Wilderness Gathering 2014

[TinkyPete]

[FONT=&amp]Wilderness Gathering 2014 part 1[/FONT]

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Sorry it has taken sooooo long to post this
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[FONT=&amp]I travelled down to the event on the afternoon on Thursday. I was lucky and had a smooth run there, I was looking forward to the event seeing old friends and to meet new ones too, it was my 7th time I would be there and not the first time camping there either. The main reasons why I like going to this event is that it is relaxed and more a social event where you can relax and meet great people and gain a lot of knowledge and see some of the latest innovations of kit too. It is close to where I work and it coincides with my holiday period so I can normally make the full event[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]As I pulled up the main drive way and was in a small cue of vehicles coming into the event and the effective services of getting our passes was quick and efficient. A friend of mine Ash was working the entrance and we had a quick chat before I moved on and were given directions by the scouts on where to park. I was lucky and arrived early enough to be able to camp in the woods but it was already busy in the woods and I had to camp near the top of it but I was in.

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[FONT=&amp]I set up a hammock and tarp quickly and got my kit settled. I had a couple of trips to the car to get my kit in and whilst doing the trips I paid a quick visit to the “Man crèche” at Dave Budd’s and met up with Dave, Theresa, Chris the Cat and kittens and had a quick chat with them, I dropped off some kit with Chris to help out with the Den building that he was helping with and it was good to catch up with them early in the event. I also purchased a Dave Budd spork (his kit was not out but I promised him last year that I would buy one as he ran out last year) and I always get something from him. Soon I will have a knife [/FONT]J[FONT=&amp] I went and saw Sonni and Marmite and had a quick word with them. I went back to my set up and collected and few things before heading back to the man crèche during the evening.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]The crèche was relaxed with several people hanging about and we had a chat and most of us were still in a bit of anticipation of what was going to happen this year and what people had been up to since last. Kev and the family from Endicott’s were also there and over the evening we were talking and he brought over a few samples of the shops wool division and seeing his heavy weight tops which were nice he also had some mid weight ones and there was one which was just my size and based off the old KP shirts but was not scratchy and was very comfortable and was my second purchase of the event and worn for most of it. [/FONT]



[FONT=&amp]I woke up on Friday morning as the bird song was in full flow and the sun was rising through the woods; the sun was bright and warm and it looked like it would be a good day. I sorted myself out with a decent breakfast and grabbed a few things and went down to the main field. I had a good wander around the event seeing old friends and talking to new people. As I got round to the Beneath the Stars stand and gave them a hand in setting up whilst Angela was looking after Oliver whilst trying to set up and sort themselves out. A further wander round and chat I bumped into several You Tubers and form knowing and watching a few I had an interesting chat I saw Wessex Blades new golok and it was a nice blade well balanced and solid. I had a relaxing day and when the evening was starting I when back to my camp and had something to eat before getting ready for the “Man Crèche” [/FONT]
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[FONT=&amp]That evening was relaxed there were new faces at the crèche it was a good chat even with the “Man Crèche” rules:[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]1. No military chatter[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]2. No being an ****[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]3. What Dave Budd says is Gospel[/FONT]


[FONT=&amp]We all settled down people came and went during the evening the most notable arrival was Will Lord who was a bit worse for wear when arrived and after a few pass rounds and more drink he finished off a fair bit of forge water. [/FONT]The night continued and good chatter was had by all.

 

[TinkyPete]

Part 2

Now Saturday started off even better, a nice slow wake up in the sunshine. A nice easy cooked breakfast of Bacon, mushrooms, onion, chilli, pepper and egg with a little hot sauce was a perfect start for me. A quick wash up of the breakfast stuff and myself and then I was ready to face the world after a hot lava java filter coffee. I took my spare kit to the bring and buy for another day hoping for some more sales.

After I sorted the kit out I went for a wander meeting people setting up and talking to some new people as well as some old friends I started with people in the shed and Duncan was setting up some of his new blades, FYGT did not have his own stall this year instead his had items on the handmade knives stand, I saw his new kukri and other blades including the Scott Chopper and the large blades he had done for the American market which were pre-sold already.

Next I went round the top field and had a good long chat to Sonni and Marmite at Beneath the Stars Leather work about the previous evening and some new things as well. I moved round to A.R.C Weld a blacksmith and someone from my neck of the woods. I talked to him about midlands meeters and the Bushcraft UK site and groups he said he was interested. We talked for a while and met another passerby and started talking Rugby as the new comer used to play for my old club it is amazing of the people you meet at these events 
After a chat with JP and a few others and Steve Kirk I moved over to the main field.

Will Lord and friends had been drinking and enjoying the night before and I had talked to him a bit over the previous day about problems I was having with flint knapping and he asked me to come round on the Saturday about it and he would show me some stuff. But for some reason he and the others were a bit late in getting up. One of the guys who had been doing Bronze smelting was around and was starting to set up along with another who had been demonstrating how to process a deer the day before were starting to set up their stand. I had a quick chat to them and gave them a hand in setting up the stand as all the other were set up but they were quite a way behind everyone else. Will turned up after about 15 minutes a bit worse for wear and he needed a coffee or two. I had a good greeting chat and helped him set up his demonstration and he said to come back before the Master class at 11 and he would answer my questions. So I popped over the gap and had a meet and greet with Dave, Theresa and Chris the Cat and the Kittens at Dave Budd’s everything was tidy from the night before from the man crèche and the Den building was going good.

I went back to Will’s as he was now ready and dressed in his full regalia including body paint a few other people had come to look at his stand and he asked if anyone had any questions. I piped up with the mine, I was having problems with trying to get the conchoidal fractures on my arrow heads as I could get short ones but large ones were defeating me. I would get either short ones or the flake would break. He said it was a good question and the best way to give the solution would be to make one. He picked up a large boulder of flint in his hand and started to demonstrate.

He talked through the whole process from when he did his first strike on the rock right the way through to the finalising of the arrowhead in all it took him about 20minutes to produce a perfect Bronze age arrow head made from flint but his surprises weren’t over when his was about 15 minutes into his talking he looked to me and said I hope you are paying attention because you are demonstrating next. I was taken aback a total novice taking on such a task after watching a master. After he had finished he set me up with the leather leg protector and now it was my turn to take the large piece of flint and try and get a good flake from it and make an arrowhead myself. After a few tries I got a thin flake but was passable to make something from it. I started to work on the flake and whilst Will had been demonstrating he had talked about looking and feeling what the flint wanted to produce and the story of the flake would speak to me. After get the flake into a working platform it did start to show me what it was suitable for. I continued to work and a few people asked how I was getting on. I was captivated and deep in concentration of how I worked the flake. Will set up and started his master-class which 10 lucky people got on. I continued to work my flake and after about an hour and twenty minutes I finished. I had listened into some of his master class and picked up more tips and tricks on how to work the flint. After I had finished my arrow head a leaf head shaped arrow head which he said was a good representation of a Neolithic arrowhead and was very good. I was very pleased with it. He showed it to the master class and had a pass round, other people who had been watching me also asked to see it and I gladly showed them. It might have taken a lot longer than Will but I was getting there and it had no only answered my question but also given more impetus to then go on and make more. I want to eventually make a full bow and arrows set and try it out. I have the arrow head so the next will be the arrow and then later the bow. So this is another long term project on my list.

 

[TinkyPete]

Reserved for Pictures and stuff

 

[Toddy]

Enjoying the read so far (part1) and looking forward to the next parts I've never been, but keep promising myself I'm going one year.

cheers,
M

 

[Chris the Cat]

You must get to the WG Mary, and me to the Moot!!

Best.

Chris.

 

[tommy the cat]

Another good gathering...
I didn't work on the bring an buy this year so had a nice chilled out show... Chris yep I should get to the moot too!

 

[Chris the Cat]

Two Cats at the Moot!!
Good write up TP, keep it coming!

Best.

Chris.

 

[Dave Budd]

ooh the suspense!

It's always great to see people at the Gathering, and especially around the Man Creche (it only attracts the best sort of people, well more than once anyway!).