Gosh, what an amazing weekend, it was more like a mild May weekend than March! Youngling and I had a fabulous time, thank you so much to Phil for organising another great meet and to all the folk there who make it the unique and fabulous space in time that it is- freinds old and new to be met around the fire
So here's my pictoral offerings, I'm afraid I didn't get all the set ups- well, some of them (Martins!) spent all weekend morphing anyhow, it made a very surreal and ever changing landmark! Here's one of its' incarnations
This 'Naughty Corner' are being sent from (rather than to) Coventry soon... to Scotland, lucky devils, brace yourselves, North of the Borders
Phils fine new canopy, complete with disco ball at head torch height....
Bodges' set up was cushty too, always a heavenly smell of roasting oatcakes around here
Our set up- so nice to have a meet with Youngling, first of 2012 and brilliant that so many other young folk were there enjoying the woodland waking into spring!
Youngling re-awoke the fire on Saturday morning
I love the way the communal fire wakes slowly of a morning
An impromptu and extremely informative Sharps Safety Session
A fuel with a difference... this is the remnants of a most succesful ghillie kettle boiling fire... fuel? A packet of Pringles!
I had a less than successful attempt at fire by friction, managed little more than a wisp of smoke... Sam and Karl turned out goodly piles of embers which Chad the Pyro converted to glowing with a few well timed puffs
I *think* this is Karls ember pile, please pardon if I've mistaken someone elses boots
Youngling did very well whittling with his cast on Never say can't, eh....
Mmmm, Damiens' red thai curry, it was soooo nice!
Our stir fry and Family Taniths' garlic bread cooked under the fire... tis only 1/2 done here, it's a good job BCUK doesn't have Scent-o-rama, else you guys would be dribbling into your keyboards around now!
We made some Lemon biscuits under the fire too- this is Steves pit with a pull out shelf underneath. The trick is to heat the griddle plate on the fire to sizzling, then place on teh shelf with the bread/ biscuits/ similar on top so both sides cook- we both found it needed a turn and fairly frequent inspections but the biccies certainly did in a comparable time to in an oven. (Sam, I gotta type out the recipe for ya, if I don't get it done 2moz, PM me n tell me to crack on with it lovey!)
6am, Sunday morning, and I got to wake Youngling up. This NEVER happens at home and it felt MOST satisfying to turn the tables!
The sun was streaming into our pitch by 6.30, really lovely morning despite being a mite chilly
I learned that wood sorrel- the vivid green young growth on the clover-like plant below in particular- is a delicious spring tonic with a sharp apple tang Learning about the local flora is something I'm really excited about this growing season, the more I can get into my postage stamp, north facing garden, the better... it joins ransoms on the wish list for definate!
Well, thats my pictoral offerings, I'm afraid I didn't get any of the swaps and no doubt missed many other happenings too! It was wonderful to hear from those who had been to Andys send- off and much gratitude to him for his intervention with a gift of wonderful weather
Fabulous meet, much gratitude to all
So here's my pictoral offerings, I'm afraid I didn't get all the set ups- well, some of them (Martins!) spent all weekend morphing anyhow, it made a very surreal and ever changing landmark! Here's one of its' incarnations
This 'Naughty Corner' are being sent from (rather than to) Coventry soon... to Scotland, lucky devils, brace yourselves, North of the Borders
Phils fine new canopy, complete with disco ball at head torch height....
Bodges' set up was cushty too, always a heavenly smell of roasting oatcakes around here
Our set up- so nice to have a meet with Youngling, first of 2012 and brilliant that so many other young folk were there enjoying the woodland waking into spring!
Youngling re-awoke the fire on Saturday morning
I love the way the communal fire wakes slowly of a morning
An impromptu and extremely informative Sharps Safety Session
A fuel with a difference... this is the remnants of a most succesful ghillie kettle boiling fire... fuel? A packet of Pringles!
I had a less than successful attempt at fire by friction, managed little more than a wisp of smoke... Sam and Karl turned out goodly piles of embers which Chad the Pyro converted to glowing with a few well timed puffs
I *think* this is Karls ember pile, please pardon if I've mistaken someone elses boots
Youngling did very well whittling with his cast on Never say can't, eh....
Mmmm, Damiens' red thai curry, it was soooo nice!
Our stir fry and Family Taniths' garlic bread cooked under the fire... tis only 1/2 done here, it's a good job BCUK doesn't have Scent-o-rama, else you guys would be dribbling into your keyboards around now!
We made some Lemon biscuits under the fire too- this is Steves pit with a pull out shelf underneath. The trick is to heat the griddle plate on the fire to sizzling, then place on teh shelf with the bread/ biscuits/ similar on top so both sides cook- we both found it needed a turn and fairly frequent inspections but the biccies certainly did in a comparable time to in an oven. (Sam, I gotta type out the recipe for ya, if I don't get it done 2moz, PM me n tell me to crack on with it lovey!)
6am, Sunday morning, and I got to wake Youngling up. This NEVER happens at home and it felt MOST satisfying to turn the tables!
The sun was streaming into our pitch by 6.30, really lovely morning despite being a mite chilly
I learned that wood sorrel- the vivid green young growth on the clover-like plant below in particular- is a delicious spring tonic with a sharp apple tang Learning about the local flora is something I'm really excited about this growing season, the more I can get into my postage stamp, north facing garden, the better... it joins ransoms on the wish list for definate!
Well, thats my pictoral offerings, I'm afraid I didn't get any of the swaps and no doubt missed many other happenings too! It was wonderful to hear from those who had been to Andys send- off and much gratitude to him for his intervention with a gift of wonderful weather
Fabulous meet, much gratitude to all