DAVID BETTELLEY is going where no man has gone before - in the very feminine world of quilt-making.

Widower Mr Bettelley, 74, made a living in a masculine dominated trade, as a welder.

But now he has turned his hand to a hobby usually practised by women. In fact, he is the only man in a group of 27 who regularly get together to sew quilt patches and learn stitches.

Mr Bettelley has been taking his needle, cotton and fabric to a weekly class at the Bridges Community Centre, Monmouth, for the past eight years.

The retired man, who lives near Monmouth, joined the The Wye Knots quilting group when his doctor recommended taking up a hobby after suffering a stroke.

“He said I needed to do something to stimulate my brain which was affected by the stroke so I went along to the Bridges Community Centre and looked at the list of activities on offer”, he explained.

“I had tried most of them but not quilting and wondered what it was all about.

“I asked if I could join, signed up to a class and have been going ever since,” he added.

The grandfather-of-one said he spends much of his time making quilts and is still learning the craft “I had never tried quilting until I joined the class. I taught myself cross stitch 30 years ago after seeing demonstrations at a craft show but quilting is very different.

“I find it fascinating and very therapeutic. It does require patience and a bit of maths but isn’t difficult to learn.

“It is a good way to unwind and has helped me enormously.

As well as our own work we make quilts for charities, helping those in need and supporting the soldiers.”

Quilting involves cutting pieces of fabric into squares and sewing them together by hand or using a sewing machine.

“It can take me up to a year to make a full-size quilt but they can be any size you want and there are hundreds of designs you can produce,”

said Mr Bettelley.

He also attends classes in Abergavenny and Usk and says he isn’t intimidated by being surrounded by women - he doesn’t mind being the only man.

“The ladies are lovely and helped me when I first started.

We all get on very well and I love going,” he said.

The group’s organiser Gill Lewis, who formed The Wye Knots around 25 years ago, said Mr Bettelley is a muchloved member.

“When he started he was very quiet but soon got into it and works very hard ,”

said Mrs Lewis of Osbaston.

“He likes learning new things and isn’t bothered that he’s the only man,” she added.

The group welcomes new members. The Wye Knots meet every Monday at 7.30pm at Bridges Community Centre.