E

ven if you haven’t picked up a paintbrush since playschool, it’ll all come flooding back quickly at Pear Tree Farm.

This cosy B&B has an Art Centre on site too, the whole lot surrounded by rather gorgeous Derbyshire countryside that has most people reaching for their paintbrushes the moment they arrive.

There are courses catering to all artistic tastes – oils, pastels, water-colours or something ‘wackier’ like ceramics – whatever gets your creative juices going really; and each program is hosted by an expert in the field (quite literally at times).

In fact you might even recognise a couple of them off the telly: Pear Tree’s regular tutors include Charles Evans and Keith Fenwick, who’ve both featured in their own TV programmes.

After a day of casting around for inspiration (you’re only a stone’s throw from Matlock and the Derwent Valley here) you get to spend your relaxed evenings in Pear Tree’s guesthouse, where Sue and Alan Barber ensure you’re well fed and watered.

Needless to say, it’s all home-cooked, locally-sourced, organicand all that stuff. Feeling inspired?