In these days of e-mail and text messages, we rarely put pen to paper. But when we do, particularly to write a letter to a friend, it is all the more satisfying. Some, with a love of lettering, go further and try their hand at calligraphy.

Jilly Hazeldine is an expert in the field, with a passion for the subject – both its history and execution.

She holds classes in Ilkley, passing on her skills to people, some of whom have been attending her two-hour sessions for years.

“I like letters because I’m a trained designer, and I like the tactile experience of the ink on the page – it is a lovely movement,” she says.

A fellow of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators, Jilly studied graphics at the famous Glasgow School of Art, before going on to work for 20 years in the advertising industry in London, latterly running her own business with husband Derek.

In 1986, the couple moved to the Yorkshire Dales village of Austwick near Settle. Jilly began to learn calligraphy and signed up to qualify as a teacher. “I was, literally, in at the deep end,” she recalls. “It was a steep learning curve.”

She has come a long way since then, and now teaches at colleges and within regional calligraphy groups across the UK and overseas. Last year she taught students in Finland. She exhibits her work, and is currently writing a book on the use of words and text within calligraphy.

The Ilkley courses, which last for seven or ten weeks, are run by the Workers’ Educational Association.

Watching Jilly moving the pen across the paper, sweeping and curling here and there, she makes it look effortless.

Broad-edged dip pens are commonly used on good quality paper. Quills are usually used on vellum. “Not many modern scribes use vellum,” she says, referring to an on-going project, Saint John’s Bible, in which the bible is being transcribed by calligraphers in the UK on vellum for monks at Saint John’s Benedictine Abbey in the USA. When complete, it will be the first hand-written, illuminated (illustrated using special techniques) bible produced in the modern era.

Jilly’s interest in calligraphy and the use of words led to an interest in other, associated, arts. “I started to read poetry. I work with words but don’t like my own, so I use words I find powerful and moving – many from poetry and prose. It is thoroughly absorbing and fascinating – you never stop learning.”

Many members of the class I attend are engrossed in copperplate – a style of writing that has its origins in metal engraving. It uses a flexible, pointed nib, where the thick and thin lines are made by pressure, and angle of writing is 55 degrees.

“There are an infinite number of different styles,” says Jilly. “The variations are endless.”

Jilly learned the technique after being commissioned to update the family tree of a baroness. “When it arrived, it was written in copperplate, so I had to learn it,” she recalls.

Concentrating hard on his lettering, class member David Walker breaks off for a moment to explain his love of the art. A former signwriter, he left the trade many years ago but retained a leaning towards artistic lettering. “A year ago, I spotted an advert for this course in my local paper and followed it up,” he says. “I enjoy it, I find it relaxing, and unlike pottery, it is something I can practice at home.

“There are so many different fonts – I tend to use ‘uncial’, a traditional ancient alphabet.”

Uncial – from the Latin meaning ‘inch high’ – dates from the Middle Ages and was composed of capital letters. Today there are three main styles of calligraphy – Western or Roman, Arabic, and Chinese or Oriental.

“Up to the ninth century, letters were all capitals, then the miniscule or small letters emerged, followed by the Gothic period,” explains Jilly, who is, to use a calligraphic pun, a font of knowledge on the history of lettering.

“Calligraphy is so interesting – it encompasses history and religion,” she says. Scripts often reflect the architecture and fashion of different periods.

The key letter in calligraphy is ‘0’. “Most are based on the circle,” explains Jilly. “We read letters from the shape that is within them as much as the letter itself.”

Long-time class member Val Wood loves the challenge presented by ancient works. “It is the thrill of transcribing from really old scripts. They are fascinating and require careful manipulation of the pen. Then we do a modern version of an old script.”

Another benefit of the art, to which other members also refer, is that calligraphy leads the writer to works of literature that they would not normally seek out. David, as he uses the calligrapher’s technique of pulling the pen towards him over the page (you don’t push away) says, “I transcribe a lot of poetry. I often use the Canterbury Tales, and I recently used A Celtic Miscellany containing translations of ancient texts – books I would not otherwise look at.”

Sue Jackson loves the patterns, colours and words: “I also love interpreting words. Since I took up calligraphy I’ve started reading a lot more poetry. It challenges the brain.” Olwen Sharp links her love of calligraphy to her mathematical ability. She says: “At first the heights and widths have to be set, then later you can adapt your letters yourself and don’t need to be quite as precise. With Gothic, for example, you can ask yourself ‘What if I make this a bit taller or wider?’”

She adds: “Calligraphy is an escape – when I do it, I don’t think of anything else.”

Members take their own materials, the principal tools being pens, which may be flat or round-nibbed, brushes, ink – usually water-based – and good quality paper with good consistency of porosity, which enable clean lines to be drawn.

Calligraphy is far more than rows of fancy lettering – it is about spacing, angles, control of the pen and fluency.

As in any art or craft, mistakes do happen. “Yes, I sometimes slip, or make a spelling mistake,” confesses Jilly. “Usually, I just swear under my breath and start again.”

* Jilly’s classes are held at St Margaret’s Church Hall, Queen’s Road, Ilkley.

* For more information, contact Ivan Minto of the WEA on (01943) 600870, e-mail: yorkshumber@wea.org.uk or visit wea.org.uk/yh.

Fact File

* The word Calligraphy comes from the Greek ‘kallos’ meaning beauty and ‘graphe’ for writing.

* Its history dates back to the Stone Age. Around 2500BC, the first real writing, known as cuneiform was invented in Mesopotamia. Using a wedge-shaped tool, marks were etched into clay to represent the sound of words.

* In 1500BC, the Chinese developed a script consisting of more than 1,500 characters representing an idea rather than a sound or letter.

* In the sixth century, monks began using a calligraphy style known as uncial to write religious books.

* Masterpieces of calligraphic art include the Irish Book of Kells and the English Lindisfarne Gospels.

* In China, calligraphy is an important part of Chinese culture and calligraphers are revered citizens.