In 2007 I reluctantly attended my first network meeting, not really believing they actually worked....doh wake up Paul! Six years on and many many meetings later it's difficult to believe the preconceptions I had even existed in my mind. What I actually found was, working with others as a team, sharing ideas and giving and receiving advice was staggeringly beneficial. 
I have been involved with several clubs, most of which have been excellent in terms of both generating business and making useful contacts, so when the Coleford Area Partnership gave me the opportunity to create a club last August (2012) I jumped at the chance. 
So a brand new group formed with meetings every Monday morning, before long (Feb 2013) a second group was launched meeting every Thursday morning and now bonding well.
I have to say I have been astounded with the quality of the businesses we have attracted and the shear amount of business generated. Both clubs have so much to offer and are beginning to interact with each other, booking cross talks across groups. I feel so proud to be a part of this fantastic team. Currently we have a total of 42 members and will be looking to expand to 50 over the next few weeks.

As from June 2013 (tomorrow) the Coleford Area Partnership are handing me ownership of the CAP Clubs of which I am extremely grateful, and will be taking the responsibility very seriously........well with a few larfs along the way, yes networking is also fun.

Choosing a thimble, not so simple!

I'm called Fashion Revived and I sew, now we all know that 'proper' sewers use a thimble, just look at that mouse in Gloucester! I personally never got on with thimbles, I have a gorgeous silver one bought as a gift just in case I could get on with it, I couldn't so it sat in its little leather box all forlorn and unused.
Until that is I went to Malvern Quilt show a week ago and did a handquilting workshop, more of that another time.
At the workshop our very forthright tutor Ann Jermyn told us in no uncertain tems that we had to wear a thimble, she had loads to try including the two I have pictured with my silver number. Well under such duress I had to try.
The big tip is 'get used to wearing your thimble' put it on when you get up, wear it all day until it feels like a part of you, although I'd recommend taking it off to wash up or go to the bathroom!!
It took some time but now I wear a thimble most of the time when I'm hand sewing, the holes in the ends of my fingers are starting to heal up and I haven't got any blood on my work all week!! The pink open sided thimble on the left is good for quilting, the green silicon one on the right is good for most other things and has the advantage that the eye of the needle doesn't slip on it, so unfortunately the silver thimble centre stage is still sitting unused in its box. Still it's very pretty.