If you contact us or meet us at one of the Wool events, you will quickly discover that we are enthusiasts!  We are very approachable and love chatting. We are now retired but our professional careers saw us working in very different business contexts.  Barry worked in the field of education for 40 years moving from classroom teacher to Adviser and finally Inspector and Caroline worked in a Law Firm for almost 30 years, leading the HR Team.  Activities with our sheep, looking after them, showing them and then in later years, pursuing the processing of their wool, provided an effective and much needed diversion from the demands and stress of our working lives. 

Our story begins with a family holiday on the Isle of Man where we fell in love with Manx Loaghtan Sheep when we saw a  sizeable flock on the island at the Gibbs of the Grove Museum parkland, Ramsey.  This characteristic two or four horned sheep is indigenous to the Isle of Man and traces its own story back at least a thousand years.

Putting our displays together is always very enjoyable.Westart this the day before an event and finish off with the addition of valuable goods early on the opening morning. We have three mannequins named Hinge, Bracket and Isabella on which we display a number of sample garments. We generally have a large space to fill, and our displays attract many kind words.  We take down the display late on the final afternoon, catching up with other stall holders as to their successes and by early evening we are on our way home

Each event attracts a different audience which changes too from year to year. There are new questions, queries and decisions about what to make and what to buy and what to touch and feel on our stand.  In many cases, our enthusiasm about our sheep has been infectious and return attendees tell us not only about what they have made with our wool or cloth but also about their own Manx Loaghtan sheep as they start their own journey into sheep keeping!