Testimonials

Window Display

Lou styled the windows of my Nottingham city centre beauty salon, located on a prominent shopping street and she made them look absolutely amazing. She brought so much flair, creativity and attention to detail to the displays, while always being mindful of the budget.

The finished windows were eye-catching, stylish, stunningly put together and really helped the salon stand out in such a busy location. Lou was a pleasure to work with and I would wholeheartedly recommend her to any business owner looking to completely rethink and transform their commercial shop window. R. Dowdeswell - NKD Waxing, Nottingham

Creative Arts

I strongly recommend using Louise in creative projects at all levels. Louise is a pleasure to work with, she is flexible, enthusiastic, highly motivated and a team player. Everyone responds well to her warmth and good humour. Courtney Link - ABC Arts

Holiday Let – Norfolk Coast

We asked Louise to restyle our Sheringham holiday let in a New England coastal style and gave her a clear budget and full creative freedom and she handled both flawlessly. The finished result was stylish, modern and thoughtfully designed to maximise both comfort and visual appeal and far exceeded all expectations. The property was completely transformed into an airy, beautifully curated seaside retreat that guests immediately connected with on our booking platform.

Most importantly, our bookings increased almost immediately after the redesign which is a true testament to the impact of great interior styling.We would highly recommend Louise to anyone looking to elevate and refresh their holiday let. M. Nelson

Creative Industries Projects -Notts

I first came into contact with Louise through a Creative Industries scheme I was running. Ever since my first conversation with her I realised she was a very special person indeed. With a heart bigger than the world and more energy than nuclear fusion, Louise is an inspiration wrapped in human form. David Brown - Arts & Creative Development Officer

Retail Window & Interior Displays 

Louise is a highly adaptable and creative professional with extensive experience and was they key player in sourcing premises, the interior design, including shop fittings, decor, window displays and sourcing of stock for our Nottinghamshire boutique. Alongside her exceptional creative flair, she is self motivated, friendly and cheerful. Her retail displays are exceptionally eye-catching Louise will be an asset to any organisation requiring her skill set. S. Pickering - Notts Retail Outlet

Poetry Performance - Starbucks 

Louise is a natural comic. Timing abounds and a wicked sensibility keeps you
on your toes. She is ‘0-60 in Six Verses’ and everyone of them will have you
laughing out loud! – Jason Bradbury, Channel 5

Central Notts MIND Poetry Workshops

Louise led a course of workshops for Central Notts MIND Women’s Group of
which I was facilitator. Louise’s effervescent and bubbly personality combined
with her obvious passion and enthusiasm for poetry was passed onto the group
and they were extremely well motivated. The class had never written any poetry
prior to this. Therefore, the ladies were surprised and very delighted by their
achievements. The workshops were interesting, fun and met all the intended
objectives. Pam Cooper – Central Notts MIND

Poetry Residency 

Louise has the ability to empower young people to see themselves as poets and
individuals. Through her humour, insightfulness and huge amounts of positive
energy she helps young people become confident in expressing their own voice.
Not only does this have a huge effect on an individual level but in such a short
space of time Louise seems to create an atmosphere where speaking and
listening to each other gets embraced and cherished by the whole class. 
Artizen - ‘enhancing lives through creativity and digital technologies’

Creative Writing Programme 

“Louise has been a great asset to the 'Skills for Independent Living section'
here at Sutton Centre. Louise joined us as a tutor, delivering courses to unique
learners who are categorized as having physical disabilities and learning
difficulties. Louise is an enthusiastic tutor who delivers interesting, stimulating and fun lessons. Louise has the natural ability to connect with the learners on an individual basis, encouraging and empowering them in a way that is incredibly effective as well as deeply moving. Learners love Louise, and that speaks volumes!” Liz Barrett - Sutton Centre Community College

Poet In Residence

Louise's presence in the school has been like a breath of fresh, creative air. 
Pupils across the secondary age range have immediately warmed to her vibrant
presence, lively and enthusiastic manner and inspiring and thought-provoking
workshops.  The work that she has coaxed out of them has been excellent and it
has been particularly rewarding to have a performer who can work with pupils
on this aspect of their work.  The performances that Louise has put together
with our pupils have brought out talents that were previously unsuspected and
her persuasive, encouraging manner has given them the confidence to read
their work publicly both in school and outside.  A thoroughly beneficial experience for all concerned.” - Steve Willshaw – Head Of English, William Farr Comprehensive School, Lincs

Ladies Evening

Louise made our first Ladies Evening go with such a swing, that we've had to have her back on more than one occasion. She sees the hum-drum of life with a magic twist that will give you tummy ache for days. Prepare to laugh until it hurts!  Claire Allison - Friends of Ravenshead C of E Primary School

Team Building

“I first met Louise Ashley when I carried out a formal assessment of her teaching of a Creative Writing class for adults which was extremely good. I subsequently engaged Louise to write a piece of poetry to reflect some of the work our team undertakes, which she did, the piece was published in a national publication about adult learning. Louise was also engaged to undertake some training with our team about working creatively, which was well received by all present. I have also been fortunate to see Louise perform on a couple of occasions where she has held the audience with her humorous and insightful delivery. Alan Clark – Service Development Manager, Adult Community Learning Service, Nottinghamshire County Council

Poetry Workshops

“Louise’s relaxed style and zany sense of humour immediately put the students at ease. The workshop was professional, fun and totally accessible. Louise took the class on a journey of self-discovery and they never stopped talking about it for weeks”. Judith Graves – Teacher (Sutton Centre Community College)

Poetry Performance

I saw Louise perform at the Albert Hall, Nottingham for ‘Poets In The Pink’ in
support of Cancer Research UK. Louise’s poetry acquainted us with an insight
into every aspect of a woman’s life and loves. I really enjoyed her poetry and
related to the philosophy of her poems, which evoked many different emotions.
Councillor Christine Wombwell – Mayor of the Borough of Broxtowe

Performance Review

Louise Ashley may float through her poems with the elegance and charm of a
butterfly, but beware of the sting in the tale. She has a cutting edge that can bring tears to the eyes of the unsuspecting male. This is poetry with punch, delivered with style that can make you wince as well as smile. Check out this lady – she’s a knockout!  Ian Collinson – Poetry Affairs Correspondent,County Literature Magazine