Ray Mears

[Matt Weir]

Spike,

I have just had another chap at work look and he can also see them. Are you browsing from home or work? If it's work maybe you have a proxy connection and the proxy server blocks photobucket images?

 

[Matt Weir]

http://uktv.co.uk/index.cfm/uktv/G2.gallery/aid/584438 - pictures that are
slightly better than matt-w's (no offence!).

LOL, none taken Jodie.

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

Spike,

I have just had another chap at work look and he can also see them. Are you browsing from home or work? If it's work maybe you have a proxy connection and the proxy server blocks photobucket images?

Im at home, using Firefox, so it should be ok, i'll just try again later No worries ....

 

[nobby]

OK so he's no god and the world of celebrity may have driven him in a rather too comercial direction, but he has brought 'bushcraft'* to the masses. That can only be a good thing in this world of fat lazy B'stards sitting infron to the tv all day and night!

I think if Ray Mear the man could be seperated form Ray Mears the brand ..... Sadly, I don't think that will happen until the bubble has burst.

* I say 'bushcraft' rather than bushcraft, because it's what my father would think of as scouting, my grandfather as camping and my great grandfather as everyday living.:

I think that it is worth considering that without the 'commercialisation he wouldn't earn a living. The TV productions probably pay better than the courses and help advertise his product. Also, he probably wouldn't get to the exotic locations without TV funding. That also internationalises his brand.
Do the masses care? I'd suggest that because people watch a programme on tv doesn't mean they participate. I watch archaeology programmes but haven't been on a dig since the middle '60's; bored the pants off me. Nowadays archaeology has the attendant risk of Tony Robinson turning up and annoying me.
Thousands watching the tv shows only translates into dozens at Ray's live performances; however difficult they are to get tickets for. He wouldn't pack the Albert Hall or the Porthmadog fleapit.
He is a 'brand name'. That is what he has to be if he wants to earn a living that means he doesn't need to live in a bender in a small patch of woodland.

I agree entirely with your last (*) paragraph although my great grandfathers were all city dwellers. I've often thought that if you have Scouting for Boys, Nessmuk and Kephart you have all that is necessary. Everybody else just puts a different spin or gloss on the same things, not that that makes them any less interesting.

 

[Backyard Bushcraft]

i really wanna see his "crib" i wonder if it looks how i imagine, or has he got a big blingin house

 

[Zodiak]

seeing as many of us were dissapointed about missing the man himself at the outdoors show, does anyone have any idea how we could invite him on to this site?

It maybe taht he wants to keep work and home life seperate, I know that I hate being asked to deal with IT problems when I get home.

I know his wife died recently, does he have kids?

 

[Zodiak]

Rather than a 'live' link-up, why can't we have a kind of interview where the members of BushcraftUK.com can each submit one question to ask.

Lets bear in mind this is also his job, I wouldn't feel comfortable in asking to do something for us without paying him for it.

 

[Zodiak]

I think I mumbled something along the lines of 'I like your telly programme, Mr Mears. Could you sign my books and DVDs, please?

A few years back I was trying to get a low prices on an RM course as a prize for Scout Leaders in Kent. I wrote to woodlore who were very helpful and got a note from Ray and signed copy of his Survial Book which we coudl either keep or raffle.

The note was tottaly inspirational and humbling (its in my loft), I can't remember the exact words but it was somthing like "Thanks for taking time to teach our children about the world".

I was gobsmacked there was the TV guru thanking me for something as simple as taking kids camping! Thats probably why he walks on water as far as I am concerned.

 

[Justin Time]

I wonder whether threads like this would encourage or discourage him from publicly associating with the forum....

 

[spamel]

Ray does have children, Chris Evans asked him about his kids' camping trips saying I bet they have the best trips in the world and Ray agreed! How cool would that be?!! Saying that, my dad used to take me camping and I thoroughly enjoyed it, so he's also cool!!

 

[Jedadiah]

It maybe taht he wants to keep work and home life seperate, I know that I hate being asked to deal with IT problems when I get home.

I know his wife died recently, does he have kids?

His wife died recently? Is this true? The guy must be devastated! How many kid's has he got? What age's? :confused

I'm sorry peeps, but if the above is true i'm pretty sure i'd have more important things to do than sneak around on a forum to see if people are critisizing me!

 

[Justin Time]

To be honest I wish we'd better things to do than discuss the guy's private life, it's really got nothing to do with Bushcraft or Bushcrafters and doesn't reflect well on the forum, IMHO

 

[Marts]

His wife died recently? Is this true? The guy must be devastated! How many kid's has he got? What age's? :confused

I'm sorry peeps, but if the above is true i'm pretty sure i'd have more important things to do than sneak around on a forum to see if people are critisizing me!

Come on guys. Please leave this line of debate alone. It has been well covered in the past and you can search for the threads if you really want to look into it.(they were locked in the end IIRC) but let's leave it and their family in peace eh?

 

[spamel]

You're right, god knows how we got to this. I feel a bit bad for my part in it, sorry all.

 

[Jedadiah]

Hey guy's,

i dont mean to pry or get all 'Paparazzi', i was merely expressing my surprise and shock. I dont want to go digging, it's just i had no idea. Yes, i agree, by all means leave him in peace and leave his family alone.

I meant no disrespect or intrusion, i just had no idea. I'm sorry and i'll leave it at that.

 

[Zodiak]

If you were not on this forum when it happened then nobody is going to think the worse of you, I only found out myself a few weeks ago.

It was mentioned here and on Song of the paddle http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=814

Hmm that was my 50th Birthday

 

[dommyracer]

Thousands watching the tv shows only translates into dozens at Ray's live performances; however difficult they are to get tickets for. He wouldn't pack the Albert Hall or the Porthmadog fleapit.

That's not quite fair. More like millions watching the TV show, and he sold out two nights at the Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall.

I reckon he could sell out quite a few medium sized theatres.

 

[nobby]

That's not quite fair. More like millions watching the TV show, and he sold out two nights at the Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall.

I reckon he could sell out quite a few medium sized theatres.

As you wish but it makes no difference to my main point: he earns his living by his brand.

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

Just like thousands of others

Besides, we have the choice to buy, watch, visit etc, so why worry about it.

 

[oldsoldier]

Hey, no matter how you look at it, the guy makes a living doing what he loves. On top of that, he teaches others. How many of us can say we love our jobs? And, the greatest gift one can give another is knowledge. He's got me beat on two levels.
All that being said, he isnt that big here in the states. I dont think that bushcraft, or even survival, is that big here, as it is with you folks. But, thats ok.

I just recently stumbled upon him via this site. And, although I've since seen alot of his older stuff, I can see that he truly enjoys what he does. And, I am a little envious he gets to travel as he does.