifter Sharon Burrows. I can safely say I tried my best, but in the words of my sister “our Southall bottoms are not made for this wiggling malarkey!”

Cry for Ceri Abigail

With the RedShift RoadShow out at Middlewich Makers Market, the Young Farmers Rally at Reaseheath, a tea dance for the over 70s in Alsager, we certainly covered a few miles! I also attended a super fashion show in aid of CRY for Ceri Abigail and my nephew's first Communion which was just lovely.

We began June with a great event that I am hopeful to make an annual affair – Whose Wine is it Anyway?, hosted by Rodney Densem Wines at Residence in Nantwich. We has a great time and raised over £600 for our #ClimbKili2017 target. Speaking of which, a second walk up Snowdon saw a distinct improvement in my fitness (and the weather) from just a few weeks before.

Fig Pie Rolling

Fig Pie Rolling, the Middlewich FAB Festival Dance Display and Nantwich Town Sports saw the PA kit in and out of the RedShift van and frequent checks of the weather forecast. The Cheshire Show, Gin Tasting at Dorfold Hall, Lightning Seeds at the FAB Festival and celebrating presenter Paul Boniface's 65th birthday meant there was plenty of social activities going on too!

June was however a sad month at RedShift as we said goodbye to a very dear friend and volunteer, Vic Harris who sadly passed away. Vic had presented our Rotary RoundUp show and really was one of life's good eggs and we all miss him greatly.

July was equally busy so I will pause there and save that for next week.

All that's left for me to say in my final Out and About of 2017 is a BIG THANK YOU to all the RedShift followers, listeners and friends who have been part of our journey this year and special thanks to everyone who has taken the time to tell me they enjoy my weekly ramblings here, hopefully there will be plenty more next year!

This article appeared in Crewe Chronicle on 27th December 2017.  Please look out for my "Out and About" page each week in the Crewe Chronicle. For more information about any of the items in this article, please email us here at RedShift or call us on 01270 440 750. 

Etsy Christmas Artisan Market Proves a Hit in Nantwich

Biddmead's lovely wreaths

More than 65 local craftspeople join together to provide a range of unusual gift items at Reaseheath College 

The second Christmas Artisan Market came to Reaseheath College today. Despite the drizzle, within the first hour more than 500 people had passed through the doors with almost 2000 visitors by the end of the day.

I had a sneak preview before the doors opened to the public, and was astonished at the selection of beautifully crafted items on display.

Dawn from DesignWand

I was welcomed by a warming glass of mulled wine and caught up with Christine Taylor, the Captain of Etsy South Cheshire, the organiser of today's market and owner of Lilac Sprig. 

Christine had recently been a guest on RedShift Radio, where she was interviewed by Steve Bebe about the Christmas Market. Listen to the interview here.

Today, Christine explained that there were more than 65 stands to visit, selling everything from wooden goods, jewellery, papercrafts, leather items, knitted and crocheted goodies to children's clothes, paintings, beads, craft supplies, cards and even dog treats, all of it crafted by local makers from the South Cheshire area.

After chatting to Christine, I made my way round the stalls in the first two areas, chatting to some of the stallholders as I went. The Homemade Haven was a particular favourite, with Zoe Mayson selling lots of cute items including clothes peg fridge magnets, tiny little stickers, pencil rolls and button items. I managed to nab a couple of stocking fillers from here!

Moonsalt Jewellery's gorgeous range

Sarah Jane's Moonsalt Jewellery was stunning. She handcrafts bohemian jewels inspired by nature and the sea. I was particularly smitten with a silver ring with a dark turquoise abalone shell in a teardrop shape.

Tara Cork - Perch Upholstery

Another favourite of the day was Perch Upholstery. Tara Cork's fabulous designs include my soon-to-try latest hobby: arm knitting! For those of you who haven't heard of it, you use massively thick yarn and (obviously) your arms as needles. I was totally inspired by her footstools and plantpots using some gorgeous "vegan" yarn (what used to be called acrylic, in the olden days!).  I absolutely can't wait to give this a go. 

In the meantime, if you need any items of furniture re-upholstering, Tara's your gal! During our chat it transpired that we have a mutual friend for whom she recently undertook a commission to re-upholster a chair. I have actually seen that chair both "before" and "after" so I know first hand what a great job Tara does!

Buttons and Bobbins' unusual pictures

Buttons and Bobbins had some really unusual pictures using buttons and personalisation. I especially liked the family tree picture with big silver buttons representing the parents and smaller ones for the children, all surrounded by green buttons in differing shades.

Katy takes commissions so don't hesitate to get in touch with her if you want something a little bit different for a friend or family member's special occasion.

I was running out of time as I had to be somewhere else at 10am so I rushed

Stuart Gray - SG Leathers

round many of the other stalls but ones of particular note were SG Leathers where Stuart Gray's phenomenal skills were on display handcrafting leather items, Knit 2tog 53 for kids where Carol Facer knits beautiful items for kids, Karen Sutton at My Beaus and Belles who handcrafts beautiful bespoke children's clothing and accessories, AnitasKnitsOnline - another knitter, Anita Whittingham, who also takes commissions and finally Alfie's Hut where Susan Knight handcrafts the most gorgeous homewares using quality wool fabrics including some lovely tartans.

ArtySally's fabulous paintings

Another lovely stall was ArtySally run by the fabulously talented Sally Huntginton. I recently commissioned a picture of one of our chickens from Sally for my partner's birthday and he was exceptionally pleased with it. Sally has an inimitable style: we now want more of her funky paintings in our new extension next year!

Susan from Alfie's Hut (love the name!)

Finally a special mention to Biddmead's (see top picture) where I was sorely tempted to buy a wreath but ended up buying a cute little slate heart. Alison Coverdale is promoting the idea that your front door should never be "undressed", so once Christmas is over and you take down your Christmas wreath, how about buying a spring wreath to put up in its place? Love that idea!

Huge congratulations to Christine and all the Etsy makers who put on a fabulous market today. Roll on next December - I can't wait to make a return journey!

OUT AND ABOUT BLOG: It's Begnning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Friday will be 1st December so I officially have an excuse to talk about Christmas! Put your hand up if you're ready for it?

OK, so I may not be ready for Christmas but I am actually looking forward to it. I will be cooking for 13 people and each time I mention that to anyone, I am reliably informed we need to put a teddy at the table to make it 14! Either I have never cooked for 13 or this is a Cheshire thing and being a southerner, I have never heard of this superstition before. Either way, Jasper our dog now has an excuse to sit at the table with us!

Local Christmas Markets

This weekend you will find me at the Richmond Village Traditional Christmas Markets with two hats on: I will be blasting out the Christmas tunes from the RedShift van whilst also manning my Tropic Skincare stand in the warmth of the main building. Please do pop along and buy some lovely unique gifts and enjoy a mulled wine, or three, whilst browsing.

Also this weekend there is a Christmas market in Nantwich and the ETSY handmade market at Reaseheath so really there is no excuse to not at least start your shopping!

Red Hair, Red Dress Affair

Last week I ventured up to Knutsford to attend my dear friend Sue France’s “Red Hair, Red Dress Affair” event at the Courthouse. Sue runs a fantastic ladies' networking group called Creative Connecting in Cheshire. We had a lovely meal and listened to a great guest speaker called Nikki Pattinson, an inspirational woman who gave a hilarious, moving and insightful speech. The event raised over £700 for a charity called Gift of a Wedding, an incredible charity that stages weddings within weeks, or even days, for terminally sick people.

I met Sue France on 6th September 2010, the day RedShift began broadcasting and we have been friends ever since. Her events (ladies only, sorry chaps) are always unique and well attended with business women from across Cheshire and Sue has been such a wonderful support and encourager to me over the last seven years.

South Cheshire Chamber Business Awards

Friday night saw me hosting the South Cheshire Chamber Business Awards for the 7th year, and 5th year with my fabulous co-host Paul Boniface.

Paul and I both love this event and seeing how much it has grown in size and calibre of entrants and finalists over the years is great. I am looking forward to hosting the Chamber Awards radio show this Friday from 10am - 2pm with all the winners and sponsors so please do tune in at www.redshiftonline.org.

Back to the Future Project

A quick mention for our Back-to-the-Future inter-generational project again. We are looking for people over 70 to join us on Saturday 9th December from 2-4pm at Nantwich Museum. We will be making Christmas table decorations and singing carols by candlelight. We have several young people booked on and we have four spaces for under 20 year olds and seven spaces for over 70 year olds. To book onto this fun and free inter-generational project, please call 01270 440 750.

Volunteer of the Week
My choice for Volunteer of the Week has to be the lovely Paul Boniface who has been with us for six years. Paul presents Easy Like Sunday Morning and really does put his heart and soul into it. He plans his show theme, features and songs so carefully and he has a loyal following of regular listeners.

Paul’s commitment to, and support of, RedShift goes far beyond producing and presenting his show.

Paul frequently supports me at events and over the last six months he has raised an incredible £3,464 as part of the #ClimbKili2017 campaign, a quarter of which will be coming to RedShift to support our youth activities.

Thank you Paul!