Ancient basket making exhibition offers opportunity for all to have a go

Running until May 6, Lorna Singleton's exhibition focuses on the history of swilling while highlighting Lorna as a superb example of someone keeping the traditional craft alive. The exhibition at Kendal's Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry, brings together some of Lorna’s best pieces along with historic tools and offers the chance for visitors to have a go at weaving themselves. Swilling refers to the ancient craft of oak basket making. The woodlands of South Lakeland were dotted with swill shops in the 19th Century, when baskets were used across the UK in factories, mines, farms and homes and the coppicing that the industry relied on created a unique habitat. Swilled baskets can be seen in the illustrations of Beatrix Potter and were common until after the Second World War, when plastics became popular. In Lorna's work, craft and conservation work together. She cuts and prepares the wood by hand, managing and restoring coppice woodland in a responsible and renewable way, seeing the whole process from tree to finished product. Lorna, who has a workshop in Burneside, near Kendal, said that you can’t create swill baskets with machines. "I use simple hand tools and techniques used by generations of swillers before me. When I’ve made a basket I want people to use it and pass it down to the next generation, as they did in a bygone era.” Lorna runs basket making workshops at MOLLI on April 27 and May 4. Telephone 01539-722464.