Christmas Calligraphy

Boringdon Hall is hosting a Christmas calligraphy workshop on Thursday 10 December, from 6pm to 8pm. It's part of the 'House of Christmas' programme, a run of festive workshops and evenings held throughout November and December at the 16th-century country manor in Colebrook, Plymouth. The organisers describe the whole thing as a calm retreat amid the holiday rush, and this particular session is aimed at beginners or anyone looking for a creative way to get into the season.

Over the two hours, you'll work through the basics of modern calligraphy, starting with elegant strokes and moving on to letterforms and lettering. The focus is on making festive names, words and seasonal phrases that you can use to personalise your own Christmas cards, gift tags, table settings and keepsakes. It's a hands-on class, so you'll be doing the writing yourself rather than just watching a demonstration.

One of the better bits is that you don't need to bring your own gear. Every place includes a modern calligraphy starter kit — a pen, nibs, ink and practice guides — which you take home with you, so you can keep practicing after the session is over. Booking is essential, and the cost is £50. The workshop runs from 6pm to 8pm at Boringdon Hall Hotel and Spa, Boringdon Hill, Colebrook, Plymouth, Devon PL7 4DP.