Lost in the Wood

Ann Crompton's garden, Menai Bridge Yesterday I had an afternoon so enjoyable it prompted me to finally rouse myself to writing a new blog post (my previous weekly posting ambitions having gone astray almost immediately). As the last weekend in Anglesey Open Studios approached, I was feeling slightly ashamed of missing this fortnight every year and determined to visit at least somewhere this time! With my knowledgeable arty friend ready to whisper insightful things, we set off over the Menai Bridge to visit Ann Crompton in her idyllic looking workshop right on the banks of the Menai Straits. The workshop proved a treasure trove of intricate, astonishing miniatures with little vignettes ranging from a First World War trench, with rats and actual soil from the garden, to meticulously woven tiny rugs for more traditional dolls houses. Ann Crompton (fab lady) Ann Crompton's Bountiful Workshop Much of the  work is infused with a wit and playfulness, such as a tiny h...

'Aubrey', 'Matilda' & 'Sam' Woolidermy Heads 'Balfour' & 'Sam' in Hanks Yarn Shop Please lower any expectations now, while I'm mangling Arthur Miller's classic title (a mild bafflement to school kids everywhere but better appreciated by disillusioned adults), the prose is unlikely to live up to this premise. On the plus side, this should be a far more uplifting ride. Come with me now to Menai Bridge, a town nestled into the Anglesey side of the Menai Straits. Home to impressive views, affluent boaty people (don't let this put you off), a Waitrose patronaged by royalty (Kate Middleton shopped here before the Big Dress & Palace), a deli with surely the most pungent, meltiest brie found in the known world and an exciting blooming of independent, boutique shops (more on these below). It's creeping into the long list of my favourite places to potter. Since the short list currently includes Edinburgh, Caernarfon, Flo...