Cooking and foraging courses, River Cottage, Devon

Always wanted to whip up a foraged feast a la Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall? Hot foot it down to his cookery school in Axminster for a massive range of day courses that take you from seashore to hedgerow. You could learn mushroom foraging, cheese-making, butchery, beekeeping, baking and more (not all in one go, obvs). Not sure where to start? Try River Cottage in Day, and by the end of the day you’ll have baked a farmhouse loaf, and cooked up a veggie, fish and meat dish plus a pudding! For the ultimate culinary experience, try the River Cottage Cookery Course, which includes four full days of lessons (including one from Hugh F-W himself), daily lunches and a signed book to take away.

Prices start at £175.

Creative writing courses, Curtis Brown Creative, online and London

If you feel like you’ve got the makings of a novel trapped deep inside, then who better to unlock it than the UK’s best literary agent-led writing school? Curtis Brown Creative works closely with the agent teams at Curtis Brown and sister agency C&W to offer a huge range of courses, from its flagship six-month novel-writing course to five-day short story writing. There’s all sorts of specialities on offer here, including children’s picture books, memoirs, crime fiction, romance and poetry, all with expert input from acclaimed authors and the chance to have your work reviewed by the literary bigwigs. Unleash the power of your imagination and who knows, you could join Curtis Brown Creative’s roster of published authors in the near future!

Prices start at £120.

Floristry fundamentals, Philippa Craddock, online

Fancy recreating Harry and Meghan’s wedding flowers? Lucky for you, the royal wedding florist herself runs online masterclasses! Philippa Craddock offers four classes a year, one per season, including bridal floristry (naturally) and Christmas design, but we’ll be signing up to the Floristry Fundamentals class this summer, which teaches the basics of sustainable floristry – perfect for a potential career pivot (or just having truly glorious arrangements dotted around the house).

Course cost: £495

Be your own interior designer, Sophie Robinson Design, online

You’ll recognise queen of colour Sophie Robinson from BBC’s The Great Interior Design Challenge and DIY SOS – and now’s your chance to snag some of her interiors wisdom, thanks to her online masterclasses. Her signature class, Be Your Own Interior Designer, includes 37 lessons for you to take at your own pace, and covers topics like colour scheming, how to create an effective mood board, furniture placement and *gulp* managing the budget.

Course cost: £295

Landscape photography, Dawn 2 Dusk Photography, multiple locations

Fancy stepping up your IG game? Dawn 2 Dusk might not be able to advise on the best angle for capturing your morning matcha latte, but they do specialise in breathtaking landscape photography. Courses are available in some of the most beautiful locations throughout the UK, including the Cornish and Dorset coastlines, the Yorkshire Dales and Dartmoor. There’s even a trip to Venice scheduled for 2023 – sign us up.

Prices start at £395.

Natural soap making, The Soap Coach, Dorset and online

Move over, Lush! Whether you fancy starting up a side hustle this year or you’re just in the mood for a new hobby, natural soap making could be your new thing – and we can’t think of anyone more suited to teach you than Keri, aka The Soap Coach. As well online courses, she also runs day classes at her studio in Dorchester, where she teaches both hot and cold process soap-making (no, I don’t know either) including how to scent, dye and decorate your bars. Just think, you’ll never need to buy a Christmas present again…

Prices start at £75.

World of Wine course, Local Wine School, online and nationwide

Whether you’re a wannabe sommelier or can’t tell your Chablis from your Chardonnay, Local Wine School has a great range of courses for anyone wanting to refine their palate and learn a little more about your drop of choice. Across 40 different locations in the UK, there are cheese and wine pairing sessions, an introduction to wine tasting and one-day wine courses, but their most popular course is their World of Wine, which comes in both four-week and eight-week options. You’ll try over 50 wines from the world’s top wine regions, focusing on a different area each evening, and learn exactly how to taste and pick the best wines locally. Another glass please, garcon!

Prices for World of Wine start at £110.

Women in Business course, London Business School, online

The last few years might have wreaked havoc on many of our careers, but we’re feeling ready to level up our professional lives in 2022. If that’s you, you might want to consider London Business School’s online courses. They have a huge variety of live and self-led programmes to take at your own pace (ideal if you need a little more flexibility), covering everything from leadership to finance, HR and digital marketing. Their Women in Business course takes place over five weeks, 6-9 hours per week, and aims to help you achieve higher leadership goals, improve communication and build a network of high-powered female leaders. It’s not cheap, but it could totally transform your career.

Course cost: £3,300

Woodland craft courses, Greenwood Days, Leicestershire

From willow weaving to chair making, there’s plenty to turn your hand to at Greenwood Days, which is set in a tranquil 90-acre wood on the Leicestershire/Derbyshire border. There are over 60 workshops to choose from in 2022, all ranging from 1 to 3 days, and classes take place in small groups – which is great if you have family members or friends who want to join in the fun.

Prices start at £100.

Circus skills, Circomedia, Bristol

Ever wanted to fly through the air with the greatest of ease? Well, roll up, roll up to Bristol’s own circus and physical theatre school, Circomedia. As well as legit qualifications, they also offer adult beginners classes including aerial hoop, silks and rope and – yes – flying trapeze. Can’t choose? Try a Circus Taster session, which includes tightwire, trapeze, juggling, acrobatics, handstands and more.

Prices start at £15.

Retreat programmes, in:spa, national, international and online

Okay, technically less of a course and more of a health retreat, but if you want to get to know your body better in 2022 then we can’t think of a more relaxing way than with an in:spa detox programme. Currently available in Tuscany and gorgeous Southern France (don’t mind if we do!), each retreat is hosted by a team of expert health, fitness and nutrition experts, who will put together a bespoke programme for each attendee based on their needs and goals. With an itinerary including deep tissue massages, yoga classes, guided hikes and nutrition consultations, you’ll leave having learned how to deeply relax – and after the last few years, isn’t that what we all need?

International retreats start at £2,195. Online programmes start at £450.