publication date: Jun 22, 2007
I organised a
bespoke weekend with Greenwood Days as a
birthday treat for my husband. Our
party totalled
18 in all:
three other
couples and
ten kids ranging in age from
six to
17 years, boys and girls. We were to spend about
24 hours in the woods, from
Sunday to
Monday morning.
Peter Wood, who runs this outfit
specialising in
traditional crafts, has built a
wonderful structure within the
woods. The
fire burns and the
kettle sings constantly beside the
crafting equipment and tools, under a high,
white shelter, that creaks and
sighs in the wind, making you feel like you are held in the
sails of a
ship.
Peter and I had
discussed how the day would
work best for a group of such greatly
differing ages. I decided we would
all work on making a
bench for the
birthday boy, with everyone
contributing something over the course of the day, whether it was
taking an axe to shape the first lumps of tree into what would become the legs, or spending a relaxing half-hour
sitting astride the
shaving horse, shaping the back struts.
Interspersed with this we did
willow weaving, creating
bull rush shapes that danced on the end of long sticks, or snails, or
fantastical creatures, so named when the weaving went a bit wonky! We made
pea wigwams and the most
beautiful lanterns to light our
barbecue as the evening closed in.
The
kids were only too pleased to
get off to bed in the
bracken so we were left in
relative peace, putting the world to rights as the
trees swayed gently.
It was a
bonus that it did not
rain until the
early hours. The onslaught of
torrential rain proved too much for the
woodland shelters and several of us admitted defeat and
retreated to the main
shelter – leaving those with Gore-tex bivvy bags snug as bugs.
We were
bleary eyed and
damp the next morning. But
spirits were not
daunted, even when we set off on our
final task – to try a spot of
coracling on the local reservoir. No one fell in, and I felt I had fulfilled my duty to provide some excitement when I was the only one to have to be rescued!
All in all, a very
special time. The children still talk about
the axes, and the
lanterns and the
barbecue, and my friends rate it the
best birthday treat ever. The husband was pretty chuffed too!
Choose from:
The Longbow Experience: following in the footsteps of English and Welsh bowmen from the Middle Ages, learn to shape an ash bow using simple tools and persuade it to bend to a near-semi circle. Finish it with the bowstring – then try firing it!
Coracle Making: Build a boat in a weekend! Create an "Iron Bridge" coracle from a framework of ash laths, covered with calico and bituminised. Then float your boat (change of clothing recommended)!
The Fabulous Family Greenwood Week: Spend a week in the greenwood, sleeping in woodland shelters – or a comfortable woodland lodge. There are plenty of activities and crafts to choose from: willow sculpture, making a stool from a tree, pole lathe turning, rustic chair making.
Guide to prices:
Courses
£60 per person per day
plus materials includes
hot lunch.
For
specific requirements discuss costs with Peter Wood.
Contact:
Greenwood Days tel:
01332 864529
Location:
The activities take place in
Spring Wood, near Melbourne,
Derbyshire.
