00:15Hello and welcome to Made in Kent Live on KNTV. I'm Jay Blakesley and this is the show where we
00:21explore the world of businesses and creators throughout the county. This week we're taking
00:26a look at the creativity of the people in Kent discovering crafts behind the the local Kent
00:31businesses. First this week looking into the world of fragrance Hunter and Walker is an independent
00:36business run from home where the owner Kate takes pride in making quality wax melts. Our reporter
00:42Joel Fletcher went down to speak with her and even try his hand at making some melts himself. Let's
00:47take a look. One of life's little luxuries for many people is a nice fragrance whether it be for
00:53themselves or for their homes. But what many people might not think about is the science
00:57and craftsmanship that goes into making one. Kate Jones runs Hunter and Walker from her home and I
01:03went down to speak with her about some of the underestimated elements that go into crafting
01:06home fragrances. Okay so Hunter and Walker started in 2021. It was as a result receiving a gift to
01:14attend a candle making course. I went to that it had an absolutely amazing time. I really enjoyed the
01:20science and being able to get the benefits of a fragrance that I could make at home that was
01:27long lasting and really I began to realize that the products that I was buying in the shop just
01:34weren't performing and that kind of led on to what more could I do. Candles are really really
01:41complicated. They seem quite simple in nature to make. You add wax, you add fragrance, you add a wick,
01:47but actually in reality there is so much more science going on and you're quite limited on how
01:53you can make them aesthetically pleasing beyond the jar because the wick can't take things like colour
02:00and mica powder very easily. It can affect it. So that's when I started looking into wax smells and
02:06exploring all of the different designs and basically ended up what was a hobby became a business. I'm here with
02:14Kate at her house to try and get an inside look at the process of wax melts. Try it out
02:20for myself.
02:21The wax that I use is coconut and rapeseed blend. It's plant-based and it's sustainable. So first of all
02:28when it arrives it comes in a 12 kilogram block so that has to be chopped up by hand into
02:34small pieces
02:35that can fit into the melting jug. I think a lot of people would assume that with a wax melt
02:40you can
02:40simply melt some wax and pour some fragrance oil in it. In principle yes, but it really does come
02:47down to paying attention to detail to the science and that's what my brand Hunter and Walker is really
02:53about because if you pay attention to the science you really do get a good quality product. It is a
02:58lot
02:58and I must say the challenges in the beginning that I truly didn't appreciate how much hard work there was
03:04involved in my own small business. Joel Fletcher for KNTV. Next up we look into the world of pottery
03:12making. Our reporter Alia Pritchard went down to Claire Griffiths Ceramics, a pottery studio in
03:17Whitstable. She went down to find out how pottery studios and classes are helping create community
03:23ties. Let's see how she got on. Claire Griffiths Ceramics opened eight years ago in a studio located
03:29along Kent's beautiful coastline. Let's talk to Claire Griffiths about what it's like to run a pottery
03:34studio and how this business came to be. I always wanted to do something with people. I didn't want
03:39to just be in my studio on my own because it can be quite isolating. I have tried that so
03:44I much prefer
03:45the dialogue with people and I find it you know very satisfying to see people progress and be creative.
03:53We spoke to one of Claire's students to find out why she kept coming back to the studio.
03:57Well when I first moved to Whitstable about seven years ago the first thing I did was to source a
04:06a studio because trying to find somewhere I could go because it was my hobby and I found Claire and
04:11she just literally set up then so I was one of her first students. Claire lets you just get on
04:17with it
04:18if you want to if you've got the competency but she's there to help when you need advice and it's
04:25just
04:25um a lovely friendly atmosphere. I first opened a studio in Whitstable years ago and um it didn't
04:33really work out because we didn't have the internet or anything so no one really knew I was there so
04:38I opened this studio eight years ago. Here is going really well I've got at least five people that now
04:44sell their work so it really has um developed as you know so I'm pleased with how it's been going.
04:51I would teach sculpture and figurative sculpture um coiling, slabbing, throwing. So the first thing
05:00that people usually learn to make in the class are a wrap pot and then usually go onto the wheel
05:07because they come really itching to to have a go. I think the whole process is really exciting
05:14because you just start up with a lump of clay from the earth it's a lovely tactile thing to be
05:20doing
05:21and then you um can sort of use your creativity and your imagination and just make something beautiful.
05:30Well we've heard about what it's like to run a pottery business but why are they so important to our
05:35communities? Pottery makes a big difference to people's lives because it's doing something creative
05:42um a sense of achievement and connecting with other people in in the group it's what makes us
05:49different being creative. Pottery classes and making and creating things is so important for your well-being
05:58um it's a it's a wonderful therapeutic thing to do even if you haven't got a huge amount of
06:03sort of natural talent you can produce something wonderful. Alia Pritchard for KMTV.
06:11Next our reporter Ethan Matiringay visited a family-owned blacksmithing business in Maidstone
06:17spanning generations and working to keep the traditions of the trade alive both in practical
06:21applications and more creative outlets. Let's see what he found in the flames.
06:26Did you know that blacksmithing originated around 1500 BC followed by the growing demand for stronger
06:34tools weapons and armor in the medieval ages? The craft became essential for everyday life. In the
06:40modern age many smiths were largely phased out during the industrial revolution with many now practicing
06:47their crafts as artisans. I'm here at Yielding Forge to learn more about the craft of blacksmithing.
06:53Owner Tim Dunmore told us about his work and the services he provides to the local community.
07:00The majority of my work is uh commission-based so customers will come to me wanting a particular
07:06thing they might have a design in mind or they might have no idea what they want but they need
07:09a raiding for example so I go from kind of start to finish kind of designing making and installing
07:15metal work for them. I'm a fourth generation blacksmith um and my family has been in this forge
07:21since 1950 full-time here for about 15 years now. Before my grandad was working here his father had a
07:27forge over at Tieston which is only a few miles kind of north of here. I learned a bit of
07:31blacksmithing
07:32work from my grandad when I was younger I worked kind of Saturday mornings with him so I learned a
07:36bit from him a bit from my uncles who are blacksmiths and farriers and then a bit from my dad
07:40who
07:40was a farrier so it's all yeah a lot of family heritage. Many may assume that blacksmithing is a lost
07:47art however Tim believes there is still a place for smithing and artisan goods within the modern day,
07:53keeping the craft that has been passed down through generations alive. This part of the building of
07:59the forge is about 300 years old so there's been blacksmithing here for probably at least 300 years
08:05but possibly kind of over half millennia. A lot of the things that I make are made using traditional
08:11methods of blacksmithing which have been the same for hundreds of years so it's nice to have that
08:16legacy I suppose of keeping that craft alive. I tend to do a lot of handrails um and gates and
08:22railings
08:22they're probably my thing that I do the most. I think people do appreciate stuff that's kind of
08:26bespoke to their needs and that's handmade that's handcrafted and particularly I think I've maybe got
08:32slight advantage in my surroundings being in a few centuries old building and it's it's very picturesque
08:39and sells the idea of a village blacksmith but I'm trying more and more trying to do a sculptural
08:44side of kind of blacksmithing because I do enjoy the regular side but the creativeness that I can get
08:49out of making a sculpture I really enjoy that. There's not a lot of blacksmiths in the southeast
08:54but there are a few still going and we're all still busy enough. I think there's a particularly
08:59kind of restoration and the mending side of things I think that's people becoming more keen on keeping
09:04things going rather than just chucking away and kind of buying new so there's definitely still enough
09:10demand for for us out there. Ethan Maturinge for KNTV. Now let's take a moment to delve into the
09:18cultural appreciation in Kent and the statistics of the arts centre in the county. Joining me this
09:24week to bring us to deep dive is Lottie Mason.
09:34Hiya Lottie. So why is art and cultural appreciation so important in general?
09:40Okay so first and foremost art and culture has the potential to benefit the economy and fabric of
09:45society. It is also evident that participation in artistic activities like theatre, dance, crafts and
09:52photography can reduce social isolation often improving mental health and fulfillment and self
09:58esteem. Being engaged in these hobbies and interests can improve your physical health, developing skills
10:03and knowledge that can help you appreciate the world around you. Wonderful and how prominent is arts
10:09and crafts to the Kent job sector and economy? So let's look at some statistics. In 2024 the top three
10:15sectors for creative industries in Kent were IT, marketing and then lastly media. But in terms of
10:22tourism Visit Kent reported that we welcome over 66 million visitors to the county each year and this
10:28supports more than 77,000 jobs which is 11 percent of all employment in the county. Wonderful and how
10:37significant is art in Kent? Okay well Kent is renowned for its rich and diverse arts and culture
10:44scene. For example there are lots of free art galleries especially in Margate. Speaking of the
10:50town is a thriving coastal hub for artists home to art schools and galleries and studios merging timeless
10:58seaside county town with the 21st century. This has gotten buzz which people will travel for from
11:03London for example boosting local regeneration and also cultural identity for the county. Wonderful.
11:10Thank you very much Lottie.
11:17And that's it and you've been watching Made in Kent live here on KMTV. More news made just for Kent
11:23is throughout the evening. Don't forget you can always keep up to date with the latest news across your
11:27county by logging into KMTV.co.uk and you can keep us on your social timelines by liking us on
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11:33and following us on Instagram. But from me that's been our show. Thank you.
12:05you
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