Firstly, sorry for the long gap between updates. It is now Gordon's mission to update the blog at least once a week. We will be bringing you another episode of "Going Wyld" very soon as well!
So, has spring finally sprung up here? Yes we know it's pretty much meant to be summer but, Kielder seems to be a few weeks behind the rest of the country. Our Daffodils have only been out for a week or two and the leaves on the trees are just beginning to unfurl. And at the time of writing this, there was a freak and unexpected hail storm...Strange weather north of the wall we can tell you!
It's the perfect time to enjoy Kielder as there are, as of yet, no Midge out and about, the daylight hours are getting longer and it's getting (slightly) warmer, so what are you all waiting for?
We've been busy for a couple of months with work in the woodlands pressing ahead apace. The workshop has had a buzz of urgency about it, with courses and craft items keeping us out of mischief.
We've also had the "first" big camp of the year at Thornborough and what a weekend that was. Plenty of new, proud blowing horn owners, many a person supping mead from their new drinking horn or mugs and we found a new partnership with Mark Barber of Howling Rook woodcrafts. We'll tell you more about him in due course!
We've been snapping away with pictures and videos so make sure to head over for a check on the Facebook page to see them!
Building work is pushing ahead in the woodland with the fire-pit set in and working beautifully. The log store is taking shape and the foot bridges over the wettest ground are beginning to work properly!
We've had a couple of work crews in the woods over the last couple of months and we'd like to say a massive thank you to all those folk who've been up to their knees in mud or getting snowed or rained on just to help us out!
In the workshop we've had a blowing horn making session and a leather bottle making day, tea leaf reading and candle rolling, finger weaving and folklore. We've produced some beautiful blowing horns and branched out into drinking horns and Gordon's new favourite thing - horn tankards. Again have a look on Facebook for pictures of these unusual and interesting items.
We've had our first two "Wyrd Times in the North" folklore events at Kielder castle. Stories, music and good company, in a castle? BRILLIANT times. We're pleased to tell you that the wonderful Nezzie Angel and her harp are to become a (fairly) regular fixture at our events. We can't wait for the next one - "An evening with those who should not be named" fairy tales, real fairy tales. Not the fluffy ones you were told before bed, delve into the world of the true wee folk.
We are in the process of updating the website with new courses and dates for summer and autumn. So keep your eyes pealed!
Also at the time of writing this, we were only seven "likes" away from giving a free place on one of our courses to one of you lovely folk, so tell your friends to drop by and give us a "like", you never know - it could be you in the woods with us!