Cumbria School of Saddlery

Dear Reader,

Greetings from the cow shed in Cumbria! Another year has passed and what a year. I was very fortunate to receive a total of ninety-two students who came on eighteen courses during the year. Some of them returning for the fourth or fifth time, obviously having caught the leatherwork bug.

There were many laughs, a few tears. A huge range of items were made - many things from a rolled lip strap to a breaking roller; a military bridle to a hat box; elasticated gentleman's leather braces, many country belts to a gun slip. One student came out of the blue with the ambition to make a shoulder bag for her husband. She did it too and took it home with her triumphant at the end of the week (picture below).

However, top marks for hard work and concentration go to Lorna who now runs here own business and pulled off an amazing feat here after producing hard-won patterns of her friend's minature shetland. Apparently, keeping it still for more than two seconds at a time required at least two people, one at each end. The brilliant little in-hand stallion show set is featured below complete with linseed-stuffed dock.

Many saddles have been re-flocked and re-fitted back at home with much success. A by-product of this process is being left with bags of waste flocking emptied out of panels, much of it hard, lumpy acrylic carpet waste. It seems odd that nearly every saddle being ridden in out there needs re-flocking!

This year I became a pensioner. This doesn't mean that I can retire yet so I'll still be around for a bit.

With best wishes for 2013,

David