Thought that I would give this a bump for you Roger.
The Wilderness Gathering has a lot going for it, much, much more than can be waded through in just a single day.
You can enjoy a friendly relaxed family atmosphere, whilst learning tonnes of Bushcraft stuff, the whole place is a veritable encyclopaedia of skills and knowledge.
You can involve yourself in as much or a little as you wish, and it seems day or night there is always something to do.
At the end of each day you can join in with others at the main fields camp fire, have a few beers, talk, listen to stories being told and live music being played and if youve a mind, make new friends.
If you are a regular, you can meet with old friends and catch-up.
The Beer and Cider tent is a gathering point for those who like to socialise with a drink in their hands and the Tea & Coffee tent sell some of the nicest cakes Ive had.
The myriad of stall holders are always willing to is talk to anyone, give advice about what they know and demonstrate their wares.
There is a constant supply of Free demonstrations to attend, and there is a plethora of organised classes, for those who want a more in-depth knowledge base about a subject.
Come rain or shine it is a great weekend Family event.
In all fairness, I feel that I may have been perhaps a little one sided in my last posting on this thread, by not mentioning at the same time the merits of the Bushcraft Show, that is run by the Bushcraft and Survival Magazine.
I did sing (quite sweetly I thought) the praises of the Wilderness Gathering, since it is a really great show, but I dont see that the Wilderness Gathering and the Bushcraft Show are in any way in completion with each other, each has its own merits and own unique characteristics. And since they are set three months apart from each other, both shows are well worth attending.
I attended both the Bushcraft show and the Wilderness gathering last year, so by way of some balance, I would like to offer just some of the merits and benefits of the Bushcraft show that I found significant and why I had such a good time there.
The Bushcraft show had its debut, last year and what a debut it was. Normally for a first time show I would have expected it to have a lot of teething problems; Im sure that there were some, but none that I could see. And since lessons are always learned when something is new, I can see that this years show will only surpass itself with its quality and atmosphere.
I found it to be a really exciting and vibrant weekend, and was super impressed with the quality, and calibre, of all of the trader demonstrators that I spoke to. The knowledge base was staggering, and every demonstration I watched was well worth the time.
The shows Info Booklet timetable was packed with just about every conceivable aspect of Bushcraft and outdoor living and it was a great guide to what was going on at any particular time and just as importantly where within the site it was going on. As a guide it allowed me to plan out my weekend. I hope that they have one at this years show.
If I had any complaints about the Bushcraft Show, it would be, for me, that the weekend was just too short to accommodate all that I wanted to see, do, make and try. There was just so much happening.
I found the whole event to be most relaxing and friendly, and although hard on my feet, what with all of the walking, not just looking at all of the stands, but listening to all of the lectures and classes and getting to meet one of my long term Bushcraft / Survival heroes
Lofty Wiseman, but also exploring the woods and beautiful lake shores of the area. At the end of each day, I would just sit back around my Fire Pit with a cold beer in my hand and absorb the friendly ambiance of the place. I met so many interesting and friendly people there that I very much look forwards making their acquaintance again at this years show in June.
As for the staff, I found them to be helpful and they did all that they could to accommodate any requests and the occasional questions that I asked of them throughout the weekend.
Overall I feel that the Bushcraft Show is a great place to spend a family weekend where you can do so much, learn so much and admire so much without having to spend money if dont want to.
I would well recommend it!
