The past year has been quite hectic for the team. Not only on the bush craft and rural skills side but we have been nation wide at large and small country and game fairs pushing the products we sell and the bush craft school. Next year is looking like it will be similar and all involved are looking forward to a fresh season. Below are a few pictures of courses we have ran this year enjoy.

We started the drystone walling courses way back in march. The weather over the weekend was fantastic with superb views over the Fylde plain and the Cumbrian mountains.8 students attended the course with 13 meters of stock proof wall nicely finished. It always amazes me the range of people we get coming on this course. Anything from a doctor to a bricklayer, phycologist to banker. To anyone on this course my father has now completed the wall end in preparation for his intermediate examination

The weekend course in May was wet and cold and we were using the same site. The view had disappeared as well as the sun cream from the March course. The site was quite boggy by the end but the 10 students all thoroughly enjoyed themselves with 16 meters complete to stockproof height.

Following on from the weekend 2 of the students carried on the week and luckily the weather improved. For this course we were working in Calder bank lodge Hotel in Oakenclough. The owner Roland haywood asked us to carryout repairs on a planting bed and retaining wall. The stone we used was good level bedded sandstone and worked for the students well. There were frustrating times ahead, as on this course we asked for better quality and finish. The students enjoyed the task and finished in good time on the Friday. The pictures below shows the job from start to finish.

The August course saw us on a new site adjacent to the popular footpath onto Nicky Nook Fell. The weekend was attended by 9 students that completed 13 meters of stockproof wall. The site brought much awareness to the art of drystone walling as people stopped to have a chat and take photos while passing on the footpath. The stone type was slightly different to other courses being very level bedded and quite thin. The finished product looks pleasing to the eye but takes longer to complete.

2 students followed onto the week course by completing a wall end or cheekend as it is known and tying into the existing weekend work. This gave the hole wall substance and was well finished by the students. See pictures.

The last course of the year was a special project that Mike has had in mind for a while. The area is renowned as sheep country with far reaching grouse moors. The idea once thought out was to construct a shooting butt modified into a seat in the form of a shepards crook. This sounds complicated but as the pictures show was a challenge for the 3 students as finish, quality and design were paramount. The Bowland Crook as it was christened looks out onto farmland and grouse moor and is credited to our forebears that shaped the landscape the crook looks over.

Bushcraft diary 2005

Running outdoor living skills courses is a pleasure. The surroundings that you are working in never cease to amaze. Every time I set foot into the wilds of this country from the western isles of Scotland to the rolling hills of the south downs there is always something new. The people that attend our courses come from so very varied backgrounds, but always seem to get on well, especially after a hearty meal around the fire. Topics of conversation range from the sublime to the ridiculous, anything from tall tales of baboon attack in Africa and snake encounters, to what’s the weather going to do tomorrow.

I would like to personally thank all those who attended the courses over the year, and hope to see you all again.

The year started out in April. This course I had been waiting for all winter not just because it was the first of the season but it was a special course. I was contacted way back in in March 2003 by Lawrence mannion. Lawrence was from an organisation called Vitalise. Vitalise specialise in holidays for the visually impaired. As you could imagine I was racking my brain to see what skills could be taught over the weekend, as 4 of the students were totally blind. Lawrence assured me that I mustn’t change any of the itinerary of the Origins weekend.

The course started on the Saturday and straight away I was astounded at how the visually impaired students were coping with the tasks presented to them. Knife sharpening and use was a big worry, but no one received a cut all weekend. Next, fire by spark, yet again with guidance from Tamarack staff and Visualise helpers all achieved good results, some quicker that sighted students.

So the course went on, with all the other tasks completed with grit and determination by all students. Personnally I found the weekend to be a massive learning curve, but most of all a very humbling experience. Hears waiting for next year.

And so the year progressed, plenty of cooking, fire making and carving projects carried out by all the students attending. Some even booking on courses for 2006.

This years Family wilderness Break was great fun. I brought my canoe along and in twos the students went paddling on the lake. The best part was one of the father and son team caught a lovely Perch, that they filleted and steamed on hot coals, with every one diving in with handmade chopsticks. Everyone enjoyed the woodland skills games that we planned for the last day, and we finished with a rove around Nicky Nook area to test out new found observation skills.

The end of the season found us in the Cairngorms in Scotland. The students had previously been on the Origins week and wanted to test there skills further in a more challenging environment on the Vision week. On this course the students construct a natural shelter on day 1 and live in this for the remainder of the course. Shelters and the students endurance were tested to the full as a 30 hour rain storm moved in as the shelters were just finished. Food supply had run out by the Wednesday with the students being self sufficient from this point. Two rabbits snared and a lot of near misses with throwing sticks saw the students to the end of the course. All carving projects and traps were made in a very efficient and aesthetic cally pleasing way, and a good time was had by all.

In essence I had a great time over the past season, and have gathered a great deal more experience by listening and observing all the students. I hope they take away with them a better understanding of our surroundings and have learnt to use there senses, respect and nurture the plants and animals that provided us with shelter, warmth, light and food.

2006

2006 promises to be a good year, look out your window and the signs are there. Our season never really ends. The winter time is taken up with more nights out and developing new techniques and practising the old ones to a good standard.

February sees the team in Arctic Sweden for the 3^rd year running, we always look forward to this one. More dog mushing practice, cross-country skiing and living outdoors in such a beautiful environment. There is also an ulterior motive why we visit Sweden. This trip will finalise the remain ding itinerary for ARCTIC SWEDEN 2007.This will be a 7 day Arctic experience, managing and preparing Reindeer, cross-country skiing, natural shelters and ice fishing. Please keep an eye on the we site for full details in spring 2006.

Here are some photos of the past year.

PHOTOS

I will now end the diary here, and wish all a very happy Christmas and a prosperous new year.

Mike Rushton