William Morris's Red House

An arts & crafts house, the start of summer, plus upcoming events

On Friday I finally got to see a place I had wanted to see for some time - Red House, William and Jane Morris’s late 19th century arts and crafts style home at Bexleyheath near London.

The house was designed as an antidote to the crowded industrial city nearby, surrounded by gardens, orchards, and vegetable plots, and decorated inside with natural themes and hand-crafted furniture.

William Morris is best known today for his designs in fabric and wallpaper, but his ideas were also rooted in a whole philosophy of craft, authenticity, socialism, and a rejection of the mass-produced.

The house had several owners after the Morrises, so some of the original paint and decoration is still to be unearthed beneath later renovations. But I’d definitely recommend a visit for anyone interested in the arts and crafts movement, house design, interiors, and imagining other ways of living.

Summer’s in

Summer’s here, and that means I’m busy getting ready for the new market season, where I’ll be attending fairs, festivals and events across Scotland.

First up, this weekend (7 & 8 June) I’ll be back with a tent at the Meadows Festival in Edinburgh, which is always a favourite of mine.

Around this time of year I love going back to Summer’s In by Anne Briggs, a sunny and optimistic folk-song for the start of the season.

Grange Open Studios

This month I’m taking part in the Grange Open Studios for the first time in the southside of Edinburgh, a small festival where artists in the Grange neighbourhood open their doors to visitors.

The event takes place on Saturday 21 June from 11am - 4pm, and I’ll have my work on display at the Words & Actions for Peace shopfront at 58 Ratcliffe Terrace (stop 12 on the map). See the leaflet below for a full list of participants.

Full list of summer markets

I’ll be selling my books, prints and cards across markets in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dundee this summer. See below for the full line-up.

• 7 & 8 June: Meadows Festival (Meadows, Edinburgh) 10am - 6pm.

• 14 June: Leith Gala Day (Leith Links, Edinburgh) 11am - 5pm.

• 21 June: Grange Open Studios (58 Ratcliffe Terrace, Edinburgh) 11am - 4pm.

• 28 & 29 June: Kelvingrove Summer Market (Kelvingrove Gallery & Museum, Glasgow) 10am - 5pm.

• 6 July: Edinburgh Craft & Flea (Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh) 10am - 4pm.

• 12 July: Newbattle Summer Fair (Newbattle Abbey, Midlothian) 10.30am - 5pm.

• 19 July: Glasgow Summer Fair (Trades Hall, Glasgow) 10.30am - 5pm.

• 25 & 26 July: V&A Summer Design Market (V&A Dundee) 10am - 5pm.

• 28 July - 24 August: West End Fair (St John’s, Princes Street, Edinburgh) 11am - 6pm.

Thank you for reading!