Finally got up to Clowbridge Resevoir to collect some soft / common rushes and filled a trug half full of prime examples. Not massive ones but since for storage purposes I'll be cutting them down to under 18 inch anyway thats no biggy.
Incidentally the foot paths around the resevoir itself have been closed
http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.u...gainst_dog_dirt_at_East_Lancashire_reservoir/
so we couldnt have a potter about looking for resin et al.
Anyroad the rushes are under water (cheap plastic filled with sand dumbells are great for this) in the bath (no I didn't have to shift the coal) for 48 hours and I will start peeling them on Wednesday for rush lights (with a strip left on) and if I can manage for wicks completely peeled. I've a couple of pound blocks of mutton tallow set aside and quite a decent gresset substitute to put by to go on the single electric ring portable hob thing I aquired last month.
I believe Toddy found them in B&M for £9.99, I paid a little bit more in a camping and caravanning shop. Realy handy as I now can do stuff straight on my bench rather than having to cross a big shed from the kitchen area with pans of glue/moltenwax/boiling citric acid solution/etc.
Incidentaly if anyone come across a real gresset for sale Id be very interested in aquiring it.
I'll spare you pics of the finished articles as I did a thread on them a while back.
ATB
Tom
