MAY – VOLUNTEERING AT SHAMBELLIE HOUSE

John is Chair of Shambellie House Trust and a member of the Stewart family who built Shambellie House. Born and educated in Edinburgh, holidays were mostly spent in New Abbey. He has a wealth of knowledge about the Stewart Family, the History of Shambellie House and the surrounding area plus a good few anecdotes and stories to tell that have been passed through generations of the Stewart Family.

John obtained a veterinary degree from Cambridge University and was a practicing vet in Surrey and Hampshire for thirty years. For the past fifteen years he has followed his interest in horses’ feet and their problems and continues to work as an equine podiatrist.

In 2012 he was inducted into the International Equine Veterinarian Hall of Fame of the American Farriers Journal and his book ‘Understanding the Horse’s Feet’ was published in 2013. In 2016, he returned ‘home’ to New Abbey from the USA and quickly became involved with the Shambellie House Trust.

Ann has been professionally teaching quilt making for 15 years. She has exhibited her work around the world, currently with an exhibition touring America and another about to start touring 40 countries. Ann is quilter in residence at Alzheimer Scotland and has been awarded a Point of Light and a British Empire medal for her services to Alzheimer’s, both through working with those living with dementia and raising awareness through quilting exhibitions.

Ann teaches beginners and experienced quilters in the fundamentals of quilting and progress through traditional, modern and contemporary quilting. She runs weekly classes in Dumfries and Galloway. Ann is Chair of Dumfries Rotary and Vice Chair for Shambellie House Trust. She is also lead for the Quilters of Shambellie House, who are responsible for organising quilt festivals in autumn and May each year and running classes throughout the year.