Why I'm becoming a Brownie Leader

One thing that you're sure to recognise from your childhood is Girlguiding or Scouts as they've been around for over 100 years. Although they've changed a lot throughout the years, they've always been a place where you can go to meet with friends and learn outside of a school setting. I myself was a Brownie (the second group in the hierarchy of GirlGuiding from age 7-10) although I don't recall much from those days except an abundance of crafts and lots of outdoor activities.

I'll get into why I'm becoming a Brownie Leader, but first a bit of background. In 2018, in early January,  I was in the 'new year, new me' phase. I needed to find something else to introduce into my life, a new hobby, maybe volunteering.  As luck would have it, I was browsing Instagram and I stumbled across an advert for Girlguiding, looking for volunteers to spare time to help local groups. At the time I had ambitions to possibly go into teaching, although this didn't pan out, so I thought it would be the perfect thing to do.

It's a nerve-racking thing to do, join an established group when you don't have much experience around kids or anything like this but sometimes you have to put yourself in these situations to get something out of them. And get something I did. It took me a while to find my feet, start interacting with the girls and understanding how I could be of some help but when I did, every week it felt more and more rewarding.



For over a year I was a Unit Helper, coming into the meetings every Thursday night to support the leader's sessions, helping out with games and generally supporting the girls in their activities. In the Spring of 2019, I was asked about becoming one of the leadership team within the unit I attend. At first, I wasn't really up for it, and at the time I was going off for a few months to retrain, so I put it on the back burner. When I came back in September, I had a discussion with our Brown Owl and decided I had nothing to lose, so why not give it a go.

The process of becoming a leader is much like an NVQ or something similar in that you have a booklet of tasks you need to complete and evidence you need to collect whilst getting parts signed off as you go. I'm probably around 75% of the way there, so I'm hoping to finish before the end of Spring, maybe sooner if all falls into place.

So, why did I decide to become a Brownie Leader, and why do I value my volunteering position as much as I do?

Brownies (and other sections of Girlguiding) provide girls with an opportunity to meet with friends, make new friends and generally just be around local girls without pressure or judgement. Before I started attending the sessions, I didn't realise how much I think young girls need this. With mounting pressures starting with girls younger and younger, a place where they can just have fun without people thinking they look silly or learn new and exciting life skills with the support of other young girls is so important. I've heard a few of the girls in our unit mention themselves in a negative way or compare themselves to others and I value the opportunity to rebuttal their statements and empower these girls to think positively about themselves providing a platform for them to grow in the future.

Further on this point, it is a chance to help shape a young girls future. We do such exciting and creative things at Brownies, whilst we also talk about issues and fight stereotypes. We want to show the girls that no matter what they want to do when they are older or whoever they want to be, it's possible. I think that it is extremely valuable to do this.

Thinking about more selfish reasons for becoming a Brownie leader, I feel a sense of self-fulfilment in helping the girls to realise their potential. It's a great position to be in and its a pleasure to go in every week to speak to the girls and see how they are growing.

When at Brownies, we get to do lots of cool crafts, I do love a craft, and we get the opportunity to visit places with the group. For example, we went to the panto on ice before Christmas, have been to Whitby on pack holiday and we're looking to go to Flamingo Land in September. We're not travelling across the World or anything (although you can) but I enjoy getting out and experiencing things I otherwise wouldn't.

Finally, I think becoming a Brownie Leader is just fun. I get to go for an hour and a half every Thursday to spend time with some fantastic leaders and bright young girls to play games, do crafts and complete activities. If that isn't a reason in itself to be a part of Girlguiding, I don't know what is.

If you're considering applying to volunteer at a local Girlguiding (or Scout) group, I'd definitely suggest you go for it. There are different age groups you can help with and varying levels of commitment you can offer and you can, of course, take time off when you need. Please get in touch if you have any questions, want to talk about what the leadership booklet entails or you're currently going through it. It would be great to speak to other leaders-to-be!

Oh, and did I mention you get a cool owl name? The girls decided that I'm 'Happy Owl'. I'm pretty sure they don't know me too well...

Also, if I've inspired you to enrol your child, get her to a session, I'm sure she will love it.

68 hours in Carcassonne and Toulouse, France

We’ve recently returned from a weekend away in the South of France. To be specific, a small town called Carcassonne. When I mentioned our trip before we went, a lot of people had not heard of Carcassonne, and to be honest I hadn’t known about it long. We bought a book a couple of months back which has a bunch of recommendations for trips away in Europe and Carcassonne was one of them. Flights were super cheap with Ryanair from Manchester (£40 each return) so we booked up and found a cute little Airbnb to house us for our long weekend away.

The South of France is of course known for its hot climate and is a popular destination in the Summer, but not so much in the Winter. When we met our Airbnb host she warned us that some restaurants and shops may not be open due to the time of year. Once we started our exploring it didn’t bother us too much, it was very tranquil and added to the relaxing atmosphere. Obviously, it would be lovely to visit it when everywhere is open and in full swing, but for our visit it was great. 

We explored the streets on our first night looking for a supermarket to fill the fridge and a restaurant to fill our bellies. The newer part of Carcassonne is small and very walkable. There are quaint little streets that lead you to open squares with cafes and restaurants.

On our second day, a Saturday, we were told about the market that is held in one of the squares. In an effort to take in the French culture we had a walk along. It was such a bustling and vibrant market full of fresh produce. It was so fantastic to see that this was their way of living, popping out on a Saturday morning to buy their essentials, with very little plastic insight, and to chat to their friends along the way. There were many times we saw people bump into people they knew and stop for a chat. The simplicity of it all and the slower way of life makes me want to move right away. 

After this, we headed to the Medieval city. When I first saw it I was awestruck at how pretty and beautifully preserved it is. It is like a huge adult playground. We walked up the steep hills to get inside and it was a maze of streets with restaurants and small shops. If you’ve seen Game of Thrones it reminded me of King’s Landing. We walked around the fortified city many times seeing everything there was to see and taking in the many fabulous views of Carcassonne. Later on in the day, I told you it’s a maze in there, we finally stumbled across the main part where you can pay to on in and explore further (Le Château Comtal). It’s definitely worth the trip inside as you learn about the history of it all and you get to walk parts of the wall you otherwise can't.

On Sunday, we took the double-decker train to Toulouse. Unfortunately, almost everything was closed there on Sundays but we had a good look round at all the tourist spots and down to the river. We ate burgers and came across a super busy and very delicious tea room. The cake selection was small enough so that they did it well but big enough for a good selection. I went for the sickliest chocolate item I could find and Matt went for the biggest piece of apple pie he’s ever had. Having a pit stop amongst the French, eating our cake and drinking our tea was lovely. 

On our last day, we were back on the streets, wandering around for some breakfast and of course, we had the most French breakfast there is; pastry, baguette and jams, juice and tea - all served out in a typical French square. Again, a little later on, we went for cake. With so many fabulous bakeries and patisseries, it would be rude not to take advantage. My cake was stunning and then it was sadly time to leave.

Although our time in Carcassonne was very quiet, it didn’t hamper our trip or put us off future visits. If anything we got a little flavour for this French town and are eager to go back.

If this is somewhere that you're adding to your travel list, I’ve got a few tips for you:

• Decide if you're happy with it being quite quiet, or if you want to come in high season and enjoy the full Carcassonne experience. 
• Use the airport shuttle bus. Carcassonne airport will most likely be the smallest airport you ever did see. When you get out of the airport, a bus will be waiting. Pay €6 each and the bus will take you into town. It usually waits around 45 minutes from the plane landing until it sets off so don't worry if you think it isn't moving. In terms of transport from the airport, there is a severe lack of it with no taxis in sight and no rail connection, so the bus is probably your best bet and it takes less than 10 minutes with no traffic. The first stop is the train station and then there are a couple of other stops after taking you further into town. Then for getting back to the airport, as there aren't many flights the bus has transfers just for these. Check the train station bus stop for times dependent on your flight. 
• If you're around on a Sunday night, make sure to stock up your fridge the day before. For us, almost everywhere was closed so we couldn't get anything to eat and so went hungry for the night. 
• Learn a bit of French to get by. A lot of places here only speak French so it’s good to go with a little knowledge of what is being said and what you’re asking for. They are all very friendly people and will try, but it's always nice to learn the language. 
• Stay in our Airbnb. It was super cute and a great location and also very reasonable for the price. Isabelle the host is also really nice and will show you her recommendations, including a cake shop around the corner which is amazing!

Three tried and tested places on Teesside to visit during Veganuary

At the start of a new year, everyone starts to eat a little greener, some even go full vegan for the month that is dubbed, Veganuary. Although I'm far from a Vegan, I've tried some delicious places on Teesside that specialise in fully plant-based cuisine. For anyone trying Veganuary this year, it might be wise to check these places out to try some yummy food and get some ideas to cook up yourself. Although no meat will be dished up at these places, your carnivore friends should definitely visit with you as they won't miss not having it on their plate with the culinary delights they'll be served at these three places.

First on the list is Alkaline Kitchen, a fully vegan health cafe located on Middlesbrough's up-and-coming Albert Street. Opened early last year, the cafe offers innovative food which is oil-free, preservative-free, gluten-free, soy-free and refined sugar-free. I've been on two occasions now and the food is always colourful, full of goodness and delicious. Offering a varied menu from lunch until teatime, everything about the food options is creative and exciting. There is so much goodness on the plate and it all works so well together. If you're looking to try something unlike anything you've had before, this is definitely the place to go.

Next up is The Waiting Room situated in Eaglescliffe right next to the station, not far from Preston Park. I've written about this place before as I've been a few times now and although I haven't been for a while, I'm eager to get back. The Waiting Room is promoted as a vegetarian restaurant, however, the staff here are happy to make most dishes vegan where possible, so vegans will have lots of choices when they visit.

Here you get some fantastic food that feels homemade and cosy. As it is all made with vegetables, everything you eat feels filling and good for you, although some dishes can be quite hearty. What I love about this place is that their menu changes depending on the season, although some dishes such as the enchilada stay year-round. Even from season to season they change up what they offer so often if you go back you probably won't recognise the menu.

Now it's time for dessert with Ellephant Vegan Bakery, a fairly new business established in 2019. Elle and her partner Alex whip up some amazing vegan treats from cupcakes and cookies to pizza rolls and quiche. Now with a unit in Stockton, they sell their products at farmer's markets and events across the region and take orders to collect. Their cakes are literally to die for, so rich and moist. You won't be able to tell they are vegan. 

There are plenty more vegan spots in the area and also places that cater heavily to people on a plant-based diet. With the popularity of this way of eating on the up, I can only see more places offering more delicious vegan grub. Do you have a favourite spot in Teesside for vegan/vegetarian food?

Trying alternative parmos at the Prickly Pear Bistro, Middlesbrough

Today I've got my first food review as This Northerner, and I'm pleased to say it's a good one.  Last night, I went for tea with my friend to a fairly new restaurant which is a based out of town in a local business centre. The Prickly Pear Bistro, located in the TAD Centre in Middlesbrough, has not been open very long and has already made my hit list of places to try. I've been following their Instagram closely over the past couple of weeks and I was excited when an opportunity to visit recently came up.

We went to the restaurant straight from work and it was relatively quiet until around 6.30pm. The space itself is beautifully decorated with lots of greenery, wooden beams and well-placed lighting.

As well as its normal menu, the Prickly Pear Bistro has a separate menu that displays its 35 different parmos which take inspiration from locations across the world. There's even a map on the back which shows you the place each parmo hails from. Among the countries which inspire the humble Teesside delicacy to step it up are the USA, China, Italy, Greece and Japan.

For any readers outside of Teesside, the parmo is a Middlesbrough staple which involves deep-frying a chicken breast covered in breadcrumbs, slathering it in bechamel sauce then covering it with cheese and sitting it under the grill to make it oozy and gooey. They are so delicious but so very bad for you.

After much deliberation, I decided to go for the Tropicana inspired by Hawaii, which is topped with ham and pineapple, whilst my friend chose the Mac Attack, taking inspiration from the UK, which was topped with macaroni cheese and bacon.

I try to be quite cautious when it comes to picking items from a menu as I've had some terrible meals when I was trying to be adventurous, so I was worried about my choice. I've never had any other parmo than just an original and I thought the extra toppings may have ruined it. How wrong I was.

When it arrived the portion size was massive and it was accompanied by chips and a decent-sized salad. Although a bit pricy for a regular-sized parmo at £13.50, you really did get value for money with the quality and quantity of food. On request, we were provided with garlic sauce, although it was a shame to learn this was an extra 50p. When I dug into my parmo, I was so pleased with my choice. The chicken was fresh and perfectly cooked and it was topped with thick ham, bechamel sauce, two pineapple rings and heapings of cheese.

I'm already a fan of pineapple on pizza, so pineapple on parmo seemed like the obvious next step. Oh my, it was so tasty. The combination all worked so well together. I don't know if I can go back to a normal parmo ever again. The parmo topped with macaroni cheese that my friend ordered was also delicious, so I'm told, although I didn't actually get a bite! It definitely looks like one I would order myself in the future.

Although a bit out of the way, I would recommend a visit to The Prickly Pear Bistro. Although the menu is heavy on the parmo-front, there are a few other options that should keep everyone happy. With so much choice, I'm already planning my next visit and whilst I do, I'm whittling down the parmo that I want to try next.

Crafternoon Tea at Daisy Doodle Paint a Pot Parlour, Northallerton

As you can tell, I've rebranded my blog. Gingerbread Smiles started in 2013 when I was 21 and a lot has changed since then, so I think it's time to have a more grown-up name. I'll definitely miss my old name, but we're starting fresh with This Northerner. I wanted to ensure my name had some relation to where I live, and this seemed to fit the bill. Now we've addressed that, on with today's post.

Daisy Doodle Paint a Pot Parlour is a quaint store/workshop located in the small market town of Northallerton, about half an hour from me. Here you can paint all sorts of different ceramic 'pots' however you'd like and the staff will get this fired up for you so you can keep your creation forever. The store is filled with lots of different options at different price points so there is something for everyone to get involved with.

As someone who loves a craft, we visited last month for Daisy Doodle's first 'crafternoon tea' which involved painting your 'pot' whilst enjoying a lovely afternoon tea. Two of my favourite things mashed together, how could an afternoon get any better? We enjoyed it so much that we went back for a second time.

When we arrived at around 2pm on a Sunday afternoon, it was very busy but luckily our table was secure, so we scoured the room for our next pot to paint whilst we eagerly awaited our afternoon tea. I decided on a pen pot to use on my desk at work, whilst Mum chose a milk jug to accompany the teapot and sugar bowl she painted last time. Unless you have a specific vision going into this kind of thing, it is a struggle to first pick what you are going to paint, and then how you are going to paint it. I had a little Google for inspiration and finally decided on the tried and tested galaxy effect.

We picked our colours and got to work painting our chosen pots whilst being supplied with copious cups of tea, and before long it was time to tuck into our afternoon tea. We had a selection of mini sandwiches including Coronation chicken, ham and chutney, and cheese and chutney along with a cheese scone and fruit scone each and a selection of treats. These included a sponge cake with jam, a mince pie and a meringue sandwich with a cream centre. Per person, Daisy Doodle charges £10 for this fantastic feast which you pay as your deposit to secure your place. The only additional cost when you arrive is the cost of the pot you chose to paint.

As with the last afternoon tea we had here, it was all delicious. Made by the owner's mother, who is a fantastic cook, she bakes and makes everything herself. Mum especially loves her Coronation Chicken recipe, so was happy these were on the platter once again. Even though I'm not much of a meringue fan, I do love these little sandwiches, they're so light and chewy. My other favourite was the fruit scone, a great texture which didn't break when we applied our toppings, but wasn't a rock either.

Once polishing off what we could, we wrapped the remainder ready to tuck into later at home. We then finished off our pots ready for them to be set aside to finish up in the kiln. This, unfortunately, isn't done straight away but is usually done within a week of your visit. They just ask you to leave a name and number and they will contact you when it's ready to collect.

I can't wait to see what mine turns out like and I'm sure I'll post it on Instagram when I finally get it back. If you are interested in going along to Daisy Doodle for one of their crafternoon teas or just to simply paint a pot, check out their facebook page. The people who work there are great and super friendly.

Starting a new chapter...becoming a software developer

An update.

If you are an avid reader of Gingerbread Smiles or know me in 'real-life', you'll know my life story and that I had been working in marketing. I'd been doing that for the past eight years and for a while now I've known that I needed a change. Although I did enjoy what I was doing, what I needed was something new. A new challenge. Something that would play to my strengths.

I'm not going to lie, I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do. I had to look around to see what I liked the look of, and what I was really going to enjoy on a daily basis. As I'm a homeowner and someone who likes the luxuries of life - like our holidays to America and going out to eat - I knew that taking too much time out of employment was not really an option. So, unfortunately, a three-year degree was off the table. Don't get me wrong, if that's what I needed to do, we would have found a way.

However, in my searches, I came across a coding Bootcamp (Northcoders, located in Leeds) which looked right up my street. I'd learn Javascript, the only main language to run and browsers and servers and the most popular programming language across the world. The course would equip me with the skills to *hopefully* take up a career as a junior software developer.

Well, I stumbled across this in January this year, and as they say, the rest is history. I'm now right in the midst of it, in week five in fact. It's been a fast-paced and exciting few weeks and I can't quite believe we've progressed so quickly and that we've learnt as much as we have. For the first three weeks, we took on the fundamentals. Although we had to undertake a 'pre-course' to ensure we were all on the same level, the fundamentals really delved into the basics and ensured we could all write what we needed and have the building blocks for our next modules.

For the past five weeks, I've been so into the world of coding that I've been going to sleep thinking of solutions to problems we've been working on. But... I love it. I think that is what matters. I have not been dreading any day. I feel so much happier and I've got all my fingers and toes crossed that at the end of this I get to start a career in the tech world.

As I have plenty of time to waste on the train to and from Leeds every day, and there is only so much Netflix one girl can take, I want to start keeping my blog updated regularly. So I'm looking to do an update on the course after every block and throw a few food blogs in there too. Oh and maybe write about last year's American trip...

Flying to the West Coast - Los Angeles

Following our previous trip to America in 2017, we have quickly become obsessed with America and doing trips where we visit multiple locations. That meant that we had to book up to now go and see what the West Coast had to offer. To be honest, I think I was more excited about this trip than the last because of how amazing the first one was.

For this one, I got back on Skyscanner and scoured the website for great flight prices and times that would fit with the time we could get off from work. Once I'd manipulated our schedule within an inch of its life, we had our final itinerary. This was a big trip as it would be Matt's 30th Birthday when we were out there. First stop L.A, second stop Las Vegas and finishing up in San Francisco. Literally typing that makes me smile and want to desperately go back ASAP. I should add, we had one special item that we had to fit into the schedule and what made finalising our schedule so difficult, we were adamant that we'd make it to UFC 229. If you're into MMA at all, you'll know that this was a massive card for UFC in which Connor McGregor was defeated by the Eagle, Khabib Nurmagomedov. So with the dates boxed in, we awaited our first flight to L.A.

If you've grown up as a 90s child like me, you know that L.A featured in a lot of the TV programmes of our generation. I'm thinking Beverley Hills 90210, The OC and The Hills. We were finally going to step foot in the places that these iconic shows were filmed. For our stay in L.A we got our first Airbnb, and what a precious, amazing and fantastically located one it was. We stayed near West Hollywood, close to Fairfax and Melrose, and we couldn't have picked a better spot. We were right next to The Grove which had some great shops and restaurants as well as a TRADER JOE'S (can you tell I was excited about this) and a Whole Foods.

Our little Airbnb was basically someone's garage that they had converted but it was away from the main house and had lots of privacy. It had a bed and lounge area, a bathroom with a shower and a kitchen area too. Everything you need for a short stay and our host was super nice.

So what did we do whilst we were in L.A?

On the first night we got there, we did exactly as I had planned - went to THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY. If you know me, you know I love food, especially anything faddy that I will have probably seen other American's eating on Youtube. The Cheesecake Factory was definitely one of these places. The food didn't really live up to the hype, but oh wow, the cheesecake certainly did. I got some sort of heavenly smores one and it took me two days to eat because it was so sickly sweet.

After we ate, I obviously insisted we went to Trader Joe's. I watch too many American's on Youtube and they always go to Trader Joe's and talk about the amazing stuff they get here, so I really really wanted to go. It was everything I dreamed of and more and I did not get to spend enough time there. We picked up some cereal and on another trip there I got some funky Mexican salsa (that I then had to pack three times over as we went between locations - clearly a great idea...).

The next day we went hiking up to the Griffith Observatory so we could pretend to be in Charlies Angels 2 (or maybe not). It was a short hike but it gave your amazing views of the city and you could even see the Hollywood sign - probably the closest we got to it all trip.

The next day was pretty cool as we decided to spend our morning in Beverley Hills (you bet the Weezer song was in my head whilst we were there) and we spent an extortionate amount of money on candles and fitness gear. We also got attacked by a GIANT bug whilst eating our lunch which was pretty horrific.

However, after this, we took an Uber to Hollywood Boulevard to see Jimmy Kimmel Live! If you are going to L.A and want something free and totally unique to do, I definitely recommend trying to get tickets to a TV show filming like this. I realised we could do this a week or so before and was lucky enough to get tickets to the one we wanted in which we saw RYAN FREAKING GOSLING and Dana White (UFC President - very apt for our trip). There aren't many people allowed in for each taping so you feel so close to the guests. It's definitely a great experience.




Then on our final day in L.A, we decided it was time to head to the beach. Get the real West Coast experience. We got an Uber to Santa Monica, which I might add was super easy, and then we had a good old wander. Took in the pier, the beach and the shops. Had taco's on National Taco Day on the seafront and then took ourselves on a walk down the coast to Venice Beach. We kind of which we hadn't as it made us feel quite on edge. I wouldn't recommend it really if I did it again, I'd stay in Santa Monica.




Overall our trip to L.A was so incredible, made better by our fantastic Airbnb and the use of Ubers - they are a must in America. As I'm having such a great time reliving this trip, I will be looking to write up the other two destinations on our trip, Las Vegas and San Francisco - and maybe a couple of hints and tips posts. Hope you enjoyed the read!

When in Atlanta, Georgia - Travelling in America

It’s over a year now since we stepped foot in Atlanta. A place we weren’t planning on going but stumbled across it in a bid to go to another Southern destination. Thinking back now, I actually can’t remember what made our minds up about visiting but it was another great stop on our trip to America last year.

Atlanta is a big place and it’s not really your typical tourist location like New York or New Orleans but it does have some good places to visit and interesting things to see.

We’d booked tickets to go to an NFL game whilst in Atlanta and this was certainly a highlight. I didn’t know what to expect going into it as I had heard the games were long and to be honest I didn’t really get what was going on most of the time. The day before the game we wandered to the Mercedes Benz Stadium where the Falcons play and it was epic. First of all, it was enormous, second it was all new and modern and third it was just a breathtaking place to be. It definitely got me excited for the game.

The next day the stadium was packed. Floods of people arrived in red Atlanta jerseys and blue Miami Dolphins jerseys. It was a fantastic atmosphere. The opening of the game had us hyped for the next three hours with cheerleaders, music, video and pyrotechnics. There was always something going on throughout the time we were there to keep the audience engaged and when Atlanta scored, it was very exciting. Just a shame it was a low scoring game and at the end, the Dolphins took the win!

A gem of a find we came across whilst wandering around Atlanta was Ponce City Market. Here there were lots of shops and places to eat as well as on the top floor rides and carnival games. We had a look in the daytime and decided to come back on the night to really experience all it had to offer.

What was great about PCM was that you put money on a special card that you could top up whilst you were there and then whatever you wanted to eat, drink or do, you just swiped this card. We had some drinks, played lots of games and won cuddly toys and had a go on the different rides as well as a game of crazy golf. This was all against a stunning backdrop of Atlanta at night.

These were the two highlights of our time in Atlanta although we did also visit Centennial Olympic Park, visited the World of Coca-Cola (wouldn’t recommend) and got to see lots of houses dressed up for Halloween! If you are stopping by Atlanta for a few days, I’d definitely make sure it’s when Atlanta are playing at home and get yourself to Ponce City Market.

Getting crafty at the Make and Mend Festival

I've always thought of myself as quite a creative person; trying to find the best solution to a problem or making something look pretty. Although I wasn't really into crafts when I was younger, as I've grown up and got my own space, I'm always keen to do a bit of D.I.Y. Last month, I was invited to go along to the first-ever Make and Mend Festival, set up by two lovely ladies with a passion for creativity and mindfulness.

Held at Preston Hall Museum, the event brought together craft lovers from across the Tees Valley to take part in a number of workshops where we created some gorgeous and hand-crafted goodies. We were down on the morning to take advantage of the three different workshops we'd been booked on to. First up was glass engraving held in a classroom down the Victorian Street.

Led by Bloom in Art, the class allowed each participant to make either a pendant or a key ring. We each had to think of something that meant a lot to us, or that we want to be reminded of on a daily basis. I chose to etch 'Explore', as I love to travel and I want to do it a lot more. The process involved adding sticker stencils to you piece of glass, covering it in an acid paste and leaving it for around 15 minutes until the glass around your stencil had gone cloudy and your words remain clear and smooth. Once the acid was washed off, it revealed your design and we followed this up by drilling out a hole to then attach to our chosen fixing.

It was a very creative class which involved mediums I'd never used and methods I had never done. Although it was great to create my keyring, I don't think I'll be breaking in glass etching anytime soon. 

After this, we had some lunch from The Sitting Room in Guisborough's pop-up stall. They offered a number of gorgeous salads to be accompanied by meat or halloumi. I chose the tabbouleh with bulgar wheat, tomato, onion, parsley and mint, and the spicy tomato, onion and chickpea salad with a side of grilled halloumi and a dollop of mint yoghurt. It was so delicious and filling. I followed this up with a cheeky brownie but I ate this too quick to snap a picture.

After our lunch, we had a little bit of time before our next session which we used to wander around and have a nosy at what everyone else was doing. A few of the classes we spotted were brush lettering, floral painting and papercutting which all looked very interesting. Our second class of the day was embroidery which was led by Make and Mend's own Rachel. We all had the chance to embroider our own hoop which was pre-marked out with the words 'choose happy'. Rooting through Rachel's box of threads, all of our hoops came out very different due to the varied colours we chose. As I'd already done a bit of embroidery, this was familiar to me but it was great to be able to do more and practise the stitches I'd already learnt.

The final class of the day took place in the conservatory which was unfortunately like a sauna as it was an extremely hot day. Nevertheless, we got stuck into making terrariums with Hoes & Ditches. As I'm not very green-fingered, it was great to have the chance to put together my terrarium adding stones, soil, picking the plants I wanted and then adding the finishing touches with pebbles and moss. I was really proud of my final effort which wasn't as hard to put together as I first thought.

I was extremely pleased to have been invited along to Make and Mend festival to try out all the exciting classes. There was a great turnout of advanced crafters and beginners, all wanting to learn new skills. Holding this in Preston Hall Museum was a fantastic idea and the venue worked wonderfully for what they needed. This was the first event that Make and Mend had run, and I'm hopeful they will organise others so I can try more crafts. If you want to keep up to date with Make and Mend, see if they decide to run further events or purchase one of their craft kits, follow them on Facebook or keep an eye on their website.