'Tis the year of after school activities, as proclaimed by us, so now's the time to find something - other than the pub - to do.

Hammer and sew your way to an accomplished new self (seriously therapeutic). At Prescott and Mackay's workshops you can make corsets, tutus, bags, and there's even a shoemaking course over a weekend, so no willpower required.

Or if you'd prefer scallops to stilettos, a visit to Billingsgate of a Saturday afternoon can see you learning all manner of fishy skills and going home with a cordon bleu seafood supper.

If you're not quite ready to abandon wintry alcoholism, you could put a visit to La Casa del Habano on your self-reinvention schedule. Although you'll basically be drinking at a cosy Conran bar, you can learn the fine art of Cuban cigar rolling (worthwhile skill we think) while you're at it.

And if you'd like to unleash your inner beast, maybe check out a class at the London School of Painting- where they claim to be able to teach you to oil paint from scratch (they haven't met me yet...).

If a course doesn't create a new you, at least you'll keep your mitts occupied.