As 2020 draws to a close, it is time to reflect on the crazy year when everyone left the office. While this year has certainly had its challenges, it has given the precious gift of time to be able to engage in creative pursuits.  From paper printing to fermented vegetables, I’m amazed at the range of new skills I’ve learnt this year. 

New skills gained volunteer gardening

Desperate to find an outlet for my annual leave, I joined the charity Horatio’s Garden in June.  The charity creates and cares for accessible gardens for spinal injuries patients.  I joined them to help them plant their sixth garden at the Royal National Orthopaedic hospital in Stanmore.  Having never even owned a trowel before, the prospect of planting 5000 perennials on the side of a hill was slightly daunting.  But once I got into the swing of it, releasing the plants from their plastic pots and nestling them into the earth turned out to be an immensely satisfying experience.  The camaraderie with the other volunteers ensured that I stayed with the garden long after summer had gone.

Giving Hula hooping a twirl

I’ve never hula hooped in my life before but was suddenly inspired by a YouTube video of an elderly lady hooping in her chair to Ella Fitzgerald – I was instantly hooked.  My new hoop was tested out today and I’m slowly getting to grips with the technique. I will no doubt be wearing the bruises round my waist as my badge of honour. The hooping will be a fun way to burn off the Christmas excesses and a great way to boost my spirits while spending Christmas away from friends and family.  My goal is to be able to do a few of the easier routines on YouTube and hopefully trim some fat into the bargain.

Experimenting with fermented vegetables

Hot on the heels of the microbiome trend, I decided to have a go at fermenting my own vegetables.  Having adored sauerkraut on a recent hiking trip to the Black forest, I attacked the cabbage aisle at my local supermarket. The first step is massaging the cabbage to get the juice out.  According to the recipe this would only take ten minutes. Needless to say half an hour later I was still kneading away. It is one of the most tedious tasks that I’ve ever encountered.

And this is one of my new skills I know I won’t use again.   Once all the juice is finally out, it’s then a case of sealing it into a kilner jar with weights on top and placing it in the drying cupboard.  The final product was actually not bad but for the quantity produced, it certainly did not warrant the time involved.  Shop bought all the way next time!

New skills gained in paper printing

I learnt paper printing from our very talented volunteering Manager Tracey Edwards at Horatio’s Garden.  The rollers come from a street market in Romania where the designs are used on walls as a cheap alternative to wallpaper. As with all crafty endeavours – it’s all in the technique.  The roller has to be placed at a 45 degree angle and you need to press hard all the way to the end of the page.  But once you’ve mastered the technique, it’s a quick and striking way to provide sustainable wrapping paper. You can even make your own Christmas cards.

Learning how to make Christmas wreaths

Before 2020, I never imagined I would make a Christmas wreath.  But my assumptions were turned on their head.  The wreaths are a fantastic seasonal income stream for Horatio’s Garden.  So in the spirit of a higher cause, I got stuck in.  We started by foraging for the willow branches and foliage – all of which we found in abundance in the hospital grounds. Making the base of the wreath is the trickiest part.  Mine kept unwinding which is where floristry wire comes in handy.  But once the base is done, the fun part is attaching the foliage. Fir cones, oranges, cinnamon sticks and holly berries all add a lovely touch and it was extremely satisfying seeing the fruits of your labour all coming together.

Savouring making sloe gin slowly

For obvious reasons – this has to be my favourite new skill.  Sadly sloe berry bushes are not in abundance where I live so by the time I tracked one down most of the berries had disappeared from the lower branches.  Once I’d managed to forage enough, the drink proved very easy to make.  I opted for the traditional method of pricking the berries before submerging them in the gin.  I also added a small amount of caster sugar.  They’ve now been fermenting in my airing cupboard for the past six weeks where the gin has slowly turned a beautiful, vibrant red colour.  This is one Christmas tradition that will be staying long after lockdown has passed.

What new and unusual skills have you learnt during the pandemic?  Share your stories here.