Laura Butlin

Joined Carpenter Oak: 2017

Interview with Laura Butlin

When not in the yard, what do you enjoy doing?
Cooking, eating and having a go at crafts! My husband and I love exploring new places and finding somewhere good to eat and we’ll usually come home with some weird and wonderful ingredients from the local deli. I also like teaching myself how to do stuff. Recent hobbies have included upholstery, modern calligraphy and some painting. I’m a great believer in ‘having a go’, even if it doesn’t always work out the way you want it to!

What is the most embarrassing job you have ever had?
I was a holiday park entertainer for a few years, during which time I got to sing, dance and occasionally dress up as a variety of characters including a green dragon called ‘DJ’ and a tiger called ‘Terry.’ It was a lot of fun at the time, but I definitely cringe a bit when the photos come out now!

Who would be at your dream dinner party?
All of my close friends. We don’t see each other as much as we used to and some of them now live far and wide, so it would be amazing to have everyone in one place. You could always stick David Beckham on the list too, we’d need someone to keep our glasses topped up…

What music do you listen to?
A bit of anything and everything! From Frank Sinatra and musical theatre to Blondie and the Foo Fighters. I love music and go to as many gigs and festivals as I can.

What is the best comedy film ever made?
‘Overboard’ with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell! We had it on VHS as kids and I watched it so many times I could recite nearly every word.

Where is your favourite place in the world?
Too many to mention! But one of the best has to be Melbourne, Australia. It’s full of amazing places to eat, lots of cool art, music and beautiful beaches too. One of my oldest friends lives there, so I would love to visit again one day. 

Biography
I’m a Devon girl, having grown-up on a dairy farm in a little village called Umberleigh in North Devon.  I eventually flew the nest and spent six years in beautiful Bournemouth, carving out a career in marketing, before coming back to Devon to do a stint as a Bluecoat entertainer in 2004. More than 10 years on and I now live in Torbay with my drummer and music teacher husband Matt.  I’ve always been a creative person, so being part of the team at Carpenter Oak gives me the opportunity to do the two things that I love the most – talking to lots of lovely people and helping them in the first steps of making their creative projects a reality.