White Leaved Oak.

Followers of this blog will know that I have wittered on about the White Leaved Oak for years. Right from when I had the shop, where I heard about it for the first time, I have tried, and failed, to find its exact location. Finding the hamlet is no problem but the tree is steeped in mystery. Rumoured to be a 1000 years old, it grows on a large stone somewhere between the hamlet and the base of the Malvern Hills. It's trunk has an image of the 'Old Hag' in it and it's branches are decorated in all manner of ribbons, trinkets and offerings. The trunk is hollow in the middle and you can climb down into it. Three people would comfortably fit inside. No made up road leads to it and you have to have a mind to find it in the first place. After Tree and I found it, to mark Lammas and our handfasting anniversary, I was tempted to put its location for all to find on the internet but then I thought 'No!' it must remain hidden. I believe it is like a pilgrimage and should only be seen by those who really seek it out. It's anonymity is its magic. If you find it, I am sure the peace and serenity of the whole place will fill you with awe. Happy hunting!!

3 Villages Festival

A hot sunny summer weekend and what else is there to do but go and find a village fayre or two. As it is we had a pitch at the 3 Villages Festival held by Mathon, Cradley and Storridge. It was a typical village affair with evrything from a blacksmith to local folk in funny outfits ( check out 'bogbrush' man for a laugh). We did fairly well for trade on the Saturday but we didn't need to be there for the Sunday as we just had a return of all the villagers from the previous day. All the same it was the taking part that was important and it was good to see that traditions were maintained with some Morris Dancers and a May Pole, even if it is July!

Food glorious food.

Today is a bit of a celebration as Tree cooked our first meal where all of the ingredients, excepting the curry powder, were grown by our fair hand. Mother has been gracious to us in providing a bounty of courgettes, so much so, that we can't give them away fast enough. Every day I find more to crop. I guess planting 25 plants was something to do with it. Anyway, swapping some with neighbours for apples and some honey, from a friends new hives, has proved lucrative and reminds me of the days when people used to barter most things. I won't even begin to rattle on about the taste!!!

Welcome to the Crypt

Many moons ago I made a cover for the cellar light which had a stained glass panel in the top. Much as it was nice to look at, I hadn't banked on the effects our great climate would have on it and, sadly, it succumbed to the relentless rain and cold of last winter and had to be removed. Armed with the knowledge of where I had gone wrong I embarked on making a new, stronger, cover that some would say was more in keeping with the house and my craft. Having a lot of Yew, left over from the old 'A' board I made for outside the shop, I constructed a robust hatch with hand forged wrought iron hinges to finish it off. All of the materials were reclaimed, including the brass fretwork which came from the Midland Bank, and items obtained from the Worcester Resource Exchange. All in all not a bad job, if I say so myself!

Solstice blessings.

I can't believe that the time has flown by so quickly and yet here we are at the Summer Solstice. Everything has been on the up and all of our seedlings are planted out now and enjoying a bit of Summer sun. It was definitely the right choice to turn the garden over to veg and we are already eating some of the first crops of carrots. In addition to the garden, I have been working hard to get ready for the 3 Villages Festival with only a few days to go. After this I will concentrate on the house and garden for a while before moving onto my next project to build a wind turbine.

Solstice Blessings!!!

Dome,Dome, Dome.(Hummed like dramatic entrance)

Fireworks explode, crowds roar and shouts of "Hoorah" are heard from the rooftops. I have finished the Geodesic dome. Well I have finished the frame at least. I was up early this Saturday to see whether it all went together as I wasn't sure I had worked out the Maths right. But no worries as it all went smoothly. I now just need to calculate a way to make the cover, windows and doorways for it. Not much then !!!! The overall expense was minimal as the wood is FSC and the fixings made from recycled water main. Never underestimate the power of the pentagon or the number 5. I shall keep you posted.

Not very...well smart really.

Some people just aren't that smart. A bit like the person who didn't check which way up a letter 'a' goes.

Its the Good Life

Feeling that we should make a lot more effort into going green and doing our bit for the planet, Tree persuaded me to turn the front garden over to vegetable growing a la Good Life style. Seeing as it is Beltane it only seemed appropriate to agree and work has already begun with the removal of most of the lawn in readiness for sowing. Our aim is to maintain at least half of our vegetable intake from home grown stock. Plants grown will include tomatoes, carrots, parsnips, shallots, peas, courgettes, french climbing beans, runner beans, beetroot, aubergines, peppers, lettuce and a selection of herbs and salad veg. To make sure they get the best to drink I have fitted a rain trap to a large barrel to collect rainwater from our roof as well. So fingers crossed and a small blessing, or two, from The Great Mother and we will be going great guns!!

Beltane blessings.

The Green Man has won over the Ice queen and all the buds are bursting with the vigour of Spring. Now is the moment when all the seeds sown start to show themselves.

Celebrate with fire, passion and a new fervour for the year ahead.

Did someone mention something about a wedding?

Ages ago I was saying to Kate and Matt how the fireworks at royal weddings were the best ever and that next time a royal gets married we should book up a hotel straight away. Well what do you know, the next day there is an announcement. Tree got right on it and booked a hotel in Kensington for a long weekend. Within a week you couldn't get one anywhere in London - result! Tree worked out an itinerary including the Millennium Wheel, Tate Modern, China Town, Covent Garden and some wedding bash somewhere round Buckingham Palace? Kate and Matt had never been to London so this was a good way to see the sights and get the atmosphere. We didn't get to see much of the wedding because of the crowds but I rather enjoyed our visit to Govinders Krishna restaurant and the National Portrait Gallery. We then went to Old Compton Street to see the street parties. Being the gay quarter of London lent itself to very extravagant outfits and regalia! Fantastic!!

However, seeing as the reason we went to London was to see the fireworks you can imagine we were a bit put out when we heard that "due to cutbacks" there weren't going to be any. Oh well, its a sign of the times I suppose. We still had a brilliant time.

Happy Birthday Treebo

As it is Tree's birthday we decided to get away down to Glastonbury for the day and have the obligatory lunch at the Rainbows End Cafe. While there, we thought it was right we visited the Chalice Well Gardens as we have said so many times that we should. The gardens were well laid out and the views across to the Tor were very good. However, the state of the well head was far worse than it could have been, so much so that I have used a promotional photo here, and what should have been tranquil meditation space was ruined by the noise of traffic on the main road. In addition, other visitors insisted on talking loudly in the designated quiet areas. Overall, a disappointment. But, putting the gardens aside, we had a lovely day together and won't need to eat for ages as we're stuffed. Yummee!

Toe be or not Toe be.

Just for laughs I decided to see if I could catch a 400lb industrial shredder with my foot. Not a good idea, as you might imagine, and the inevitable outcome was a broken toe. In technical terms I had a Sub Ungal Haemotoma which meant the blood got trapped behind my toenail and had to be trafined. This involves the application of a white hot wire to burn through the nail and relieve the pressure. Quite spectacularly as well! It is a good job this happened at work and all I had to do was go upstairs to A&E. I now have four holes in my nail and a good chance I will lose it. The photo has been posted retrospectively 4 weeks after so it doesn't look half as bad as it did. At least my foot isn't black anymore.

Fishy flurries for fairy fun.

Deciding that I have too many odd projects outstanding, I set about clearing the workshop and making a definitive list of all tasks to do. First up was to repaint a mermaid mirror that Tree and I had decided we would give to Joy. It took a lot longer than we thought but was worth it in the end. It looks simple enough but Tree and I had to build up layer upon layer of colour. The other job was to make some fairy doors for Tiddesley Wood Spring Open day. Has it been a year already?! Anyway, I knocked up a few and we will see how they fair. Fair/ fayre, geddit!!!

The years are taking their toll.

Use all the fancy creams and lotions in the world but I still say that Tree is looking a bit baggy round the eyes these days, don't you think?

Running to go nowhere.

In the never ending search that is the solution to my health issues, I went back over to Gloucester for an ETT (Exercise Tolerance Test). This involves walking on a treadmill that increases in speed and incline while you are hooked up to an ECG machine. Needless to say, I walked it. Although I felt completely wasted at the end, there was no significant result. So, onwards and upwards. Bring on the next one!!

Spring has sprung!

Just a quick one to wish everyone blessings for the Spring Equinox. The Green Man is reborn and walks with us till Samhain Eve. Time to get the garden dug and the seeds sown!

A bit of a close shave 2

Following on from a previous blog about the drawknife, I am pleased to say that I have completed the restoration. Using the existing handles to create a card template, I turned down a nice bit of white Yew, that I had been keeping for just such a job, and burnished them to a nice smooth finish. After cutting the holes for the blade and making sure I had matched the detailing on the originals I burred over the blades shaft ends to secure them in place. Job well done I think!

Oi 'Arry. Ever had that sinking feeling.

Late last year, Tree and I volunteered to join the OOPS (One Off Performance Society) and help stage a production of Titanic at the Swan theatre in 2012. The show is booked to run the same week as the sailing of the Titanic and the last curtain goes down on the hour the Titanic sank exactly one hundred years to the day. As part of the background to the production, a few of the company got together and decided to go to the Titanic exhibition in London's O2 Arena, including Tree and I. The exhibition was average but the most memorable part was a section of the Titanic's hull that you could touch. It felt quite weird to be tactile with something so well known and to connect with a piece of history in that way. To think how far down and for how long it had been there was a little eerie.

As well as the Titanic expo, the O2 were hosting the X factor auditions. As we left the exhibition ,and passed 1000's queuing to sing, I turned and realised we had lost some of our group. They were not far away as the lure of a huge X Factor screen had proved too much for the luvvie in them! In the end even I succumbed to a bit of fun with a plate glass window by doing my Harry Worth impression. And before you ask "Who's Harry Worth" go look him up on the internet. It helps if your over 40 as well! Just look at Harry Hill to see his legacy. Excellent comedy in its day.

Its all gone a bit lopsided.

As part of the ongoing investigations into my blackouts, I went to Cheltenham today for a tilt table test. This involves being strapped into a table and connected to an ECG machine, heart monitor and blood pressure cuff. They then tilt you at 70 degrees and monitor your levels. After about 20 minutes (which feels like an hour when you can't move, talk or walk) they induce an episode by giving you GTN (glyceryl trinitrate) which makes your heartrate increase about 3 fold so you feel like your head is going to explode. I didn't have a full blackout but I think they got the readings they needed. Before giving me the GTN the doctor said "it may give you a bit of a headache". Suffice to say I was ill from the moment I left the hospital and have had a serious episode all afternoon flipping in and out of consciousness. It was a good job Tree was with me all day to manage the episode as I was originally going to take the train to Cheltenham!!

I see now what the consultant meant when he said "No one likes a tilt test".

Whoa there boy. A bit of a close shave.

Tree, very kindly, pointed me in the direction of some plans for a shavehorse and I am resigned to getting on and building it. My first project will be to shingle the shed roof in oak but I need a drawknife for this. This is where I could bore you with the old ebay bargain story but I shall suffice to say that I found an antique one mis-listed and won for a mere £11 (They usually start at about £40+). The handles are cracked and need replacing but that is no problem on the lathe. I have started by regrinding the edge back to it's original razor sharpness. I shall retrim the ironwork to take the new handles and pressure fit them before burring the ends to hold them in place. I will post the photos after the restoration to show how I did.

Blessings of Imbolc to everyone.

Imbolc blessings to all!!

As part of this years resolve I decided to follow in my father's footsteps and bake bread from scratch. I'd forgotten how much time it takes and couldn't get the first batch to prove. A bit of quick thinking and a plank of wood later I found the best place to put it to rise was over the woodburner. I'd like to show the resulting walnut loaf but sadly it didn't even get to cool down before Tree and I ate it all. The house smells of freshly baked bread as well! Mmmm...fresh bread.

Boo. The snows going away.

Oh well, all things must end and this time of year, as much as any other time, highlights the inevitable cycle that is our seasons. The snow goddess has now begun to melt and has, mysteriously, revealed her inner self as being that of a very Moorish design. Is it just me or does she now look like a Henry Moore sculpture. You decide!