Changes

I went to a forty year reunion of my jewellery colleagues last weekend and it brought into sharp focus how our lives had diverged from the path we expected to take as fearless frothy youngsters.

We had plans to disrupt the jewellery business; we were going to merge the traditional into the modern, to celebrate the best design and manufacture of both worlds and to pass down our hallowed skills to eager bright eyed apprentices through Goldsmiths Hall.

Out of our year of twelve, four have stayed directly in jewellery design and manufacture, one in silversmithing and I carried on to study gemmology specialising in Diamonds and Pearls; many went into teaching and all with fascinating lives.

Reflecting on the process of change I realise that three things are fundamental in my life choices – family, friendship and design.

I have communicated through design with the people I love; giving a present, a card or the gift of an experience – all are based in sharing and fostering artistic and open minds.

It is with that passion to share that I started #Cafdgg and want to continue developing, disrupting the accepted way an arts fair is run and promoted.

I adore seeing the exhibitors arrive at the Town Hall all bags and fluster filled with gleeful anticipation of the weekend ahead, the slow process of settling and setting up their displays to their satisfaction. After the Private View on the Friday night I take a quietly reflective moment to enjoy the incredible work on show.

I am so proud of what the artists have achieved and realise that if my colleagues visited they too would appreciate the joy of good design.