East Anglia Group!

[RAPPLEBY2000]

i would be more than happy to run a demonstration on the bow drill.
(now that's something i couldn't say last year! )

if you Kimboko can provide training sets that would be excellent!

i am not 100% with flint/steel,( though i will happily demonstrate a Firesteel)
before i can say for sure i need to know times dates of the camp where ect.

 

[Fenlander]

If you are serious about giving a demo I can bring about 15 bowdrill sets and 5 or 6 flint and steels if we want to let the Scouts have a go at fire.

We are NOT going to demo at our meet, we will organise a special event for that Hopefully you could come along with your kit once a date is organised

 

[KIMBOKO]

I have booked the site today

There will be 60 scouts on site, but they will not be anywhere near our camp.

I have also offered our services to run a traing course for scouts on basic bushcraft skills

I was replying to the above.
Are we not doing a course training now? Or perhaps a a non fire subject.
Either way is cool.

 

[Fenlander]

Think I may have confused things!!!

Guys, just forget about running a demo for scouts!!! I didn't mean the scouts who will be on site when we are there!

If I organise a demo day, I will let you know!

We will have nothing to do with scouts at the next meet!

 

[KIMBOKO]

Message understood.

 

[Kane]

Lol may be easier to say what youe are going to do

Kane

 

[jem seeley]

We will,of course,say"Hello" if we should happen to bump into some scouts- would seem rude to just ignore them!!

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

A big thanks to R-bowskill for organising the East Anglia meetup yesterday.

and thankyou everyone for turning up!

we found R-bowskill making a fishing net.....oops i mean hammock hidden behind the giant redwood, after discussing various uses and the legality of it , also we found a common interest in canoeing of which we considered ideas such as canoe trips!

R-Bowskill showed us an exciting boat design which i think might catch on for bushcrafters as a good, cheep, and easy to transport, general purpose craft!
R-Bowskill says construction may begin very soon! watch this space!

after our fishing .... erm...canoeing discussion we went-a-foraging,
there were many different foods to be found,
some of the foods included:

Bramble
Raspberry(not the berries though)
black/red current
rowan
rosehips
burdock (ready for digging up for roots)
sloe berry
hawthorn
nettle
lime leaves
jews ear fungus
a variety of puff ball fungus

among other things found were:
tinder (rosebay willow herb seeds)
flint stones (bearing blocks)
flints for knapping
clematis and elder for hand drill parts.

Please add to the list if you can remember any more!

Again thanks for meeting as always it’s good to know there are like minded people around!

i think can speak for everyone in saying we all enjoyed the day and are looking forward to the next meetup!

 

[R-Bowskill]

Certain people who shall remain nameless were fortunate enough to find an ice cream plant, and sample it's fruit!!!!

Other things found were:
foods:

elder berries
Apples (although most had fallen and were rotting on the ground)

Squirrel
Pidgeon
Rat

Note no animals were hurt during this forage

Also Rappleby 2000 demonstrated fire starting with a firesteel and birch bark and I think everyone was encouraged to do stuff and learn more skills.

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

rat? yuk!

i much prefere desert rat from round the corner!

yes the ice cream plant is quite an unusual one, strange rubbery metallic cylindrical roots and multi coloured leaves it almost loked like some sort of vehicle and the seeds look alot like cadbury's flakes!

 

[lord lurcher]

just to say, thoroughly enjoyed weekends forage/mooch about!! Thanks to R.J, rapplesby and mr bowskill for an entertaining and informative time, had to feel sorry for bowskill though having to fish out his fungi ident book every 5 mins after my cries of heres one! What is it? What is it!? Lot of shared interests amongst us (obviously) must do it again soon, maybe find a different strain of ice cream plant - strawberry maybe!!!!!!

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

JUST A NOTE FOR THE NORWICH DWELLERS!!

the disused railway(now a bike path) that starts behind sainsbury's (queens road), has loads of ripe foods!

i took my boy along the path and we found:

blackberrys
elderberrys
apples(not crab or cookers)
pears though not ripe
greengages(a plum variety ripe when greeny yellow)
the further out of the city the nicer the blackberrys are!

take a push bike and see what you can find

(the railway finishes near texas homecare off hall road)

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

just wondered has anyone any photo's from the first east anglia meetup they could put on this thread?

i don't know if you remember but i was using a cheapo digital camera that lost all the pictures.

fennlander or R-bowskill might have some, if not could you bring some (or copies of) to the meet up which i will pay for.

cheers

 

[R-Bowskill]

I'm sure Tesa took a load of photo's and think she's had them developed but I've not seen them yet. She's up in Birmingham for a couple of weeks but I'll ask her when she gets back to Norwich.

PS. the canoe is taking shape nicely and looks like it'll meet my requirements verry well indeed. Plenty of work to do on it yet as I want to make a good job of it.

 

[lord lurcher]

G'day guys, could someone let me know how to get details for the meet near bury in cple weeks, i'm definitely coming, looking forward to it!!

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

yup, i should hopefuly be there too!

my car's working now, so could give snufkin and 2 others a lift!

what is the arranged date? or time? no one has mentioned it

 

[lord lurcher]

I believe it is the 1/2 oct,at the bury site? I havent been before so dont know where it is! R there any site rules that need to be adhered to, can we have campfires? R we allowed a cple of beers on the sat night? I'm a bit in the dark as to how these things work! I'm sure you'll all put me in the picture. looking forward to seeing y'all anyway

 

[jem seeley]

Yes, the next East Anglia meet is on 1st/2nd Oct. at the site near Bury.(please PM me for directions).The site will be open from 9am Sat. We are in our usual position amongst the big limes at the far side of the site. We have a communal fire where we do most of the cooking/socialising.However feel free to bring along a stove if you wish.Sat. evening's meal will be made with 'wild foods' as far as possible so can everyone try to bring some foraged food to cook and share.I'll be demonstrating how to ponasse a fish for those that haven't tried this technique before.If you wish to have a go can you also bring along a whole fish (seabass,trout maybe).You will also need to bring along enough food for the rest of the weekend-do try to bring along ingredients rather than relying on packet and tinned foods as you will get a lot more from the weekend by honing your campfire cooking skills!
The site has limited hammock spaced trees! Be prepared to adapt your sleeping arrangements.We will also be sharing the site with some Scouts athough as we like to keep our presence discreet this should not present any problems (they will not be near us).Needless to say sensible behaviour will be expected with minors around.This is not to say that you can't enjoy a wee tipple by the fireside though
On Sunday we are planning to break camp and head over to Bradfield Woods by 10.30am(again PM me if you are only joining us on Sun. & need directions)Other workshops to be confirmed-watch this space.Look forward to seeing you all.

 

[Biddlesby]

I'll bring the money on Saturday this time....

Sounds good, I'm not one for this city living now I'm boarding at college.

Is ponassing the thing with the sticks and whatnot?

 

[jem seeley]

Correct,sticks & whatnot. Remember Biddlesby NO sandwiches this time! See you there.