the demonstration/event things, do you just watch or can you join in? i assume you just watch because they are free.
dave budd will be there... eeeeexcelent!!!
will have to have a natter about forging!
what will the difference be between the blacksmithing and the iron age blacksmithing?? and when are they on?
yep demos are free and some run workshops that have a fee. I'll be demonstrating forging with my Iron Age forge setup (based on excavated examples and actual archaeological evidence) as well as doing sharpening demos/service.
The other blacksmithing one will be somebodyelse; in the past it has been either a modern smith with the classic hand-cranked late/post-victorian forge making tripods and the like as a demo. The last year or two there have been forging workshops using a setup that the guy describes as Iron Age but is infact a modern ethnographic interpretation of what smiths in the developing world are using where they have our crap to recycle
(though he still came over to correct my archaeology/forge
). I think the latter offers a workshop in forging firesteels and things, the only reason I don't is because it is too much time and effort to go to for a half arsed job of teaching (so people have had a go with him and then booked courses with me, which suits me fine thanks
)
I think I'm in a different location to normal this year. Usually I'm in the small craftsmens' field, but the lady owner of the farm doesn't like the small amount of scorching I leave behind, so Rodger is putting me elsewhere. He mentioned that I will be in the main arena, which will be perfect; I just hope he hasn't put me outside near the lake with all the blooming hippies!