Blended MonkeyStudios

Simon and Louise Taggart run Blended Monkey from cottage garden studios at their home in Upwell, on the Cambridgeshire-Norfolk border near Wisbech, having established the business in 2012. Simon teaches woodturning while Louise, a ceramicist born in Ely, leads pottery tuition, offering one-to-one and paired sessions covering pinching, slab building and throwing. Alongside standard craft courses, the couple runs a creative-therapy programme working with people recovering from stroke, brain injury, dementia, autism and post-traumatic stress, combining hands-on making with conversation. A two-berth log cabin, Crafter's Retreat, sits in the garden for guests staying overnight around a course. Sessions run by appointment rather than fixed opening hours, with dates published through the website and craft-course listings.