Laura in action

At just 19-years-old, Laura Trott, the world champion team pursuit cyclist from Cheshunt, is already racing toward her dream of competing in front of a home crowd at London 2012.

She told Ella Walker how chocolate, her family and the adrenaline buzz of winning keep her on track

How are you preparing for London 2012?

I have a number of different competitions that I’m hoping to compete in as stepping stones to the Olympic Games. My first competition will hopefully be on the Olympic track in London for the London World Cup. This will be a big competition for me as it’s on the track we’ll be using for the Olympics – it’s quite scary really. Next I’ll be aiming for the World Championships in Melbourne. That will be the last competition before the Olympics. In between that time I will be on the road for a bit, building my endurance and then back on the track for final preparations before the Games.

What got you into cycling?

Well it’s a long story really. When I was born I had a collapsed lung so when I was old enough, the doctor told my mum and dad I needed to do some sport to build up the strength of it and help regulate my breathing. So they chose swimming and trampolining to begin with, which I really enjoyed. At the time my mum also wanted to lose weight, and she got talking about it to a lady at swimming. She suggested we go to Welwyn and have a go on the outdoor velodrome. Then that was that; I was 8 at the time and haven’t stopped since.

What do you love most about it?

There’s not one thing that I love, it’s a number of things. I just love riding my bike and couldn’t imagine not doing it. I love all the people I work with, from my team mates to the people behind the scenes that you never see; like the people I work with at the English Institute of Sport. Then of course I love winning with my team. I love the way we all come together for the same thing and when it works, the feeling is great.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

My highlight would be when I won my first senior World title in the team pursuit when I was just 18-years-old. I would never have imagined I’d be a first year senior and win at my first attempt.

What other sports do you enjoy watching or playing?

I still love trampolining. If I wasn’t cycling I would definitely start it again. I also like watching gymnastics and swimming.

How do you stay in shape?

I have to train six days a week so it’s quite easy for me to stay fit. I do a mixture of track training, road and even in the gym. It’s nice to have a bit of a variety, nothing gets boring that way.

Do you have to stick to a specific diet?

I wouldn’t say that it was strict. I have to eat well and eat the right things, but I wouldn’t say I’m the ideal athlete. As long as I feel healthy and I’m going well on my bike then that’s what matters to me. I don’t put on weight easily so I can get away with eating pretty much what I want to be honest. I absolutely love chocolate so that’s always part of my diet!

How do you stay motivated?

I love the feeling when you win. The adrenaline buzz you get is like no other feeling and I’d do anything to get it. Remembering what my dream is keeps me going. My family help keep me motivated as well, it’s nice to know that they are there for me.

What are your tips for any youngsters interested in getting involved in cycling? Where should they start?

Nice family rides are a great place to start, down local footpaths or even the new Sky rides which are great because they are all on closed roads so anyone can do them. There are also a lot of clubs all over the country for youngsters now which are great for teaching the basics of cycling.

My main tip is enjoying it and having fun, that’s the starting point for anyone getting into the sport!

Who in sport inspires you and why?

I have two people that really inspire me; one that everyone will know and one close to me.

Sir Chris Hoy inspires me because he just keeps going no matter how hard it is. Even after his favourite event got pulled out of the Olympics he didn’t give up, he just turned his hand to something different and became the best in that event too. He just has the right attitude towards his sport and is so motivated to win all the time.

The other is my sister Emma Trott. She inspires me because she was never on any of the programmes that British cycling run, she had to do it the hard way and try and make it as a pro on her own. When she was just 18 she moved to Belgium to live to try and kick start a career. She didn’t give up no matter how hard it got. She is someone I think a lot of people could learn from. She is now on a pro cycling team out in Holland.

Follow Laura on Twitter @LauraTrott31.  

First published by the Hertfordshire Mercury.

Demelza Hillier

‘Will you have to get your belly out?” was the question I kept facing in the run-up to my first attempt at belly dancing.

That and people bandying around the words “video” and “YouTube sensation”. So, as I got to the fitness studio at the Cambridge YMCA, stripped off my socks and firmly kept my top on over my tummy, I was pretty terrified.

A couple of avid Egyptian belly dancers taking the class also looked a bit worried and warned me that the warm up routine our youthful instructor, Demelza “Demi” Hillier was practising at the front looked very different from your average spangly-belted belly dancing . . . but it was too late to make my escape.

Gathering us all up and attempting to set us at ease, Demelza had us introduce ourselves and asked if we’d ever tried ‘tribal fusion belly dance’ before (I’d never even heard of it) before explaining that it’s a blend of American tribal style and traditional Arabic belly dance, flamenco and hip-hop – with a bit of body-popping chucked into the already bewildering mix.

I wasn’t that sure a few ballet and tap sessions aged 5-10 – the extent of my dance class experience – was going to pull me through.

Luckily we started with a simple enough warm-up. Bounding from one side of the room to the other and stretching out our arms and legs, and pointing those toes (“Like a pony!” Demelza shouted) we then had to grasp the core moves of tribal fusion.

My favourites included making “angry spider hands” for swirly oriental wrist movements, using our oblique muscles to shimmy our hips up and down, and seductive arm techniques which Demelza, while whirling theatrically around the room, kept reminding us should make us feel like mermaids under the sea.

Me and Demelza

The idea was to raise our arms to the surface (ceiling) lightly and fluidly, and then bring them back down strongly, fighting against the current with our elbows, all the while maintaining the basic belly dance stance: softly bent knees, bottom tucked in, chest held high, shoulders pulled back and down.

I quickly learned that in belly dancing your belly isn’t expected to wobble, it’s expected to work out. The key is to isolate individual muscles and make very precise but also very graceful movements that still pack a punch.

Which explains why its benefits include improved posture and core body strength, increased stamina and reduced stress. Halfway through the hour-long session my thighs were aching and my unsuspecting abs were definitely being bullied into shape.

There’s also a lot of drama involved in belly dance, tribal fusion especially, and there’s a real art to getting it right. It draws on a different kind of femininity to the flowery femininity of oriental-style belly dance, Demelza told us. It needs attitude, strength and imagination.

Annoyingly, I could manage the arm movements but it was slotting them into a routine which also involved hip-rolling and foot-swooping that left me in a bit of a tangle at times.

Laughing at my own feeble attempts to look at least a little intimidating (“evil but oh-so-dangerously attractive” was the look we were meant to be going for) also knocked my balance a bit too. But once I’d relaxed and got my bearings – plus stopped looking at myself in the studio mirror – the moves seemed much easier. You really have to go with the flow with belly dancing.

It’s the kind of dance form that, once you’ve mastered the muscle isolation and striking facial expressions, must be incredibly empowering to perform, particularly if you’re a not-so-secret exhibitionist and fancy getting dressed up in fantastical costumes and exotic makeup.

All I need to do is unleash my inner drama queen. That might take another couple of classes though . . .

Demelza runs intermediate sessions on Mondays, 7-8.30pm (£70 per term) and beginner classes on Wednesdays, 7-8pm (£50) at Cambridge YMCA. For more information visit www.fusionbellydance.co.uk or email demelzahillier@gmail.com.

 First published by the Cambridge News/CB Magazine

Pic: Jo Clark

Passion, inspiration and a whole lot of hard work – Ella Walker meets illustrator Jo Clark one year on from setting up her own design business in Cambridge

With a fish tank burbling away in the corner and sketch books spilling out of a bookcase, Jo Clark is midway through her tax return when we speak.

Stressful I know, but then again, it does signal the end of the illustrator’s fledgling year at running her own design business, Jo Clark Design, so it can’t be all bad.

The unfailingly modest 32-year-old, who is originally from Lincoln but now calls Cambridge home, has been stocking craft fairs and online gift shops non-stop with her simple yet quirky range of mugs, greeting cards, cushions and framed prints – and it’s all going very well, even though she’s too humble to really admit it.

Not only are Jo’s cards set to be featured in a book called I Heart Stationary coming out later this year, but her most popular print, Seed Spheres, should be making an appearance in Beautiful Homes Magazine too.

“[Drawing] has been the only thing that I’ve really loved to do, and been any good at, since I was little,” she says shyly, explaining how taking an art foundation course at De Montfort University in Lincoln prompted her to do a BA in illustration at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in Cambridge.

It was while she was working in ARU’s reprographics department that she enrolled on an MA in Children’s book illustration. “A lot of the students from the course would come in and I’d do their photocopying and I’d get to see their work and just thought: ‘That’s what I want to be doing,’” says Jo. So she enrolled and started taking her whimsical drawings – many sketched in a notebook on the train – to the next level, slowly but steadily embarking on her dream: to live and work by her art.

“I tested out my cards before I took the plunge and worked on my business full time,” she explains. “I was thrilled to get my first few stockists while I was still working and then decided I needed more time to just go for it, and that’s what I did.”

A year on (those trial runs were a sell-out success by the way), and the business is going from strength to strength. Jo works from home with her “feisty” but adorable cat Daisy for company (“She thinks she’s the human,”) and is currently gearing up for two major trade fairs: the British Craft Trade Fair in April and Pulse at Earl’s Court in June. Both are huge opportunities to attract more stockists and raise the profile of her products, which you can already find nestled in Cuckoo in Cambridge and on crafting sites, Etsy and notonthehighstreet.com.

Jo Clark

All Jo’s items are spattered with designs overflowing with character and charm: from little birds frolicking on telephone wires and excitable squirrels pattering up and down branches, to puffed up pigeons, a cheeky fox and sprays of beautiful flowers and swaying seed pods.

“The business side is quite hard work but when I do get a chance to make new designs and draw, that’s just what I love to do and always have. I am happiest when I’m drawing,” Jo enthuses. “So I always carry a sketchbook with me and try to draw whenever I get a moment.”

It’s the humour in her designs, plump with life and personality, that make them so appealing. “I always try and think of little creatures, especially unloved creatures. I feel sorry for them a little bit, they get a rough time compared to all the cute fluffy ones that people love,” she laughs, describing where a lot of her inspiration comes from. “I’m trying to big up the little guys!”

These are the themes which come through in her children’s books, which she hopes one day to self publish.

“My mum came to visit and went down the garden and she came running in and said: ‘Joanne there’s a massive snail!’ and I was like: ‘Where?’ and went out and had a look but it wasn’t a snail, it was a slug,” she bubbles, explaining the idea behind one of her stories.

“I just remembered how I felt when she said it was a massive snail, I was excited to see a big shell and then I was really disappointed to see this slug and I thought: ‘Aww, poor guy, it’s not his fault he’s not a snail.’ It sparked this story that this little slug, all he wanted to do was be a snail so he fitted in with the rest of society, but it kind of works out in the end.”

And a happy-ever-after ending definitely seems to be the direction Jo is heading herself. She has big plans for the future with ideas for developing a selection of wrapping paper and possibly even wallpapers. “I’ve got so many ideas that I want to explore and develop. I’m always half way though one project when I have three more ideas that come along so I’m always looking forward to the next challenge,” she says, brimming with hopes, but she’s also completely realistic, convinced that “baby steps” and a strong work ethic will get her to where she wants to be.

“I don’t necessarily have [the confidence]. It takes time to build that up, there have been lots of times when I’ve thought: ‘Oh, it’s not worth it,’ but I end up going back to it because it’s that draw. I have to do this,” she says, full of conviction.

“I wouldn’t want to do anything else. It’s the hardest I’ve ever worked but I wouldn’t change it for anything. If you’re passionate about something enough, you’ll get there.”

For more information, to order products and access Jo’s blog, visit her website at www.joclarkdesign.co.uk. You can follow her on Twitter @joclarkdesign too.

First published by the Cambridge News.

Meeting Clare Strongman in a cosy corner of a Histon pub, you wouldn’t think to look at her that she has an underlying and incurable medical condition.

Factor in that the 36-year-old, who lives in Over, runs a hectic schedule of fitness classes and running groups across South Cambridgeshire – and still finds time to lecture for the Open University – it seems even less likely.

Clare has endometriosis, a condition suffered by 5-10 per cent of women in the UK and one which rarely gets discussed.

“It’s one of those conditions that nobody talks about because it’s a bit embarrassing,” says Claire, describing it as when “bits of your womb grow in funny places” and reeling off a list of symptoms including chronic pain, extreme fatigue, infertility and bowel problems, to name just a few.

“I’ve got stage four [the worst] and something called a frozen pelvis which means all of my organs are stuck together with scar tissue,” she explains, matter-of-factly. “Most women can have a hysterectomy and that finishes it off, and you have to have your ovaries removed as well, but I couldn’t have that because basically my bowel is stuck to my ovaries and my ovaries are stuck to my kidneys, it’s all a mess.

“I didn’t really have any options available to me, except taking painkillers which, well, you don’t want to be on morphine for the rest of your life. I was at a bit of a dead end really.”

And that’s when, after a lengthy stint in hospital, Clare’s consultant referred her onto a fitness programme to help manage her symptoms which, two weeks out of every month could be completely debilitating (“At its worst I couldn’t walk let alone anything else.”)

Packing in lots of walking and running when she was well and cutting out wheat, dairy and soy products from her diet, Clare managed to get her life back on track and decided she wanted to help others achieve the same.

With her symptoms a thing of the past, Clare ditched her career as a computer programmer at Cambridge Science Park and set up her own business: Strongman Fitness.

Specialising in women’s health (including polycystic ovarian syndrome and menopause) and fitness for people dealing with illness, Clare now runs a host of exercise sessions and running groups for all ages and abilities.

“In my running groups I have pretty much every age, my oldest is comfortably in his sixties all the way down to complete beginners to people who run marathons,” she enthuses. “I like to think of it as creating a supportive group with a bit of everything in there so nobody feels out of place, nobody feels that they’re slower or faster or less able than anybody else. It gives people that motivation to come out because they’ve got to go to their running club; people are depending on them to come.”

Did I mention Clare also volunteers for the Endometriosis UK helpline and is planning on writing an e-book for the charity next year?

“Most fitness instructors want to make people thin but it’s not really about that for me,” she laughs infectiously, describing her approach to personal fitness as ‘holistic’. “I remember when I first started going to the gym, there was this little tiny lady, about a size 4, [wearing] little white Lycra hot pants and a little white crop top and she was going to be my gym instructor and she looked me up and down: ‘Weight loss is it?’ – how was she going to motivate people?

“Whereas people come to see me, I’m not fat but neither am I skinny. I’m like them and if I can run for six miles, why can’t they?”

She describes herself as ‘normal’ but has a practical, determined force about her and from just a brief chat over a coke, you can see how she would motivate you to make yourself look and feel better.

“I believe that anybody can run, you just have to start,” she says, her words like a big, encouraging hug. “There’s always somebody that has to be the slowest but that doesn’t mean you’re slow and it doesn’t mean you’re rubbish. It just happens that you’re the slowest this week, and someone else will be next week.”

Straight talking and direct, Clare is the opposite of an intimidating gym bunny (no spandex in sight) and finds her inspiration in the people she trains.

“I’ve got this one lady, in her late 40s, who started from nothing six months ago,” Clare tells me proudly. “With running, people start to feel the benefits straight away – and she goes faster than me now.”

The psychological aspect of exercise and training keeps her motivated too: “I have people that come to my running clubs with quite severe mental health problems that you wouldn’t know about to look at them, especially people with depression. You can see at the end of the session they are bright, they’re all glowing, bouncing.”

As a walking example of how exercise and believing in yourself can improve your life beyond measure, Clare leaves me with the promise that no matter how terrified you are of getting out there and facing your problems: “The barriers you think are there can be overcome.” Where are my trainers?

Clare organises a free Saturday Social run, which at the moment is focused on building up distances in time for the Cambridge Half Marathon – although anyone is welcome.

For more information visit www.cstrongman.co.uk, www.facebook.com/StrongmanFitnessUK and Endometriosis UK at www.endometriosis-uk.org.

Clare’s top tips for getting your New Year fitness regime off to a successful start:

1) Choose something that’s achievable, people will start six classes a week – you’re not going to keep that up – start off slowly but do something you know you can maintain

2) Diet is always worth looking at, people always drink too much

3) Try as many new things as you possibly can – you might surprise yourself.

First published by the Cambridge News.

Karlena with her son Tom and a pair of trousers which used to fit her

Karlena has lost nearly 6 stone, allowing her to return to a normal lifestyle. “It was never about bad habits, it was about eating the right portion sizes for an inactive person,” she saysLosing weight is a struggle at the best of times but imagine trying to steel yourself to do it when you are too exhausted to move, in constant pain and find it difficult to stay awake, let alone go for a run.

For 40-year-old Karlena Dell, a teaching assistant at Bottisham Village College, this was the incredible challenge she faced.

The mum-of-one from Lode suffers with ME, a debilitating illness that she developed in 2003 after a severe and combined attack of shingles, glandular fever and gallstones.

“The first signs were extreme tiredness, to the point where I could not string a sentence together or remember names of objects,” Karlena recalls. “I went from writing scientific papers to not being able to have the cognitive function to read a children’s book.”

When physical exhaustion and pain got too much, and just a few minutes of standing was agonising, Karlena relied on a wheelchair.

“The illness coloured all aspects of my life,” she explains. “I went from being an independent professional woman to someone that had to be looked after like a child. I could not read any more, couldn’t stand loud noises or bright lights or any external stimulation.

“I was used to being very much in control of my life and it now felt I had no control over even the simplest of things happening to me. If I got over-tired it would trigger migraines. Standing up would be excruciating; the pain felt like a burning sensation running up and down my legs. My skin felt like it had broken glass under it, and it hurt to wear clothes.”

Her weight crept up because she was unable to do everyday things like nipping to the gym or going swimming, and her family life was affected too: “I loved being able to do things with my son, but I had to either just watch him do it, or miss it as I was fast asleep.”

Karlena had a “lightbulb moment” when ordering a new wheelchair. “I had to order it in extra wide,” she sighs. “I just thought: ‘I’ve got to do something about this.’”

At her heaviest, she weighed 17st 10lb (“Stepping on those scales for the first time and seeing that figure made me cry inside, my ME had destroyed all my previous efforts,”) and because her illness stopped her from exercising, the only dieting group that would consider taking her on was WeightWatchers.

Having tried the points programme before and lost 3 stone, she restarted it in February 2009 and the scales soon started sliding in her favour. “It’s so easy to follow,” Karlena enthuses. “I’ve lost 5 stone 10lb with no exercise. At times it has been really tough but the weight loss was slow and consistent. I lost about ½lb every week.”

No sugar-fuelled relapses? “It was never about bad habits, it was about eating the right portion sizes for an inactive person. That would have meant admitting I was ill and that was too difficult at the time. So maybe WeightWatchers has also allowed me to admit I was ill and it was OK.

“For me WeightWatchers was not just about losing weight, but cutting down on the painkillers and getting my life back.”

Trips to high street store White Stuff helped Karlena stay positive and focused on her diminishing waistline: “Whenever I got a bit demoralised I’d go into White Stuff and look at all the clothes to motivate myself – by the time I’d lost the weight and could get into them, the staff all knew me!”

But although window shopping helped, it was the unfailing love and support of her son, Tom, 13, that really made all the difference to Karlena and her progress. “My son helped me when I was really bad with my ME. He has pushed me round in my wheelchair on days out and held on for dear life when we went round an ice rink in it! Tom never commented on my weight, and has always been fiercely protective of his mum,” Karlena glows. “He has encouraged me all the way, celebrating with me on the good weeks and given me the strength to keep going when it all seemed too hard.”

He was also there to congratulate her after she was crowned one of the 10 most inspirational WeightWatchers members from the South East at the Best Ever You Awards in London – those dieting groups that knocked her back must be kicking themselves now.

“The awards were fantastic,” says Karlena, who received a makeover from celebrity style consultant and MTV regular Louise Roe, and showed off her new look on a catwalk. “My son was in the audience, and came up on stage to give me a huge bunch of flowers; it was a really great moment. It was just amazing actually being on a catwalk and being able to walk down it – three or four years ago I’d have been pushed down it!”

She no longer needs her wheelchair (“but it is still in the shed!”) and, inspired by her own experience with WeightWatchers, has started leading a group in Burwell.

Karlena said: “WeightWatchers helped me so much and I really want to help other people, and particularly show other less able people that there is a solution to their weight problems.

“I feel fantastic now. I went back to full-time work after 10 years in September and I used to be on a lot of medication for my ME, but now I’m on hardly any. I’m back to being the person I was 10 years ago.”

Karlena runs a WeightWatchers group on Wednesdays at 7pm at The Gardiner Memorial Hall, High Street,  Burwell.

First published by the Cambridge News.

Ella Walker is bowled over by the voice and humble charm of music’s new golden boy.

I take that back: it was completely and utterly hysterical. 

Scruffy and stacked like the surfer he is (oh, those shoulders) the 23-year-old Devon-born singer-songwriter practically scampered on stage to be knocked cold by a wall of helpless screaming. As cute and windswept in real life as he is in his sun drenched music videos, he’s husky beach-folk at its best, not Beiber!

“I’ve never been screamed at so much in all my life,” he laughed into the mic, (ensuring that every lull from then on was engulfed by the happy-go-lucky bawling of hypnotized girls and folk-drunk guys), just as bemused as his always-grinning drummer, producer Chris Bond, and India Bourne, the band’s striking, red-lipped cellist. 

Shrugging it off with a lopsided smile, along with the: “You’re beautiful, Ben,” shouted by a checked shirted lad behind me, they sunk straight into the swoon-full Depth Over Distance.

Ben, patting his guitar like a drum, racked up notches on the scales of ‘aching’ and ‘incredible’ in seconds before jumping into a slew of swirling tracks off his debut album, Every Kingdom. It was released this year, finally satisfying the core of loyal fans that have unfailingly followed his trudge from seaside town to old man pub to the now sold-out venues – including The Junction.

Even now he’s humble in the extreme. Smirking cheekily throughout the set he seemed genuinely bewildered by the packed room (“I’ve never been to Cambridge before, I wasn’t expecting to see so many people” ), and completely clueless as to his charm; bucket loads of it spilling out with every keening note. 

The feelgood Old Pine leapt defiantly, (“Hot sand on toes, cold sand in sleeping bags/I’ve come to know that memories/Were the best things you ever had”) while Black Flies, a track that gets lost on the album, live makes it hard to breathe with calls of “Maybe you were the ocean when I was just a stone”, making it clear that even the heart-wrenching yelling of this guy is melodic. 

What got me most (aside from Ben’s rugged good looks and unbelievable voice – if they weren’t enough to be getting on with) is how chatty and funny he is. None of that pretentious: “I’m just about the music” nonsense. When someone yelled “Happy birthday James,” Ben joined in; when he explained that all his tracks are about the same person and someone shouted: “Who is it?” he just grinned to himself and said: “Well it’s not a guy… these gay rumours have been getting out of hand!” Even a wail of: “I love you more than Christmas trees,” got a quick quip. 

For “old favourite” Keep Your Head Up he brought back support act Richard Thomas, setting off a wave of worry that the tune’s heart would get trampled on by this bearded rocker. Luckily, there was no need to panic. Bounding and soaring it was pure, undiluted fun that made your head roll and your body shimmer, while an electrified version of new single The Fear left us racing, struggling to leave – and as we cried back: “Love, love, love,” over and over again during The Wolves, the screaming all made sense.

First published by the Cambridge News.

Emma Mitchell at home in her beach hut

As Minnie the greyhound affectionately moults all over my tights, I realise I really am in the very depths of the countryside.

Muddy little wellies sit by the front door of the bright, coral pink cottage Emma Mitchell calls home, snug in the chocolate box village of Reach, and what with the woods on one side and an expanse of fenland on the other, it’s no wonder she never fails to find inspiration for her work.

The 39-year-old blogger and fine silver jewellery designer lives with her husband and two little girls, and is on the cusp of something big….

Originally from Liverpool, Emma moved south at 18 to study natural sciences before taking up a consulting post at Cambridge Science Park (“Quite exciting work but quite demanding at the same time,”). 

But, picking our way down the garden, through a mash of home grown veg and wild seedlings to the dinky beach hut that is her workroom, Emma explains that the switch from science to accessories wasn’t quite as drastic as it sounds.

“The link between the two is that I tend to make lots of nature inspired jewellery, lots of flowers and birds and hares, seed heads – natural forms,” she says, setting up a chintzy tea tray that would make Cath Kidston weep with jealousy. “As a biologist I was interested in how a cell works and particularly how a cell, a fertilised embryo, turns into a mammal or a bird and develops into a body shape, but I was always a secret crafter.”

It was having children that gently nudged her into taking a knack for crafting to the next level. Intricate pendants looped with vintage trinkets and charms made using silver clay – a porcelain-like product packed with waste silver particles that can be moulded just like plasticine – are the hallmarks of her work, with honesty pods, cotton reels, sycamore seeds, feathers, pine cones and things from the beach, regularly cropping up in her designs.

“I like to recycle, the silver clay itself is a way of recycling, developed for the purpose, and I love to find old buttons and tiny little doilies or bits of crochet, old keys and found objects, and use them to make something beautiful that can be used again,” Emma explains. “I take an old locket that belonged to someone’s gran and I add little charms or pearls and make them wearable again.”

In a ‘here’s one I made earlier’ moment, she hooks a curtain of dark curls behind one ear and shows me a silver clay imprint of a vintage button, waiting to be fired and filed down into pure silver (she fires all her creations over the Aga in her impossibly cosy kitchen).

It’s these silver button necklaces that won her a slot in Kirstie Allsopp’s latest book Craft, a spin off of Channel 4 show, Kirstie’s Handmade Britain.

“It was so exciting, I couldn’t believe it, I nearly fell off my chair,” Emma laughs, clearly still overwhelmed by the attention. She was scouted by the show’s producers via her hugely successful blog, silver pebble (more of which later), and the button necklace project was chosen to appear.

Although Emma didn’t get to meet the homes guru in person, she does think getting the nation more involved in making their own instead of whipping out the credit card, is a good plan. “It’s the handmade revolution,” she explains. “I think in five years time you’ll see more craft programmes like this. We’re in a recession; to make your own is thrifty as well as rewarding.

Emma's work station

“I think there are a lot of lost skills that need to be brought back. Whether it’s baking, knitting or crochet – and in my case jewellery making from bits and bobs you might find around the house – and sewing particularly. It’s incredibly thrifty if you use scraps of material from your old clothes or a precious skirt that’s worn out and you make that into a cushion. That’s fantastically green but also very satisfying.”

Which explains why Emma’s blog has such a dedicated following. Stacked with good ideas, crafty how tos and beautiful photos, silver pebble is at the centre of a web of creative crafty types and artists in Cambridgeshire, tapping into the make-do-and-mend culture which is set to equal the cupcake revival.

“There’s quite a close knit craft blog network and we all comment and support each other,” says Emma. “It’s a fantastic community for testing out if one of your designs is ok and if you get lots of good feedback, it can spur you on to the next one.”

She is currently running Making Winter, a “blog carnival”, and so far over 50 bloggers have got involved.

“It’s about making a cosy cake to make you feel nice about winter or knitting yourself some wrist warmers, because I’m not keen on winter,” Emma flutters. “That’s how the idea came about: ‘how can I make myself like winter more?’ So I thought I’d try out wintry creative things and invited everyone to join in and post pictures so that I could get ideas and tutorials.”

And it seems to be working: “We went to the woods just behind the house and the colours were amazing. [My little girl] was just like ‘wow!’ and running around and we both loved it. I don’t feel quite so grumpy and lots of other people are saying ‘I’m going to make these little candles, start new little wintry rituals, and bake cakes.’

“I’m not going to sulk inside my house and eat chocolate, I’m going to go out and try and enjoy the landscape of winter, rather than scowling at it.”

It’s hard to imagine Emma ever truly sulking and scowling at anything though. She seems to be constantly extracting the good from situations and popping it all on her blog. Whether it’s forcing hyacinth bulbs to keep her beach hut haven colourful in the darker months or knitting furiously to shrug off her dislike for the frosty season; she always has an uplifting project on the go.    

Currently it’s crochet classes and building up the courage to start sewing. She seems addicted to learning new skills and trying new things. “It costs a great deal less to make your own and the results can be a great deal more beautiful than something you might buy mass produced from a shop,” Emma buzzes. “You start off with the raw materials and then you end up with something and you’ve made it yourself – the sense of satisfaction is fantastic.”

And it’s bloggers like her that are “spearheading the homemade revolution”. Hence why a certain national homes magazine will be showcasing Emma and her studio next year, and why she’s been invited to sell her jewellery at the prestigious Selvedge Christmas Fair in London on Dec 10 –  all the big names and buyers in the design world rumoured to attend, including the likes of Liberty London. “I’m so excited, and a little bit nervous,” Emma whispers reverently.

As I leave, Minnie is quietly dozing as though life in the country will always be this tranquil, but for Emma, things are destined to get even more exciting.

Emma’s silver clay for beginner’s workshops start in the New Year. To commission jewellery or find out more, get in touch with Emma via Twitter @silverpebble2, her blog: www.silverpebble-jewellery.blogspot.com or website: www.emmamitchelldesigns.co.uk.

silver pebble jewellery

Emma struggled to pin down her favourite crafty blogs (she dips in and out of over 200 on a regular basis!) but eventually – and after much persuasion – managed to narrow down a couple of top recommendations…

Local blogs:

Purple Podded Peas: packed with quirky illustrations of birds in flight from designer Celia Hart

Fan my Flame: a web of fabrics, prints and foodie tips from textile designer Gina Ferrari

Dottycookie: everything handmade from cookies (obviously) and jewellery to wands and den building

And blogs from further afield:

Domesticali: Oxfordshire based blog piled high with crafty knits, domestic tricks and photos of the wild outdoors

Poppytalk: an online market place for colourful crafts and handmade wares, curated by a design duo in Vancouver

Myrtle & Eunice: quilts, scarves, arty prints and how tos from a design obsessed mum of three in Melbourne, Australia

First published by the Cambridge News.

Louis Smith

At just 22-years-old, gymnast Louis Smith is becoming a bit of a phenomenon.

The Peterborough born athlete already has an Olympic bronze medal under his belt for his feats on the pommel horse and two Commonwealth Games medals (gold and silver). Not only that, he’s just been crowned Cambridgeshire’s Sports Performer of the Year 2011.

Ella Walker caught up with him to talk staying in shape, London 2012 and what it feels like to be doing what you love

How are you preparing for London 2012?

Working hard in the gym with the aim of perfecting my routines really. Training’s going really well and I definitely feel like I’m heading towards my physical peak, but it is just about managing our intense training schedule and of course, managing injuries.

What got you into gymnastics?

I got into gym at the age of 4. My brother did it so I copied him. My mum used to take me to all sorts of sports, mainly because I was such a hyperactive kid, but it was gym that I really took to. I loved how varied it was… I needed something that was going to captivate me and stop me getting bored, so I knew it was for me.

What do you love most about it?

I love the diversity of it. Gymnastics has so many different elements which is one of the main reasons I enjoyed it so much ahead of any other sport. There’s so much going on that I’m never bored! I love my sport, so to be able to do a job I love, and not to have to sit behind a desk, is something I never take for granted.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

It would have to be my Olympic bronze medal in 2008. I went into the Games confident of my ability, but because I was still only 19, I wasn’t yet being talked about as a GB medal hope. Therefore to achieve a place on the podium, and becoming the first individual British gymnast to do so in 100 years at the same time, was just unbelievable.

What other sports do you enjoy watching or playing?

I was always quite a good sportsman – I tried everything as a kid – football, basketball, tennis. But it was gym that I enjoyed the most. These days when I’m not in the gym I try and relax, so I don’t get involved in many other sports.

How do you stay in shape?

I train six days a week, which includes four full days and two half days. It equates to about 32 hours a week. It’s an intense schedule, but you don’t get anywhere in life without hard work. There’s no close season in gymnastics. We get some short periods when we can get away to allow our bodies to recuperate for a few days, but ultimately we need to ensure we’re on top of our game all year round so that we remain competitive.

Do you have to stick to a specific diet?

I try to eat sensibly but have to admit to enjoying the occasional fast food splurge…. everything in moderation! Breakfast is normally cereal and toast, lunch will be a light meal of sandwiches or chicken salad, and I’ll normally take pizza or pasta for dinner.  My Lucozade drinks are now an essential part of my rehydration programme, they are always in my kit bag along with the odd bar of chocolate.

How do you stay motivated?

Before it was just my self-determination and it absolutely still is, but now it’s also the fact that I have so many people around me who have put so much into helping me get to where I am today and giving me the opportunities I have. My mum, my coach, my sponsors… everyone. That help inspires me to do the best I can, not just for me but for them as well.

What are your tips for any youngsters interested in getting involved in gymnastics? Where should they start?

Have fun. Work hard to achieve the goals you set for yourself, be prepared to make sacrifices and most importantly, make sure you’re doing something which you enjoy. Those are the rules which I’ve led my life by and they’re what have got me to where I am today, so I’d recommend to anyone, whatever their age and whatever dream they have, to do the same.

Who in sport inspires you and why?

I guess I look up to people like Muhammad Ali, even though he was obviously before my time, mainly because of the confidence he had in his own ability and the fact he always looked to put on a performance when he competed, which is something I like to do!

For more information about Louis and his career so far, visit his website  www.louis-smith-official.com or follow him on Twitter @louissmith1989.

First published by the Cambridge News.

It’s no wonder he’s tough to pin down for a chat. A stack of calls and a time zone relocation later we manage to snatch half an hour in his hectic schedule. Even on the phone he’s open, friendly and genuine: what you’d call a proper gentleman – and a down to earth one at that.

The 41-year-old Bishop’s Stortford native is mid-preparation for a talk at his old school, The Bishops Stortford High School, for the Jack Fielder Memorial Business Links Dinner, on November 9. The big brand veteran is not new to going back to school though.

“I’ve been involved with the school almost constantly since leaving,” he explains. “My family sponsored the languages part of the school since I studied languages there 20 years ago and I’ve spoken at various dinners, rugby dinners and sixth form events since.”

Hence why he doesn’t seem to be too daunted by the prospect of returning to school. “I am looking forward to it, very much so,” he enthuses. “It is starting to dawn on me that this is actually a big deal though! I’m not worried but slightly aware that I’ll have to be on top of my game.”

But it’s hard to believe Jonny is ever off his game. Straight out of university, he became a graduate trainee at Proctor and Gamble (think every major household brand from Arial to Hugo Boss and P&G will probably have had something to do with them), travelled the world and rose quickly through P&G’s ranks. He then seamlessly joined Diesel in 2008 – a breakthrough career in fashion wasn’t always the plan though.

“My career at P&G developed into fine fragrances so I got into fashion through that, by association really,” Jonny says. “It gave me a great insight into the fashion world and when Diesel approached me, almost out of the blue; it seemed like a natural next step. I’d worked on the edge of fashion for so long, now I’m part of it.”

And that’s the topic of his planned speech at the business links dinner: The evolution of fashion and retail in the UK; something Jonny is particularly passionate about. “Diesel as a fashion brand is always striving to be innovative and is constantly evolving. I find the ways the market is changing incredibly interesting and challenging, we have to learn how to manage a response to that,” he says, hinting at what his days involve.

“Does anybody have an average day?” he laughs, going on to explain rounds of shop floors and meeting with his staff, trade customers and directors, not to mention the jet-set trips to Diesel’s HQ in Italy. “I’m pretty busy,” he says, his voice twinkling with pride. “But I can think of worse ways to spend my time.”

He clearly adores his work: “One of the best parts of my job is seeing how Diesel influences and hopefully helps shape the fashion sense of the great British public. I’ve seen some of the latest collection coming out next year and to see it all, up-front, all these great items, it’s very exciting to see the future of fashion.”

I have to ask: is it possible there’s a downside to working in one of the most exciting and fast paced industries in the world? Surely there must be some challenges? “Channelling the amazing energy, passion and creativity in fashion and taking that forward,” Johnny quips, without hesitating. “I get overwhelmed by the passion and creativity at Diesel, and the madness of it, the challenge is harnessing that and keeping our feet on the floor and our heads in the clouds.”

He breaks off laughing, “There’s a quote for you!” – but it’s definitely a mantra that’s working…

How to get where you want to be: Jonny’s top three tips

1) Truly follow your dream and don’t be put off. Fix your sights on what you want to do and pursue that endlessly.

2) Shortcuts really don’t exist. There will always be a downside to cutting corners. I know from experience that it’s hard work, effort and diligence that pay off. Short cuts are short lived.

3) Try and maintain a balance. We spend a lot of time at work, and it can be all consuming, so ensure you’ve got the other side of it. It’s important that you have family and friends and other stuff going on or you’ll end up being one dimensional, which will hinder you from reaching your full potential.

Tickets for the Jack Fielder Memorial Business Links Dinner are £20 each or £180 for a table of 10, to book call (01279) 868686.

Jonny is also leading the re-launch of the Bishop’s Stortford High School Former Pupil’s Association, if you are interested in getting involved, email jonathanhewlett@btinternet.com.

First published by the Herts and Essex News.

Some of the letters

A treasure trove of 19th century family life was left at Oxfam’s shop in St Neots.

AT first glance, they looked just like any other charity donation: a couple of tatty plastic bags discarded in the shop by an anonymous donor.

But when volunteers at Oxfam in St Neots took a closer look, they discovered the bags contained an incredible collection of letters that, when pieced together, offer an intimate, sometimes heartbreaking insight into the lives of an ordinary Victorian family.

The neatly folded, yellowing letters – with original envelopes and penny stamps intact – date from 1852 until 1875, spanning two decades in the lives of a family called Rumsey.

Scrawled in cramped, elegant handwriting, they zig-zag between brothers at school, sisters at home, family friends in Amsterdam and shop assistants down the road.

There’s even a map of parts of Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Essex from 1888, packed in a creaking case alongside them.

“We do get lots of old books, stamps and postcards donated to Oxfam but never anything this old or this personal,” says 43-year-old volunteer Sharon Walker, who scooped them up before they got binned.

“They just came in with a bag of old clothes, we have no idea where or who they came from.”

Armed with pens, paper and a whole lot of nosiness, I pitched in to help organise the jumbled mass of doctors’ bills, ball invitations and private correspondence into date order; which turned out to be quite a task.

“It’s like a little bit of time-travelling,” mused Sharon as we struggled to read the painfully intricate script – not helped by the  use of cross-writing (writing in one direction then turning the paper round and writing over the top to save paper).

We eventually managed to build up a basic family tree and work out that in the early years of the letters (1852 – 1860) the main writers are two brothers, William and Allen, writing to their father.

Their letters are very formal, filled with the sermons they’ve endured at school, planning their holidays and – showing not much has changed in over a century – telling tales on each other:

Taking a look through the letters

On August 18, 1855, Allen wrote: “”My dear father, I have much pleasure in writing to you. I was sorry to hear that William told a falsehood the Sunday before last . . .”, but sweetly a note from their teacher is tacked on the end: “(William) is much annoyed at lowering himself in your opinion. He wishes me to write to you to forgive him . . .  They are quite well, and generally speaking good boys.”

Reading through the years, it’s strangely like watching the ‘characters’ – as we kept calling them – grow up.

Snippets of homework give way to talk of wives and careers; William joins the Army and Allen travels abroad – even their handwriting changes.

Letters from the boys’ sisters, Louisa and Sarah, surface too. Their missives are much more legible, dated by the day of the week (“Wednesday morning”) and are chattier, if sadder, speaking about day-today home life and their children.

Sarah’s letters are quite heartbreaking: she writes to Allen about the death of Louisa’s son Joe, and about her own son Adrian: “I cannot see him improve. I don’t believe he is worse. I myself am so afraid it might turn to consumption.”

And you know there has been a death when the paper is edged with black.

What sticks with you is their obvious love and respect for each other. It’s touching that, even in ink, their affection has been safeguarded for so long.

Once we (eventually) got them all in order, the question was what to do with them. Sticking such personal letters on eBay didn’t seem right, so I took them along for Sue Sampson, senior archivist at Cambridgeshire Archives, to examine.

Unpeeling the perfectly organised letters (“You’re archivists in the making!”), Sue tells me eBay isn’t such a bad idea; many ancient manuscripts have been spotted online and saved by archivists, but it’s always worth visiting your local record office first.

“They are charming,” she says, poring over the Rumsey family’s work, noting down names and addresses. “Someone would snap them up just for the stamps.”

She explains that the archives are there to help identify and preserve manuscripts from the local area: “We are always happy to offer advice to anyone who comes across this sort of material, whether it is in their own home or rescued from a skip – which has happened on more than one occasion!”

As I leave, Sue promises to research the Rumseys in census records and track down the addresses she’s found.

The collection could be archived or join a museum but, for Sharon, they just need another good home: “I hope that someone who will really love them would like to buy them.

“They’ve lasted this long, they’re over 150 years old and I don’t want them to be lost, they’ve survived so much.

“You never know what’s in someone’s home and this is someone’s family, it makes you wonder what we’d all find if we de-cluttered our houses.”

If you know anything about the letters, contact digital.features@cambridge-news.co.uk; to get in touch with the Archives, call (01223) 699399.

First published by the Cambridge News.