Indulge your creative side with Railcard
21st February 2023
Variety is the spice of life, and what better way to add some flavour to your leisure time than by taking up a new creative hobby or pastime? A change in routine, expanding the mind, destressing, or finding ways to meet new people are all reasons to get involved in a new pursuit. And what’s more, pastimes that inspire adventure needn’t cost the earth as a host of galleries, museums, workshops, and studios are within easy reach thanks to discounts available when travelling by rail with www.railcard.co.uk
Studies have shown that creative pursuits not only improve our mental wellbeing, but they can also lead to improved memory skills along with having positive effects on our physical health. And let’s not forget that creative hobbies are fun, right?
Great Britain is a hub of creativity and home to renowned talents that have made huge markings on the world stage, from Fashion and Photography to Art and Design. Spaces, galleries, and natural landscapes have inspired artists and creatives the world over, so why not find your art scene and travel by train to see all that’s on offer. Carrying one of National Rail’s Railcards makes each journey easier on the wallet with 1/3 off adult rail travel tickets around Britain. From families, couples, Seniors to Young Persons, Railcard has a range of cards suitable for everyone to make travel more affordable - check out Railcard’s full list of options here.
Get inspired and get onboard with some of Great Britain’s cool and creative locations accessible by rail. From daycations to weekends away, nourishing your creative energy is just a train journey away.
Pottery at The Potteries, Stoke on Trent
Dating as far back as 29000 BC, this ancient craft has transcended millennia to remain a joyful pastime for those who create with clay. In more recent times, pottery has enjoyed time in the mainstream - from Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze’s infamous clay shaping scene in Ghost, to the success of hit-show The Great Pottery Throwdown, - even celebrities like Seth Rogan are big fans, stating, “there is inherently something meditative” about ceramics.
Stoke-on-Trent, affectionately known as The Potteries, is Britain’s Capital of Ceramics. The city is well known for its production of pottery, building a reputation globally as a must-visit destination for lovers of all things made from clay. Brimming with museums, factories, educational spaces and stores from iconic names in ceramic design such as Wedgwood, Aysley, Emma Bridgewater, Royal Doulton and many more, there is much to explore, including a Ceramics Trail which features the best places to ‘Discover, Learn, Try and Buy’.
With great places to stay, eat and drink, Stoke-on-Trent is the perfect place to take the whole family for a creative weekend away, and with the Family and Friends Railcard you can get 1/3 off rail tickets for up to four adults and 60% off for kids (and kids under 5 travel free!). More here.
Nearest Station: Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station
Painting in London
Whether a novice, a Turner, Freud or a Rego, painting is a true freedom of expression. One person’s first draft is another’s masterpiece and letting it all out on a blank canvas at your favourite view of the park, the lake, the city, or countryside, is a great stress reliever.
London is home to some of the most famous art galleries in the world. Feel inspired by galleries like The Tate Modern, The Victoria & Albert Museum, and The National Gallery, all which house some of our most iconic pieces by masters of the paint brush; Da Vinci, Hockney, Botticelli, Vermeer, Van Gogh and Monet, to name a few.
Most galleries are free to the public, and with Day’s Out Guide, you can access many exhibitions at the price of 2FOR1 when traveling by train. Discover Lynette Yiadom-Boakye's five-star exhibition at Tate Britain. Acclaimed for her enigmatic portraits of fictitious people; this exhibition brings together around 70 works, from 2003 to the present day, the most extensive survey of one of the UK’s most celebrated artists. Running until 26th February, 2023, get 2FOR1 on your tickets when you travel there by train.
The capital also has great options if you are looking to delve further into your craft or are picking up a brush for the first time. Take an art class at Art Academy London and choose from a weekend course either beginner level or more advanced covering multiple formats of painting and creation, in a fun, tutor-led environment. Or check out Masterpiece, who hold daily art classes that promote mindfulness and relaxation. Offering coached painting experiences, you can learn to paint a photo of your own or enjoy painting fresh roses in watercolour.
Nearest station: Vauxhall
Knitting in Edinburgh
As one of the largest wool producers in the world, with 45,000 sheep farmers, and 33 million sheep, it should come to no surprise that British knitwear is a leader in the craft, in both quality and design, across menswear, womenswear or childrenswear.
A pastime enjoyed by HRH The Princess of Wales, Cara Delevingne and Tom Daley to name a few, knitting is a great way to pass the time on your morning rail commute or whiling away a Sunday afternoon. Both creative, and therapeutic, due to its methodical nature, it’s also rewarding to produce your very own unique handmade scarf, jumper or blanket – with colours, wool and a design of your choosing.
With its medieval old town, storied history, and energic culture, it’s easy to spend a weekend exploring Edinburgh’s creative heart. Take a trip and learn about great knitwear artists’ influences across punk, pop and deconstruction at Edinburgh’s Dovecot Studios’ current ‘KNITWEAR Chanel to Westwood’ exhibition. Featuring over 150 knitwear pieces from the collection of Mark and Cleo Butterfield: highlights include work from 1920’s Chanel, 80’s Vivienne Westwood and 90’s Julien MacDonald, but hurry as the show runs through to 11th March 2023.
The studio holds regular discussions, workshops and experience days on everything from knitwear, to crochet, and tapestry weaving, so whether you want to learn something new or feel inspired by the masters of yarn, there is something for everyone.
Nearest station: Edinburgh Waverley
Photograph the Dorset and East Devon Coast
They say ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’, and what better way to capture a moment in the life of a loved one than with a photograph. Learning photography is a useful skill, and with the invention of the smartphone, it’s never been easier to take great images on the move.
Once learning more about photography, you will start to see the world differently, seeing moments of light, texture, and beauty in the mundane to the significant. Acting like a time capsule, photographs can take you back to the memory, the sounds, emotions and smells of that time.
Britain’s southern coastline is home to some of the most beautiful, rugged landscapes in the world, and has become a firm favourite of landscape photographers worldwide. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Dorset and East Devon Coast, appropriately known as The Jurassic Coast, is a 155km stretch of land, home to geological, palaeontological and geomorphological features, whose fossils, beaches, rock formations, and seascapes have been studied for over 300 years. This geographical marvel is a wonderful opportunity to learn about landscape photography while enjoying the beauty of Britain’s natural landscape and wildlife.
Image Seen are offering a 2-day photography workshop of the Jurassic Coast in March 2023, where you will have the chance to hone your photography skills and take in sites such as Swanage pier and beachfront, Peveril Point, Durdle Door, Man O War Bay, Kimmeridge Bay, Old Harrys Rocks, Corfe castle and more. Places fill up fast so book early to avoid disappointment!
Take a creative break with a weekend to Dorset, and travel with a partner or close friend on the Two Together Railcard, where you can save 1/3 off your journey to The Jurassic Coast. More here.
Nearest Stations: Weymouth and Swanage
For more great offers and to purchase your Railcard today, visit www.Railcard.co.uk.
For great deals on attractions around Great Britain when you travel by train, visit www.DaysOutGuide.co.uk.
About Railcards
With a Railcard, rail users can save 1/3 off most rail fares across Britain, saving an average of £142 a year on rail fares. At just £30 a year, most Railcard customers make the cost back in just one or two journeys, whether visiting family, making new memories with friends or just exploring somewhere new. Visiting Railcard.co.uk gives all the options available, whether you’re 16-25, 26-30, or 60+, and whether you travel solo, as a couple, or as a family, there is pretty much a Railcard for everyone. For more information visit www.Railcard.co.uk
About National Rail
Rail Delivery Group manages National Rail products and services on behalf of the rail industry. National Rail provides customers with journey planning, real time, fares and rail-related information. National Rail also helps customers save 1/3 on most rail journeys (and 60% on kids’ fares) with Railcards. The range of Railcards consists of 16-25, 26-30, Family & Friends, Two Together, Senior, Disabled Persons, Veterans and Network Railcard. There is also a 16-17 Saver that saves customers 50% off their rail journeys, including season tickets. For more information visit www.railcard.co.uk. For more information on journey planning, fares and booking travel assistance visit www.nationalrail.co.uk
Further information: Stephanie.Burns@raildeliverygroup.com