Try something new with PitstopX London's jewellery-making classes!

Long gone are the days when a giving home-made present comprising of pasta shells lovingly glued to a piece of coloured cardboard or a blackened batch of burnt jam-tarts resulted in a forced smile and a stiff thank-you. And with the dreaded recession still impacting both the media and our bank balances, there has never been a better time to utilise, or indeed learn, a new skill. As a self-confessed accessories addict, but lacking somewhat in the artistic department, I had never previously considered making my own jewellery until I heard about PitstopX London. Run by Penelope Akester - a London-based jeweller with over 17 years experience – from the comfort of her home in Camden, she offers a variety of jewellery-making classes and workshops with a four person limit, designed to ensure that each student gets paramount attention.   From the Jewellery Making Starter Day to the Japanese Braiding on a Disk Day – there’s something for everyone, whether a novice wanting a taster class, or an accomplished jeweller wanting to hone and develop your skills. I’m hoping to try out the starter day – aimed at complete beginners it covers the basics of how to professionally create beautiful beaded jewellery, including both necklaces, bracelets and, time permitting, earrings. The course teaches how to string a necklace, add a clasp, and knot a gemstone necklace – perfect for amateurs like myself. And for the more learned pupils, the Repairs and Recycling Jewellery Taster Class schools students in the art of turning an earring into a pendant, and repairing broken clasps – ideal for those with hoards of jewellery that has seen better days.

So whether you’re bored of the ten-a-penny jewellery offerings from the high street, or want to make a unique and personal gift for a friend, PitstopX London is definitely worth a visit. And with courses starting at a very reasonable £35, it’s not going to break the bank balance and will almost certainly make a fab change from the aforementioned kitchen crafts!

Any readers of this page can have a £10 (ten pound) discount on any course booked  before the end of September! Just mention  'TheAmazingBlog' when you book at http://www.pitstopx.co.uk/Book-a-Workshop.html - happy jewellery making!

http://www.pitstopx.co.uk/Book-a-Workshop.html

Urban Physic Garden

Everyone at Amazing PR loves a pop-up, so far this summer we have frequented Tom’s Terrace at Somerset House for an (almost) too-hot-to-handle chilli martini...or three. Headed to Southbank for traditional Indian street food and deliciously spiked coconuts at Dishoom’s Chowpatty Beach Bar and hit up Basil’s Beach Bar at The Goring for a taste of genuine Mustique glamour, sans airfare...and weather for that matter. But all this eating and drinking has taken it out of us a bit (I know, woe is us) and we feel something a little more alternative is in order.

Enter the Urban Physic Garden, which has burst into bloom on a neglected patch of land in South East London. Thanks to the work of a collective of designers, urban growers and over 150 eager volunteers the garden is now flourishing with medicinal plants and healing herbs. Taking inspiration from the Chelsea Physic Garden - a centre for plant-based healing, research and experimentation for over 300 years - the Urban Physic Garden aims to inform and inspire on this fascinating subject.

This summer the Urban Physic Garden welcomes all budding botanists and medical mavericks to their festival of talks, workshops, film screenings and events. The garden provides a platform for artists, designers, gardeners and health practitioners from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures to showcase their talents. It is a place for lively debate – an outside space where a range of people can come together to explore the role of plants in science, health, well-being and the environment.

There is a fascinating programme of events coming up over the rest of the summer: Free lunchtime talks in the on-site ‘Rambulance Cafe’ (whose kitchen is a decommissioned ambulance), walks around the garden with Professor Peter Houghton an expert in medicinal plants, private consultations with a medical herbalist and creative workshops that cater to all ages.

The Urban Physic Garden is a work in progress. If you have some free time, and would like to get your hands dirty helping out, sign up to volunteer.

The Urban Physic Garden is open Tuesday-Sunday 11am – 6pm until 15th August. 100 Union Street, London SE1 0NL.