Another breakfast in the sun and another boat trip down the Nile begins our day.

I have had requests for new stitches and it is a real pleasure to see how enthusiastic and open to learning all the students are.

There is a real contrast between levels of experience and backgrounds. The students from Central St Martins are expert jewellery makers in metals but only one has any beading experience. Some of the other students are studying product design, but have had some wirework experience whilst others haven’t used beads at all. It does seem those with jewellery making experience are taking to beading like ducks to water. I assume this is because they are used to working with their hands, thinking in 3D and designing their own work. As soon as they know a stitch they’re off experimenting and trying it out with different beads and in different ways.

Today I introduce everyone to brick stitch but despite explaining how it works flat etc I only show them it tubular as this is what a specific student wants to learn. I also cover beading Geometric Stars and some new ideas I have been working on which haven’t developed into full projects yet, but will do so for the new Contemporary Geometric Beadwork book.

I have brought some books with me and Nubre have some for us to browse also. I was amused when reading earlier to see the introduction for a book on Pauline Wiertz written by Anne Berck, I'm going to assume from now on when a jewellery designer is snooty about beading it's simply because they lack the technical know-how to use them.

We once again continue beading into the evening before heading back to the hotel for yet another feast, this time accompanied by Nubian dancing, drumming and singing.