This is the mulch-talented greenwoodworker Steve Tomlin making a rake with a sloping head for raking hay on hills. He had an amazing home made “stale engine” which I don’t have a photo of but you can see it on Steve’s blog.
Everything Steve does he does really well. I loved this steam bent ash hay rake.
This was the first time I had met Neil Taylor but I like his work. He is much inspired by John Brown’s fantastic Welsh Stick Chairs book and makes stools and chairs with lovely finishes and textures. Nice website too.
Alastair Hayhurst was hurdle making, no two hurdle makers work the same way and I was interested to watch the way he rives his hazel feeling the bend in the rod with the left hand and feeding it through with the right.
Then weaving it into the hurdle.
I loved these wood and canvas canoes built by Graham Warren at Chesterfield, next best thing to a birch bark?
Highlight of the show was that we are allowed to camp on site and all get together round a campfire, a wonderful evening, times like this work doesn’t feel much like work.
Great event for us Derbyshire lovers of greenwood crafts and craftsmen!