About
During the summer of 1984 a group of ladies who belonged to the West Sussex Guild which has its meetings in Worthing, while travelling between Worthing and Horsham, wondered if there were enough like-minded people living in the surrounding area who would be interested in forming a new Guild. With this idea in mind five members of the Guild put on an Exhibition called SPIN OFF in November 1984 in St. Mark's Hall in Horsham to test the feasibility of starting a Guild locally. This aroused much interest and many who came wanted to join the Guild but could not get to Worthing. The response led to the group holding an inaugural meeting in St. Leonard's Hall the following Spring.
In April 1985 the first meeting of the Wealden Group was held. Which was very well attended. The name Wealden was chosen to reflect our catchment area, being West Sussex and Surrey between the North and South Downs Group because we felt that Guild might make beginners in the craft afraid to join us.
So great was the enthusiasm, a total of seventy people came to the first meeting, and fifty-seven of them completed questionnaires. From these fifty-seven no less than one hundred and fourteen requests for tuition arose. We were away, and a program of talks, demonstrations and workshops in the three crafts was arranged, and sources of equipment and materials contacted. So quickly did our beginners learn their new skill that by January 1986 we were able to declare, with some behind the scenes negotiations, ourselves a Guild and affiliate to the National Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers.
The objects of the Association are the preservation and improvement of craftsmanship in hand weaving, spinning and dyeing , for the benefit of the public, and the promotion of public education in such craftsmanship. The Association provides opportunities for the interchange of information for expanding knowledge at summer schools, exhibitions and lectures. It also provides library facilities. After eighteen months the Guild had a membership of over fifty.
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| Our original badge and our Ruby Anniversary Badge |
The Guild has had many changes of venue over the 40 years of its existence; we started in St. Leonard's Hall which had rough wooden floors that were hard to sweep, but many happy hours were spent there with very smelly dye days. Disaster struck when the hall was damaged by fire, (not us) and so we had to find ourselves a new home; we had several after that. The David Bryce Centre in Horsham - an old folks Day Centre with poor parking. The Oxford Road School, Horsham which was an infant school with child size chairs and child sized toilets with open un-lockable doors? very trying for our members, particularly the gentlemen. Southwater Hall was a massive improvement with all its facilities, where we stayed for many happy years, but sadly it was also lost to us. At present we are at Thakeham, our new home with the facilities we are used to, and parking and a café next door.
Over the years we have been in existence we have seen many changes with people coming and going, and fashions changing, but the core values we hold for our craft will continue so long as there are people willing to share, and innovate. I would like to say a thank you to all the past officers and committee members who have helped this guild grow and prosper. Of the original five ladies who set the guild up, with the passage of time only two of us remain members today; Linda Codd and myself.
