I have made the hard decision to step down as Principal of Higham Hall College at the end of August so that we can move to be closer to family.
Earlier this year, the nation celebrated the 70th Anniversary of HRH Queen Elizabeth’s accession to the throne. At that time, Higham ordered a special tree and a plaque to commemorate
https://cacn.co.uk/podcast/ I keep on recommending this excellent half hour monthly Podcast (it’s like listening to a programme on the radio on demand) called Behind the Scenery to people because I
Here’s a bit of information which shows the level of knowledge useful in a place like Higham. This concerns our commercial dishwasher – a fine tower of stainless steel gracing
Voila! Le new window est installed dans le Harness Room! Now it is in, you can see one of the challenges we have in that the Courtyard itself is always
Harness Room We have, today, got a gaping hole in our wall. It’s deliberate – Builders are changing a window for a ‘porte’. …. That’s a ‘french window’, in case you’re
As far as I know, there is no royal connection whatsoever between Higham and royalty, whether it be as a grand family house, a youth hostel, a girl’s school or
Part of what makes Higham so valuable, in our eyes, is the potential we have to improve the lives of those involved with us. Seriously – 100 percent sincerity here
The second episode of the CACN podcast is now available. It is very professionally done (You’d be hard pressed to distinguish the Podcast from a Radio Four walk and talk
As Bert might have said: “Blimey, Mary Poppins! Cop a load of ’em apples and pears.” Perhaps an overlooked feature within the modest grounds at Higham are the espaliers which
For those interested in all things cultural around the region there is a new Podcast: Higham is a member of the excellent Cumbria Arts and Culture Network whose mission is
Meet Rye, the beautiful 15 year old Gypsy Cob owned by one of our cooks, Ann and her husband Ronnie. Rye was ‘driven’ up today by Jennifer pulling their racing
Finally! We have been able to make a start on our long-awaited improvements to the Studio. The main purpose of this phase is to eliminate the need for steps to
Tutor Karen Quickfall used her lockdown time very wisely. She worked on a manual for Ruskin Lace which will serve textilers for years to come. This book is a worthy
Pennines-based artist and Higham Tutor Lionel Playford unveiled his stunning new commission in the form of a large landscape oil painting for us earlier this year. The short ceremony with
One of our most popular art Tutors, Frances Winder, has donated a painting of Higham to the college. The classic view of the house is from the perspective seen looking
On Frances Winder‘s recent MEADOWS painting course, the Students all collaborated on a single piece of work. This was achieved through combining a set of individual panels which, taking a
Higham regulars will be familiar with the sight of our rather large Rhododendron on the side lawn. Those who come to the outdoor Shakespeare may recognise this handy backdrop. When
We have a job going in our Office! This is a rare opportunity. What’s more, it is a full time position, joining three other colleagues. More details one our jobs
A welcome distraction from an evening session led by our Principal was provided on Easter Sunday of all days when he was upstaged by the birth of a lamb. In
Why be normal? Rather than stick to the name of “Principal’s Blog”, I’ve decided to refer to what I have to say on this bloggy thing as “Prattlings”. There may
Amazingly, there seemed to be quite a few ‘Highamites’ who used to read the things I would write. Certainly, a number of people would comment about the things I shared. With
Converting the ground floor of the Gatehouse to 2 ensuite bedrooms to provide practical ground floor accommodation. Formerly the Principal’s house (er, not the current Principal, I might add!), the
I am thrilled to say we have finally managed to get Planning permission for significant improvements to our accessibility on the premises. In a nutshell, we intend to work in
Pond Sitting Area – IN PROGRESS We are currently working on an area in the grounds next to the pond to create a pleasant gathering area from which artists may observe
We have installed a rustic cleft wood fence from oak sourced from Ruskin’s home, Brantwood. Adding to safety, it also provided a subject to be included for artists drawing and
Regulars at Higham will know my relief when I can tell you that, finally, the front upper windows are getting repainted and repaired. Our 1828 gothic revival building has parts
Yes! We have finally managed to double glaze both the Bungalow Cottage and the Gatehouse Bedrooms. Those of you who have been with us a while may be aware of
Those of you who have been in the past year will know how we had the end part of the Dining Room (the servery area) painting Red Sand at the
As mentioned before, we have been keen to sympathetically redecorate our rooms bit by bit. We have recently had bedroom 19 redone. After converting this ensuite room into a single
Neil and co have made progress with the establishment of the pond seating area. As you can see on the left, a space has now been cleared and foundations laid
Our decorator was suddenly available this week, so we have put them to work on Bedrooms 6 and 19. If you look closely in the top right window, you can
Our Gardening Team work tirelessly in the grounds to keep them safe and beautiful. The grounds are a major resource for Higham, giving those who come space to be inspired,
Here’s a link to a short 15 minute film (Reflections) that was shot in part at Higham in 2018. It’s interesting for us to see bits of the features at
The Raffle for the Robert Dutton picture has now been drawn and the winner notified by email. The winning ticket number was [471 orange] . Thank you to everybody who
Converting the Bungalow from 3 standard rooms sharing 1 bathroom to 4 ensuite bedrooms to provide practical ground floor accommodation. Whilst we are limited in the Hall itself as to
Using heritage colours and cues to refurbish bedrooms and public areas so that they reflect significant eras the building has been through. We are being fussy about what we are
A shelter in the garden which will look out on the wonderful view we have here. Alston, a residential college much like Higham, was closed in December 2015 after many
A private donation was made for us to plant a tree and for a bench in memory of former Tutor Derek Hyatt [Guardian Obituary and Telegraph Obituary], who passed at
Here he is, the successor to faithful old Hoskins who, after 13 plus years, has now gone to a retirement of lesser demand. The new boy comes from the Transit
The lucky winner who won the original picture by Robert Dutton was a lady called Carol. She says she never usually wins anything. Well she has now! The raffle, with Robert’s
Robert Dutton has kindly donated this wonderful picture to help us raise funds. So far, 220 tickets have been sold, and we are hoping to sell a few more. It
We recently unearthed some photos of the occasion, 17 years ago, when The Millennium Wall Hanging was created by course attendees at Higham. You may catch sight of some past
Just about got Monty to sit long enough in the new Curve to capture a shot of him with the new plaque, cunningly installed on a tree trunk by Neil
Four months or so on an we’ve done it! The Bungalow Cottage has now been converted to 4 en-suite bedrooms – all ground floor, naturally! The new rooms are: Elva
Alston Hall was, until the beginning of last year, a sister college to Higham based in the Ribble Valley in Lancashire. We shared many tutors and, indeed, students, and strived
Well, we have completed the conversion of three of the bedrooms in the Bungalow Cottage to ensuites on time! There’s never an easy way, but we had to do it
More than just a redecoration, this one. Those familiar with the Bungalow will recognise that this 1960s one 3 bedroom, one bathroom house originally built for the Warden when Higham
As ever, with an old building – an ours’ is nearly 200 years old – there have been challenges with our redecoration. Because we are stubbornly refusing to compromise and
Those of you who know Higham may be familiar with the end of the Dining Room where tea and coffee and some food is served. It was blue for a