We did wonder whether the recession would produce a poor attendance for our courses and study days. This has turned out not to be the case; if anything, we were overbooked. Helen Lowther was inundated with people wanting to attend her garden workshops. Dilys Bidewell’s drawing classes had to be extended from three to five due to demand, with people wanting further days this year.

Our two study days with William Tyler and Peter Lawrence sold more than 50 tickets each. In the past we have had high quality study days which have been badly attended due to poor advertising but now people seem to have realised that Copped Hall is a wonderful place to learn – which of course it is. This is very reassuring, as in the campaign to save Copped Hall from 1986 we always said that the primary use for the place would be as a study centre, with subjects covering all possible aspects of such a place.