Newsletter 18 (June 2006) John Hinitt | Simon Dale | Robin Houghton email: sd@lewesartisans.com tel: 01273 486389 / 01273 470010

Dear Artisan We hope you've had a busy first half of the year and are enjoying the summer! We've been a bit busy here on our day jobs which is why it's been a few months since the last newsletter, but nevertheless there's plenty happening. New Members We're delighted to welcome our newest Artisans: David Asch - Photo Mechanic - Image maniplation Sarah Awbery - Moonieo Studios - Artist Blacksmith David Bell - Jasper Graphics - Cartoonist/Illustrator Dave Dryburgh - Castle Glazing Glazier Alina Hancorn - Dance Teacher/Interior Designer/Russian Language Teacher/Translator Ruth Kerr -Singing & Piano Teacher/Singer/Accompanist Benna Madan - Ultimate U - Life Coach & Holistic Therapist Karl Smith - Bricklayer/Plasterer Jane Thompson - Dimity Interiors - Curtains, Blinds and Interiors Please take a moment to visit their pages and find out what they offer. We're still waiting for content from some new members - if you haven't yet managed to get anything to Simon please put it at the top of your list! As many members will testify, your webpage is your shopfront and a great opportunity to promote your business to our many site visitors. Membership Renewals As always, we'd like to say a BIG THANKYOU to all Artisans who respond promptly to our renewal letters and don't wait to be chased up. It makes a huge difference to our workload. If you decide not to renew your membership we would still really appreciate your letting us know. Of course, we'd like to try to change your mind, but it also means we keep our 'will they/won't they/to be chased up' pile to a minimum. Round up of events & news We had a table at the Farmers' Market in March and as usual handed out plenty of directories and spread the word about Lewes Artisans. Many thanks to everyone who volunteered to come and help out and chat to members of the public and potential Artisans. The 5th edition of our full colour printed Directory was distributed to all households and businesses in Lewes as an insert to the March edition of Lewes News. Thank you to the kind Artisans who gave up their Saturday morning to help fold and collate Lewes News. It's much appreciated. Now that we've grown to over 130 members we're reviewing the format of the directory - there's just not enough space in its current size. Watch out for some 'exciting' news about this in the next newsletter. Also in March John, Simon and Robin were at the well-attended Friends of Priory School fundraiser evening promoting Lewes Artisans alongside a myriad other local organisations. Advertising: the 'bigger ad' Last month we took two pages in the Lewes Handbook as well as our usual 'Big Ad' in the Sussex Express. Thank you to everyone who took a space on the Artisans pages - although it's hard to measure the effectiveness of adverts we'd love to hear from any Artisan who felt the ads brought them new custom. If you missed out, there'll be another 'Bigger Ad' opportunity later in the year. We'd like to make these pages a bit more informational, so if you have any interesting news or an unusual angle we could write about under the Lewes Artisans banner then please let Robin know about it. Every time we run a Big Ad, and with every individual story we can tell, it's helping to promote all Artisans. Editorial: what's so special about Lewes Artisans? Sometimes prospective Artisans ask us why they should join, after all, aren't there now other organisations offering something similar? When we began six years ago, the local web directory idea was a very hard sell. These days the idea has caught on so we no longer have to explain the concept. But it's made us think a bit more about who we are and what Lewes Artisans is about. You could say that one of the reasons Lewes Artisans has grown in reputation over the years is because we get our name out there regularly - in the press, at events and into people's homes. And the 'word of mouth' factor undoubtedly has the greatest effect. But just as important is the fact that we are all individuals making a living doing what we love, often working on our own. We're not just a website, or a directory, but a fantastically diverse group of people who even get together once in a while to socialise and to put faces to names! That's the kind of thing that gives Lewes Artisans its personality - we hope you agree. Societies Fair The second annual Societies Fair will take place on Saturday 8th July at the Town Hall, and once again Lewes Artisans will have a table there. Come along and see our new all-singing all-dancing eyecatching banner! Last year the Fair was very busy and we had many good conversations with the general public. However, there's going to be something very strange and a bit sad about our table. Both John and Simon are away that weekend, so we're going to have to do without either of the founders, for the first time ever. Robin's a bit nervous about it but she's hoping you will offer to help her out. If you can spare an hour or two, particularly in the morning (set up from about 9.30am) please can you give her a call on 470010. Thanks! At Last! The next Social ... It's that time of the year again - the long-awaited Lewes Artisans summer social takes place on Thursday 27th July from 5.30pm - 8.30pm. This year, Artisan Michael Cotgrove has very kindly offered to host it in his garden at 14 King Henry's Road. As usual, food and drinks are provided and partners are welcome. If you've not been to an Artisans social before, please come along - it's very relaxed, and you'll get to meet your fellow Artisans. Plus, there's usually the opportunity to win a highly sought after, eBay-tastic Lewes Artisans Fifth Anniversary Mug, if you have your wits about you. To help us with the catering, please can you let Simon or Robin know if you're intending to come. We look forward to seeing you there! That’s it for this newsletter – thanks again for your continued support for Lewes Artisans and we hope to see you at the Social! best wishes John, Simon & Robin www.lewesartisans.com email: sd@lewesartisans.com