Artists' studios

There are a number of the large mill floors at Sunny Bank that have been partitioned off into sections that artists can rent as studio space. As well as the Print Fair, it was 'Open Studios' day so there was a vast array of artwork on display and for sale. There are painters, printers, ceramicists, jewellers, weavers, photographers ... So much wonderful colour and creativity on show.  

Odd corners held random but interesting paraphernalia. 

Perhaps the most exciting area was the 'Scrap Centre of Creative Reuse', a large store crammed full of 'scrap' - old bicycle wheels, textiles, paper and card, cardboard tubes, rope, plastics, metals, rubber, odd bits of wood. It was rather wonderful; stuff that would have gone to landfill, now rescued and sold at minimal cost for use in play, education and artistic creation. They also have an area of eco-friendly domestic supplies, where you can refill your washing up liquid or shampoo, or stock up on biodegradable and recyclable brushes, cloths and suchlike.  

Various rooms are used for workshops and training programmes, mostly related to textiles. There's a School of Sewing, a room full of weaving looms (below) and children's daycare and a forest school on site. Such a good use of a sprawling mill complex that otherwise might have been left to go derelict - and laudable because (unlike most of our old mills) it has remained in the same ownership after the original woollen mill was closed down.