I phoned Tamsin to let her know that I had been detained by stonework, wandered around Kilpeck, laughing at the wonder of it all and then drove on.
When I found Tamsin and Mike's house she had soup ready in beautiful
wooden bowls. We talked, ate and then I wandered up the garden path to their two workshops and Tamsin told me about
German journeymen and we looked at the walls and the trees heavy with fruit ( and I forgot to take any damsons!)
Love the window here which is coloured glass and sandblasted. There were so many lovely things, including the view, I didn't know which way to look.
Then we drove to the woods, and I wasn't really prepared for what I found there.
Along a road, past the bow topped gypsy caravans with horses and chickens outside, up a hill, into the woods, out of time as the air changed and the light too.
Workshop
Kitchen
Evening campfire place
Tamsin
Everyone with their chairs
Beautiful Sophie and her chair
Barn the Spoon, licenced peddler of spoons
Me and Barn
One of the camping places on site
Another of the camping places on site
The washroom
Some places have such a magic about them and the atmosphere at this camp was just beautiful. I find myself wanting to go back there, to sit by the fire and listen to music in the evenings and eat together and have stories told, or to sit above the trees and watch the stars and go to sleep in one of the huts to the sounds of fox song and owl hoot.
Tom enjoyed it. When I asked him about it one of the things he said was 'I learned a lot more than just how to make a chair'.
For more about Mike Abbott and his courses and books he also has a
website.
An added bonus for me was meeting the wonderful man of spoons, Barney. He is the only person I have met who is a licensed peddler, a maker of wonderful greenwood spoons.
Barn also has a blog.
Kevin from
Trellyn Woodland Camping and Mike are plotting and planning a possible workshop or two in Pembrokeshire next year. There will be chairs, spoons (especialy if Barn is up for being lured to the seaside) and good food, possibly music, camp fires, great food (did I mention that already?) and maybe even the odd story or tale by campfire and starlight. Places will be limited so if you are interested get in touch with Kevin at Trellyn.