 A large number of our students who have been on past courses now practice forge work as a hobby or profession. Many have told me they would like the opportunity to make and sell sculptural items for the home and garden. In our county Lincolnshire. I have frequently exhibited my work at "Sculpture In The Garden" which has been held anually in two superb locations; Harpswell Hall and Auborn Hall. This year Auborn Hall are unable to hold the event due to the severe floods that decimated part of their gardens last year, they are hoping that the status quo will be restored in 2009. Also this year Harpswell Hall have invited a select number of artists to exhibit sculpture for periods of no longer than a month during the summer period. They have asked Cold Hanworth Forge and Blacksmithing School to hold an exhibition of work produced by both tutors and students in order to be displayed in their gardens throughout the month of July, together with the work of two chainsaw sculpters; Lorraine Cotteral and Lee Torpiesn. . I intend that this exhibition will recieve maximum publicity and attract many visitors who would be eager to purchase the items on sale. The exhibition will begin with a preview upon the evening of Friday 4th July and many invited guests will attend. If any of you would care to exhibit work in this exhibition the only cost for you will be the transportation to the venue. You will be invited to the preview and all work will be priced and entered into the catalogue. Knowing how sales have been in previous years, this is a great opportunity. If you would care to take part please contact me via phone or email with an idea of what you would care to exhibit. For those of you who do not have access to a forge, if you would care to attend our forthcoming sculpture course in May this will be the opportunity for you to create an artwork for display. The photographs are of work previously displayed at Harpswell; the waterplant sculpture being a creation of mine and the Dandelion Clock and Owl by Julie Grose.
 OPPORTUNITY TO SEE STEELMAKING LIVE I have arranged a visit for a maximum of 40 people to see steel making at the Scunthorpe Corus Works on the evening of Wednesday 16th July. Again, the only cost involved would be your transport to the works. We will meet at 6pm and a restored steam locomotive will take our party to visit various sections of the steel works including the cokeing works, steel making and rolling mills. The trip should finish at 9pm. This will be a truly educational and interesting excursion. Please book ASAP if you wish to attend. Please note this excursion is only open to the tutors and student past and present of Cold Hanworth Forge and Blacksmithing School. Wives and children over 14 are also allowed on this trip
LATEST WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT At long last our Forum Section is now operative, Please register a user-name and password on our site and belong to our community of our present and past students. You will now have the opportunity to make contact with others on your courses, learn and contribute to our tips and tricks section, view the items of new and second hand tools and equipment that you require or have for sale. Our forum will also be used to publicise any Blacksmithing related events, exhibitions or commissions that are happening. You may upload photographs of your work onto the gallery. I would also be grateful for any suggestions you can make regarding how the forum can work for you. Best Wishes Bob Best wishes, Bob, Carol and Nick
 Photographs and write-up of all our past courses will from now on appear in the STUDENTS WORK section of the site under the heading devoted to each particular course. Those attending our courses will be able to send their own images and reminiscences for inclusion. We have now kicked off with our recent courses in Forged Metal Sculpture by Rachel, and Stone Carving by Sam. Please view for yourself the wonderful work produced. The next of these courses will be held in May, book now to avoid disappointment! Click our list of courses to view what others we have to offer.
Corporate Announcement  The skilled craftsmen and outstanding facilities of Cold Hanworth Forge and Blacksmithing School are now available for team building events. These unique two day events can be tailored to suit the specific requirements and learning objectives of your organisation. They constitute a unique experience and challenge; testing resourcefulness together with the ability to adapt and respond to an unfamiliar situation and environment. We help and encourage team members to focus upon the end result rather than simply the individual tasks in hand. They learn to communicate and trust the other members of the team, assessing their diversity of talent and specialisations that can be employed in thinking creatively. The events can be collaborative, or designed to encourage healthy competition. For example; - Groups can be split into two or three teams, who are then given a brief to design and build a project with certain conditions and objectives.
- The group as a whole discuss and agree criteria for scoring success, and at the end of the project, teams would be awarded points in relation to their achievements.
- The team scoring the most points will be awarded a framed certificate of recognition.
Should your team event have a specific issue, challenge or objective we are happy to provide an experienced independent facilitator to support the teams' learning and development. This facilitator would provide feedback and challenge to the teams in terms of their interactions and approach to the objective, allowing connections to be made between the Cold Hanworth Forge experience and the day to day back in the workplace. Accommodation can be provided in three-bedroom, self-catering pine chalets or nearby hotels. Lunches and evening meals are available at quality local restaurants. To find out more about how this unique opportunity could motivate your employees, please contact us by phone or email
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Cold Hanworth Forge isn't just any old working forge. From the range of courses we offer to the sculptures we hand-finish, we are unique. You can find out more from our introductory videos . 
Cold Hanworth Forge and Blacksmithing School is based in the heart of Lincolnshire and we are renowned for our craftmanship in ironwork. Under the guidance of professional blacksmith, Bob Oakes, we also offer professional and vocational blacksmithing courses as well as training and tuition in blacksmithing and forge work for all levels of ability.
