Hedgelaying

[locum76]

Quick but serious questions:

1) are there any experienced/expert hedgelayers out there that would be interested in a days work for cash training me and a group how to do it properly?

the work would be in West Lothian and the group would include a broad range of people.

2) Does anyone know where to get good quality cheap billhooks?

Rob

(PM me if you are potentialy up for the training bit)

 

[Toddy]

Geoff Forest teaches this iirc, and I'm pretty sure Fiona knows how. Both are good teachers too
Reekies farm shops had the billhooks.........maybe check with Russ on this?

cheers,
Mary..............can I come and help out if I can get there ? Billhook will come with me

 

[westie1]

I did a day course in this with BTCV just before christmas and that was good might be worth asking them as there a nationwide organisation.

 

[locum76]

Toddy: Of course you can come along. I'm just setting the parameters/ advert for the event though I still need a corporation to take the bait.

Westie1: I've talked to BTCV and I know some of the guys involved up here and I might get them in. The only thing is that this is a money making idea and If i got BTCV involved they'll want a cut.

 

[markheolddu]

Hi Locum, you can get billhooks in quite a few places, ebay and farm shops are a good start. But the new ones are not as good as the old ones. Timeless tools have a lot in stock but can be on the higher side of good value if you know what I mean. Car boot sales are where I get mine from, usually look to pay around £10. New handles are easy to fit and cost under £5.

Hope this helps Mark

 

[pete79]

Howdy.

I used to teach hedgelaying, but now live in a way too distant location to be of any assistance. The organisation I worked for used to make a fine bit of cash by selling the training to corporations as practical biodiversity training workshops. Lots of companies would bite. I can't remember which ones I had out with me, but a couple that spring to mind were Barclaycard and Caterpillar; Barclaycard, in particular, kept coming back for more, for several years. Loads of large corporations now have a pot of cash which they would dedicate towards worthy community and conservation projects. I never did the fixing of the training, just did the actual training, but it seemed to me that the lady who organised it would just approach a large company, sell the idea to them on the grounds of it being a worthy cause for wildlife, and arrange a bit of publicity for the company doing a good deed......and it worked. If you wish to do the whole training with corporations thing, don't just stick to hedgelaying; drystone walling, coppicing, any outdoor, woodland/wildlife management ideas would bring them in.

Good luck. Hedgelaying is ace fun.

Pete

 

[Melonfish]

Speaking of BTCV if your in cheshire they're doing intro, level 1 and level 2 hedgelaying courses starting on the 22nd of jan. free to cheshire residents and £25 a day for anyone else!
i'm also doing their charcoal and woodland crafts course in feb.

 

[westie1]

Im doing a national diploma in countrysdie management and work along side BTCV and there good lads defo worth looking into for anyone wanting to do this sort of thing. Only problem is they are volunteers and after this course i need employment, how do you compete with free labour!
Thats another issue lol, anyway they have a huge knowlege base and the books they produced are like the bible