A FEW years ago I joined a watercolour painting class in Victoria Hall, Saltaire.

I had gone there for work, to write about the activity. It was a lovely sunny room, with huge windows, around which a dozen of us sat and, after a few minutes of instruction, attempted to paint a Lakeland scene.

Sitting there in front of my easel, stroking the paper with my brush, it was one of the most relaxing afternoons I had spent for many years.

I had not painted since sixth form, when I produced a few not-very-good works in acrylic in A-level art.

I enjoyed painting then, but since leaving school, other than to help my children daub primary colours on strips of lining paper, I had not picked up a brush.

Unless you make a career of it, or purposely sign up for a night class, art is not something you get involved with as an adult. You don’t get chance. When we are at school we take completely for granted the fact that we have all these art and craft classes for free: painting, screen printing, pottery, needlework, the list goes on. We have all the materials provided and expert tuition thrown in.

We moan and groan and wait for the bell to ring at the end of class, but once we have left school we are never again presented with so many artistic opportunities.

It’s a shame, because arts and crafts are good for us. A study has found that people who participate in arts and crafts feel happier, calmer and more energetic the next day.

Activities such as painting, drawing, sketching, cooking, baking, performing music, digital design and creative writing work wonders for wellbeing, researchers at Otago University in New Zealand found. Crafts long associated with the Women’s Institute - knitting, crocheting and jam-making - were also included.

More than 650 students were asked to keep diaries of their experiences and emotional states over 13 days. The study, which was published in the Journal of Positive Psychology, found that the students showed more enthusiasm and felt happier in the days following creative activities.

I couldn’t agree more and believe that doctors should prescribe such classes to those feeling down, because creativity really can lift the spirits. In many ways it is the best therapy you can find - for the time you are engrossed in the task, you put your worries to one side.

A couple of years ago, also as part of my job, I joined a group of women rag ruggers - experts in the long lost art of making rugs from scraps of fabric. That too was so enjoyable. I intended staying for an hour, but became so engrossed that when I looked at my watch I had spent most of the morning there, producing a little square of rug that I have to this day.

And I’ve had a go at woodturning, spending a couple of hours in a workshop with some lovely men who made beautiful bowls and other pieces on their lathes. It was great, and so relaxing.

Needless to say, most of the people in the classes I joined were retired. Unless you are prepared to go to night class after work, you need time to enjoy such things. For years after retirement my mum attended a painting class in the local village hall and loved it. With the retirement age for my generation pushing 70, it is a shame that we have to wait so long to dabble in such pleasures. Painting is definitely on my retirement list. I quite fancy a bit of woodwork too - I would love to be able to put up shelves - if I can fit it all around the world cruises.

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