Scything Festival 27^th & 28^th June on the Wimpole Estate

Simon was of course the top man at this event and always willing to entertain he treated us to yet another acquisition – this diesel powered water wheel.

Simon decided to have an oak stake off. Make six fencing stakes.

 

Chainsaw versus pure muscle and a few wedges and the odd sledge hammer.

Now halfway through it almost looked like neck and neck but Simon came through s clear winner albeit totally wiped out!

The cider making competition was held on the Saturday by Simon’s friend and although I rather fancied the challenge this guy was rather good at it and very entertaining. I though you just to drink it all.

 

You may well remember Tony Hague – winner of the tool competition at the Ball this year. Well he is still at it with all this lot below!

 

We were next to folly – some of which has been restored to its former glory.

I suspect this was Simon's forge with a visitor doing rather well with a small charcoal fire.

 

This was a junior tug of war with a hay rope.

Andy Marczewski has been playing again – this is his solar powered rust remover. Note the shovel anode bicarb. electrolyte and solar panel – I find a generator and an angle grinder with a wire brush 








Now this must be the worst picture I have ever posted. Obviously a story here – it was found unable to fly with some sort of thread wrapped round both feet. We managed to cut it all off and it then flew onto Harriot Sprigs shelter to recover. It never went away – probably followed someone home.

For my sins the only shot of Harriot’s setup.

Tillie was demonstrating on the pole lathe – please note the angle of the poles which reduce the angle on the work making it more efficient.

Another great weekend at Wimpole – all thanks to mainly Simon Damant and all his NT volunteers. Nearly forgot to mention the acrobatic display from a Spitfire on Sunday.

Saturday / Sunday 20/21^st June Wood Fair at the Weald and Downland Museum at Singleton Sussex

Mike Gordon using the opportunity to do a bit of tool promotion whilst adjusting one of the Sussex shelters.

Your chairman attempting to use Clau’s trick (standing on something to get closer to the satellite) to get some reception.

The grain store behind me was getting a makeover from the local thatcher.

 Amy and Graham picking up a few tips from the expert James Pumprey on bowl turning.

Simon Damant , Sue Reeve and the tool guy.

Sue was spotted later in the day on a pole lathe doing rather well, surprise surprise.

Simon does everything well and pretty quickly.

Mike doing what he excels at – teaching the basics of pole lathing.

This young lady was on a family holiday.

This could be a promotional image to advertise heat powered laptops, but Simon has yet to complete his field trials.

Jeremy Atkinson – maybe the last clog maker, as you may know the APTGW have given a grant to JoJo Wood who is now training with him.

A fine example of his work.

Check out his website       www.clogmaker.co.uk

This was the first rocket stove I have seen that powers a light (have seen the phone charger ones with the USB).

I missed the charcoal  earth burn as we were a little spread out along the long tourist trail.

Good to see Ted Tuddingham again work on a bark seat for a chair.

This really beautiful boat had started out as just a dugout (about 20mm thick). It was then filled with water into which large amounts of hot metal was added. After a good slow boil the cross struts were forced in pushing the sides out – what a brilliant way of doing it. That’s not all; it was then carved to make it the masterpiece that it is! I did not see Damian Goodburn on the day but his face was on the information.

Nessie, Amy and children enjoying themselves. Watch your backs boys they are good!

A great weekend with friends at a very pretty venue.

It was a shame that the public had to walk such a distance to see us and even further uphill to see others. The least sustainable crafts were closer, as were the commercial food outlets who may have seen the 5,000 people on Saturday, many of whom did not see us.

 Saturday 13^th June APTGW meeting at the Shard

As you know behind every great organisation there is a great committee.

Apologies to Sue and Dave Reeve (membership) and Hugh Spencer (Web resources) who were left out of this shot.

We were pleased to welcome two new members Andy Alder, who ran the ground crew at the Ball (third from left) and Jamie Burden (fourth from left) from the Chiltern group. Richard Andersen (Bath group) another new member was unable to attend.

Life goes on; we discussed the ball and what we would want to change for next year at Tyntesfield Nr Bristol.

We also discussed lots of other stuff but it’s all far too secret for this blog especially as it is now on my Facebook page and hopefully the APTGW Facebook page as well.

Visit to the Firkin Ale House Cheriton Place Folkestone CT20 2AZ 6^th June

One of the benefits of joining CAMRA apart from for £17 / year membership you get back £20 in beer vouchers is that it makes you aware of all the great pubs there are. I normally just search them on the web but you can get guides.

I visited this micro pub right in the heart of town. Everything about this one was different.

 

No mobile phones or noisy children.

The unisex loo was immaculate and interestingly decorated with beermats

They sold a variety of local craft cheeses priced very keenly this goats cheese was £2.20p and a box of crackers £1, the pickle was free!

Most beers were £3.

Would highly recommend a visit.

First meeting at Claudine Cecil’s place at Burwash 7^th June

This lovely setting in a valley (prone to flooding), next to Roger Daltry’s place;

 

This Bamboo was growing at ½” an hour

 

Plenty of cooking resources, Clau proved to be a great host.

Mark Smith’s lathe with Yew bow poles, Mike Gordon enjoying a rest and Peter Castle who popped in for a quick chat.

 

Mike enjoying a snack or two or three.

 

Harriet, sitting in with Mark Smith who was entertaining us with Clau (not in shot),

 Mike still chilling out.

 

Now Mark is in to airplanes and things – these days very powerful electric motors rule the skies with their lithium gel batteries. Believe you me once up it’s a buzzard! So much so a Kestrel was shadowing it! 

It has been rumoured that the locals con visitors with tall tales of local buzzards doing aerial acrobatics.

What a great setting – rumours of a mini ball setting. Thanks Clau

Woodland Farm Walderchain Barham Canturbury  6^th June

This was my first visit to this new  Kent venue -  20 acres of woodland owned by Mark Saich

Richard and …. Snow with Pear wood

 

Phill Piddell with a newel post top.

Jill Swan providing the entertainment as always

Mark was a great host, interesting venue used to be a camp site, talk of mini

ball venue already. Mark is very keen to develop his wood into a course venue.

Bredhurst Wood Fayre 30/31^st May

This was my first visit to the 600 acres in Kent. Steve Wright who I met at a leatherworking day with the Kent group earlier in the year organised this event to celebrate their 10^th year of restoration of the site. It had been a dumping ground for stolen cars and fly tippers.

 

 Well he telling stories!

 

Wandering minstrels

Some beautiful logging horses were doing their stuff.

Mark Sidders – his really unusual lightweight display.

 

Non slip routing mat; actually used to protect the underside of the spoon from the old surform blade fixed to the top of the shave horse.

It’s the roundhouse from Bentley with a new roof.

One amazing pretty chair with captive rings on each spindle, - even if it was down on a power lathe.

One of the visitors may have been expecting trouble so he brought his retired sniffer dogs (explosives) with him.

The dog actually sniffing is trained to help people suffering from cynophobia (fear of dogs).

The man with the roundhouse was making bentwood chairs £130 each.

Thanks for the invitation Steve, what a great venue, hope to visit again.