I will be running four Scything Courses this year, as well as teaching at the West Country Scything Festival for the fourth consecutive year.
The dates for Courses are: 29th May, 26th June, 17th July, and 7th August.
Full details and costs can be found on the Scything Courses Page
Hopefully I’ll get to see some of you soon.
Deano
Advertisement
WANTED – Competitors for Sixth National Scything Championship @ The Green Scythe Fair – Sunday June 13th 2010 at Thorney Lakes, Muchelney, Langport, Somerset
Listen, can you hear the swish, the sound of steel upon swathe; reapers rhythmically moving through the landscape in the shimmering summer heat; mowers, men, women working together, synchronized – scything wheat, barley, corn and grass; a common sight in the 18th century and the novels of Thomas Hardy. An image you would think is lost to our generation, or maybe not ….
On Sunday June 13th 2010 the Green Scythe Fair is being held at Thorney Lakes, Muchelney near Langport in Somerset. This event incorporates the 6th West Country Scythe Competition which serves as the national championship and the organisers are looking for competitors. This event will start at 11 am and will continue until the 2010 champion is found. Last year’s winner, for the third year in a row, was Simon Damant from Cambridgeshire who set a new UK record mowing 5m x 5m in 1 minute 10 seconds.
Simon is the property manager at the National Trust’s Wimpole Hall in Cambridgeshire and can’t believe he is still the UK champion. At 48 years old he thinks it’s time someone younger took the title. Prospective entrants should contact Simon Fairlie on 01297 561359 or email: chapter7@tlio.org.uk
And this is not just an event for the men. Before mechanisation women played an equal part in gathering in the harvest, using sickles as English scythes were heavy and cumbersome. Today’s lighter and more ergonomic Austrian scythes allow women to participate. Last year’s women’s champion was Mary Durling from West Chinnock. In 2005 she was runner up, despite being seven months pregnant.
On Saturday 12th June there will lessons for beginners and improvers, in all aspects of scything from a variety of experts including Christiane Lechner visiting from Austria. Competition heats for men and women will be held on Sunday morning. Weekend camping for competitors and visitors is available at Thorney Lakes (see website).
2010 has been designated Biodiversity Year by the UN and there will be lively discussion on this year’s hot topic Land Use: Fuel, Food or Flood and there are three speakers on the platform this year.
Peter Harper is an expert on biofuels, a lifelong environmentalist, author and a founder member of the world famous Centre for Alternative Technology, Dyfed, Wales.
Dr. Mark Fisher from West Yorkshire. Dr. Fisher (www.self-willed-land.org.uk) is a fervent advocate of forest gardens, biodiversity and a renowned consultant permaculturalist.
Tara Garnett is a research fellow at the University of Surrey’s Centre for Environmental Strategy. Tara is also the Co-ordinator of the Food Climate Research Network and took part in the Copenhagen initiative in December 2009. FCRN comprises about 1350 individuals from across the food industry, NGO, government and academic circles, funded by Defra and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. This emminent trio will take part in the Speakers Forum commencing at midday, with an opportunity for questions from the floor after the debate.
Simon Fairlie, a lifelong environmental activist is the co-editor of Land magazine and organiser of the Scything Championships. In 2007 he and Hannah Aitken creator of the Green Fair and a community youth worker, joined forces and the Green Scythe Fair was born. Simon Fairlie has recently moved to Monckton Wyld Court, Charmouth in Dorset.
There are no records of scything competitions since 1955 until the first National Scything Championship in 2005, which attracted 16 competitors. Since amalgamating with the Green Fair, the number of entrants has increased to 57 with over 2000 visitors to the Green Scythe Fair in 2009 and this year looks set to be bigger and better than ever.
This will be a fabulous day out for the whole family or come and camp for the whole weekend. The Greenkidz area has loads of activities – puppets and storytelling, circus skills and a range of craft workshops using using natural materials: chalk stone carving, knitting with broom handles, weaving, clay Zen landscapes, willow sculpture and even a pedal powered smoothie maker! There will be stalls with everything from local crafts, eco-clothing to organic food and produce and vintage bric-a-brac.
Watch some of the best craftsmen in Somerset demonstrating green traditional crafts – woodwork, thatching, yurt making, blacksmithing, lime plastering, silversmithing and stone carving.
So, enjoy a Fairtrade cappuccino, made on a Rocket stove and read some environmental literature in the Green Info café. Listen to the music of Diz Watson, The Dolmen, the Mendip String Orchestra and Ship of Fools powered by the Green Energy Trailer using solar and wind energy. Discuss sustainable energy and building techniques with the experts. Meet the beekeepers of Somerton and sample their delicious honey. Have a treatment in the healing yurt and drink a few pints of local cider or real ale! Let the children enjoy themselves and above all, have a wonderful day out on the Somerset Levels.
Entrance: £5 per adult, accompanied children go free, dogs on leads. 11 am to 11 pm Arrive by bike and get a free soft drink and bike check!
If you are interested in getting involved as a competitor or having scything lessons go to http://www.thescytheshop.co.uk/festival.html
or you just want come along see what it’s all about go to http://www.greenfair.org.uk.
Weekend camping is available for competitors and visitors: call 01458 250811 or go to http://www.thorneylakes.co.uk For sat navs – TA10 0DW.
Hope you are coming.
Hi Deano. I’m having some difficulty finding out what I need to do to take care of my new blade. Lots on sharpening and peening, but what do I need to do to stoip it rusting?
Hi david
it’s been a while since I came back to this blog. To stop the blade rusting, first make sure that you dry it thoroughly immediately that you stop mowing. For short periods between use, you can use something like WD40. For longer periods, like over Wintering, I coat the blades in car/tractor/lawnmower oil. It can be used oil, but I have some stuff left over from when I had a tractor, and this is a nice way to use it up.
Before using a stone on the blade, you need to take the oil off. Simplest way is to get most of it off with an old cloth, and then rub the rest off with something like methylated spitits.
Hope that helps
Deano