Woodhall Spa & National Centre for Craft and Design, Sleaford

Mike and I had a Groupon deal for a hotel break in Woodhall Spa.

We stayed here, at The Golf Hotel, which was undergoing some renovation but it was absolutely lovely and with a free bottle of wine, three course dinner and money off spa treatments, it was the perfect way to end our summer!

We were travelling by public transport so first had to take the train to Sleaford. There was then an hour or two before our connecting bus so we had a little wander and stumbled across an amazing exhibition at The Hub, National Centre for Craft and Design. I had signed up to the conference 'On The Brink Of Change' at The Hub back in June. It was sadly cancelled however and I'd totally forgotten that this exhibition was on. So, it was a great surprise when I realised it was, and a triple whammy too! In the main gallery was the exhibition About Time by Claire Morgan.

have look at this video of her talking about her work:

About Time - Sculpture by Claire Morgan (PREVIEW CLIP) from Electric Egg on Vimeo.

The Roof Gallery was showing work of the Class of 2011 - a showcase of work by recent art graduates. And in the window gallery was an interesting installation by artist Stacey Brafield.

Using the the classic 1945 film, Brief Encounter on VHS, Brafield will take inspiration from its linear aesthetic and the emotions portrayed on screen, before removing the tape from its plastic case and using it to create new imagery on the gallery walls. Any leftover tape will be made into a new version of the film, to be shown alongside the installation. In this way, the viewer is encouraged to contemplate what is missing from both elements of the work, the changing use of materials, and the ways in which these uses mirror each other. As one picture is lost, another will take its place.

This was exactly the sort of show I needed to stumble upon after receiving details of my summer project! Very inspirational indeed!

After leaving Sleaford we had an hour long bus journey through the villages of Lincolnshire. This was quite nice really as I grew up in that area and because my mum and dad don't live there anymore and was a nice to chance to reconnect with 'home'. Once settled in we took a wander about the town. I had been to Woodhall Spa before but only briefly years ago to visit my friend, the artist, Siobhan Barr. It's a quaint little town and nice to have a wander in

There was this amazing deli on the highstreet

where we bought these delicious cakes! That's a Rum slice on the left and a MASSIVE chelsea bun on the right (the icing was not sickly but prefectly sweet!)

we then came across this sign...

so followed it through some woods

and with a little help from some way marking friends

we

found

The Kinema In The Woods!

with its old style ticket booth

delightful foyer

and film making exhibition

It has been operating as a cinema since 1922! It is a real 'experience' and well worth a visit if you're ever in the area. It's just like 'what cinema used to be', friendly, engaging and beaming with charm...a far cry from the experience you get with the faceless modern cinema these days!

We went to see One Day which was a great little film

then we went home