Knitting and fabric corsage workshops have been attracting craft enthusiasts in Norwich today as part of a week long event demonstrating traditional craft practices.

Hosted by Waterstone's in the Royal Arcade, Craft Week has been made-up of independent shops from around Norwich and will be running till the end of trade on Saturday, April 23.

Organiser and senior book seller at Waterstones, Elspeth Mellor, explained more about how the event started.

'Norwich has such a huge craft scene in the city so I wanted to make a noise about the people doing it and their hard work,' she said.

'It is also to get people to remember the simple things in life we should all be doing again.'

All of the workshops are free and open to everyone of all ability and participants are also asked to browse through craft books and the available information on local craft businesses around Norwich.

Sally Hepple, a tutor for beginners craft and creative classes at Make Place on Magdalen Street in Norwich, held a fabric corsage making workshop today.

Mrs Hepple said: 'It is really good to put an event like this on.

'I think all these traditional skills are dying out and if we don't foster them, they will.'

Kath Lennox of Howard Close in Swanton Morley, attended the workshop after hearing about it in the bookshop this morning.

'I just thought it looked interesting,' she said.

'It's relaxing and I got away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It think people also want to own something a bit more individual now.'

Mrs Hepple added: 'Craft is for people who want something well made and we want them to get the proper skills.'

Other events will be happening through the rest of the week from a workshop from Your Art's Desire to a knitting day on Saturday with a free tea and cake from Biddy's Tea Room.

• For more information ring Waterstone's on 01603 632426.

• Are you doing something to embrace traditional skills? Contact reporter Donna-Louise Bishop on 01603 772438 or email donna-louise.bishop@archant.co.uk