As you may know Making Headway is a project based at the National Hat Museum, in Stockport, in which I am currently involved. The project aims are to create and launch two contemporary millinery collections (thirteen new milliners were selected to create the collection, by an open selection process). The inspiration for the collection is to be the Stockport, its museums and their collections, hatting history and through this process to enhance the standing of Stockport itself.

Despite being based in Northumberland I have been regularly visiting Stockport to progress the project, which comes to fruition on May 17th, with a dramatic catwalk show to launch the first collection.

Not really being sure if my participation in the project would be it news worthy in Northumberland, I was quite taken aback by the level of interest created when I called at the Northumberland Gazette, last week, with a copy of Stockport based magazine, The Source – who had recently run a feature on Making Headway.

James Willoughby, a journalist at the Northumberland Gazette, thought the story of my journey through an HNC in couture millinery at LCA and indeed my latest project, Making Headway, was indeed worthy of publication. Armed with a copy of The Source, which I had brought home after my last trip to the National Hat Museum, James was keen to write the article. (The Source is an arts and event magazine which had just featured the up and coming Making Headway launch and catwalk show).

So journalist James and his colleague photographer Jane Coltman immediately sprang into action, James wrote the piece for publication last Thursday, May 8th, and Jane rushed over to the studio to take my photograph – wearing a hat of course!