Judy was keen to try some of the art classes and had four one hour sessions lined up.

First up was an origami tulip. The room was full. And there are a lot of people who don’t listen to and follow instructions. We were quite good at origami and if it becomes an Olympic Games event we’ll be in there.

Next was Colouring for Adults. It’s marketed as “for adults” otherwise they don’t get anyone turn up. It consists of colouring within lines with felt tip pens that you can blend. We had relaxing music to reduce our stress levels. It didn’t work. I know I’m not particularly artsy but honestly, what a waste of time!! I’m sure it will be fun with Zara when she is older but as a leisure pastime for adults….??

The next session was Brushstroke Lettering. It’s a more relaxed, fluid version of calligraphy with special brushes. You need to hold the brush higher than a pen and apply pressure differently for up and down movements. The concept is a mix of thin and thick lines which if well done is quite attractive. We saw a lot of brushstroke lettering at the Topaki Palace in Istanbul. Judy had already done a session and is quite good at it. I have absolutely no talent in this area.

The last session was Watercolour Essentials where we learned blending of colours and adding texture. Again, no talent evident but it was fun experimenting with the techniques. I hadn’t realised how technical watercolours are.