Category Archives: Autumn

Harlow Carr and a new stool and … trees, mainly.

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Just returned from two days at RHS Harlow Carr‘s Taste of Autumn show in Harrowgate (as we insist on calling it in Bolton Abbey).  It was a fine weekend with lots going on, from a celebration of a wide range of apple varieties, through Fungus for the Masses, to boxing hares:

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Phil Bradley’s willow hares.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phil Bradley was there chatting, and regrettably I didn’t get a chance to discuss things woody with him (he was busy chatting already and time away from my duties is limited):

Some of his wigwams were sitting pretty next to our workshop, they were very popular with young and old.

We were in The Glade.  The woodland area of Harlow Carr and the trees just blew me away, especially at this time of year.  It was foggy most of the day but the sun just about got through, enough to light up this sliver birch.

Look at the size of the beech tree we set up the workshop underneath (workshop is the tiny white bit bottom left.)

The fog came down again as we went home, and as we descended down into Barden Chase down towards Beamsley the fog rolled around:

OK so I’ve not just been driving around the countryside and turning spurtles from Chestnut (which at first seemed to be sycamore (Eh? – ed.))

I finished a little stool in richly coloured elm and yew, oh yes and an oak hand-carved bowl which includes the lighter sapwood.

The bull-nosing is free hand with the plane and the tenon wedges are bog oak.  The stool is sold but the bowl is looking for a home.

Deer me, what fools these humans be. Free etching …& bonus quizzes.

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Deer course yesterday, photo report.  Above Harvey learns the old art of releasing the hodfast.  Like the nu mallet, WW1 style?

The soup and home-baked roll went down well. Yes some work was done too and everyone went home with a new pet:

But how it will fit in Harvey’s bedroom alongside his 6 foot t. rex head, I’m not sure.

David put a nose on his deer.

So these were sensible people spending a wet Saturday under cover learning hand drilling and round mortise and tenon joints and designing to their taste.  Some space still left on next Saturday’s course and a Christmas present one coming up in January.

However, blimey, sometimes people just are too difficult to understand.  Like the ones who use a flail machine to “trim” hedges, which involves thrashing small saplings half to death. O man! this really hurts me having to drive past the results every day.  I’ll spare you a picture.

Then there’s the ones who just don’t put the right values on stuff.  I found this in a skip.

I used to pass this house name when I was a boy, and at some point it was replaced by a pottery one.  OK I don’t care for the pottery one, but why throw away this old etched and enamelled one? Really, I’ve got to find a home for this without either confusing the postman or changing the name of my business.  If anyone wants it, drop me an email.

I’ve been having a little exchange with Tico Vogt about yew, its sources and uses as I’ve recently acquired a quantity of this poisonous stuff, I had a walk up to see what the grove of yew looks like at the top end of Strid Wood, where I rarely go.

(OK, there’s a massive oak mixed in there too.)

There are some that would be suitable for making longbows, I think, not that I know much about that, but again, why is this nice butt wasting away?  And it will take some time!

Doh!

Anyway, there are some good vistas up at that end of the wood, no wonder people are always coming here for walks.  Here is a view of ruined Barden Tower, once the home of the Shepherd Lord.

Spot the fisherman.

Also there are some softwoods up there, which are getting to look rather majestic.

Also up there is this building:

I’m glad to see the roof has recently been repaired – but riddle me, riddle me, what was it for?

Have a think and I’ll edit the post with a clue tonight.

OK, above’s the clue.