Annette is based in the newly-refurbished Butcher Works in Sheffield city centre where she works with gold and silver to produce jewellery and small decorative objects such as bowls and boxes.

She also works with students on placement from Freeman College, a further education charity which educates young people with autistic spectrum disorders and developmental delay based at the neighbouring Sterling and Butcher Works.


Butcher Works

I recently moved into a new workshop at Butcher Works, the site of an old cutlery works surrounding an atmospheric cobbled courtyard. There is a soaring chimney and remains of the old pulley wheels for the belts powered by the steam engine in the yard that drove all the machines.

As I walk through the quiet, peaceful courtyard I like to imagine how different it was 150 years ago – a dark, dirty, noisy hive of industry quite different from the luxury apartments above, and the 'Academy of Makers' workshops occupying the ground floor, today.

My workshop is quiet and peaceful and is an amazing space with beautiful arched brick ceilings and large windows which look out on to Arundel Street.

Most of the other workshops are occupied now and a vibrant community is beginning to develop, which will be enhanced when the café and gallery open to the public. We took part in the Open Studio event in May and it was very exciting having the public visiting my workshop, watching demonstrations and giving me feedback on my work.

Botanical Gardens

I was one of the volunteer gardeners on Wednesday mornings for about three years, which gave me the opportunity to get to know these amazing gardens and assist in the restoration of this well-loved landmark.

There are areas representing many different parts of the world, and different styles of gardening, and I love to wander round and see each area change with the seasons and try to identify plants I helped to put in. I met other gardening enthusiasts of all ages, all very happy to share their extensive knowledge and advice, a terrific support group. The café is lovely, especially in the summer when you can sit outside.

In early September I am taking part in Art in the Gardens, an art and fine crafts fair in this beautiful setting, where I will be displaying and selling my jewellery. Much of my inspiration comes from natural forms such as flowers, leaves, seed pods, roots and bark, so this seems like a very apt opportunity for me to show my work to people with similar interests.

Woodseats

I like living in Woodseats because of the friendliness and village atmosphere. There is a great range of local shops including a deli, fresh fish shop, home brew shop, bookshop and lots of interesting charity shops to browse.

I live next to Graves Park, which has good walks and stunning views when you get up to the top of the park. My children used to love visiting the rare breeds centre when they were younger and, of course, the café for an ice cream.

The walk from the station to the Peace Gardens

I love this walk, especially at night when the blue lights are on as I walk up Howard Street. The mosaic fountain is beautiful, as are the water features designed by Brian Asquith in the Peace Gardens, and the ball water features between the Winter Garden and the Peace Gardens.

The sound of running water is very soothing and calming at the end of a hard working day.

I also love to see children running through the fountains when it is hot and sunny.

The Millennium Galleries and Winter Gardens

I often visit the metalwork gallery and always seem to find something new and intriguing that I haven't seen before. I love the display where you have to guess the function of items. I especially like the knife for eating peas!

I am very proud of my students from Freeman College who have some work on show in the 'Living Metal' display.

Recently I visited the Vivienne Westwood exhibition in the main gallery. This is absolutely amazing. I took advantage of the Wednesday late night opening and ended up spending about two hours wandering round the exhibition looking at the clothes and shoes and watching the videos. The punk clothes and pirates theme took me back to my misspent youth…

I like to walk through to the Winter Garden, to admire anew the inspired architecture and wander through the plants. A favourite is the forged window bars by Guiseppe Lund, originally made for the Ruskin Gallery at its previous venue and now seemingly growing among the foliage.

Renishaw Hall

This is a bit of a hidden gem that not many people seem to know about. I like it because it has something for everyone – formal gardens, woodland for longer rambles, a sculpture trail, a great restaurant and a small exhibition centre featuring items linked to the history of the Sitwell family. There are also craft workshops in the courtyard and you can even buy wine from the vineyard.

Haddon Hall

I love visiting Haddon Hall; the house has a real feeling of history, having been in the same family for so long – some of the deeply worn steps show how many generations have trodden them. The gardens are beautiful, too, especially when the roses are blooming. I watched the Jane Eyre series on TV with particular interest as it was filmed here.

Cole Brothers

I know it's called John Lewis now but to me and generations of Sheffielders it will always be Coles. I hate shopping but if there's no escape then I can usually find anything I want here, from Apple Mac computers on the top floor to silver polishing cloths in the basement. The views from the top of the car park are amazing, too.

My garden

At the moment I spend nearly all of my time in my workshop making jewellery but when I have any free time I relax by working in my garden. It's tiny but I manage to grow lots of herbs, fruit and vegetables in amongst the flowers.

Everything has to be scented, edible or beautiful – or preferably all three! I have a small greenhouse where I grow tomatoes, peppers, aubergines and basil. My favourite food is Mediterranean, so I like to grow my own ingredients.




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