| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| gil |
Scythes and scything eventsFor those of you bitten by the scything bug as a result of the weekend, here's more info / a good resource and links / where to get the Austrian scythe blades and kitshttp://www.thescytheshop.co.uk/ for those of you who want to see / find out more, in a couple of weekends' time, it's the 4th West Country Scythe Festival down in Somerset, on the Somerset Levels. Scything workshop on the Saturday; Green Fair and Scythe events/ competition on Sunday. Should be an entertaining day out / weekend. |
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| vegplot |
Scythe being ordered. Unfortunately am unable to go to fair. | ||||||
| gil |
When I get back to Scotland, I'll copy and post my own calendar of UK scything events - there are others, not just the West Country Fest.
Anders and Judith (for instance) might be interested in the Cambridgeshire event later in June - it's at Wimpole Estate, where Simon Damant, the current UK scythe champion, works for the National Trust. |
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| vegplot |
The video linked from the scythe site is a joy to watch
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dVv597m848s |
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| Slim |
she's barefoot! 
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| Frewen |
Now Cambridgeshire - I can get there 
Tell me more
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| gil |
Here's the Cambridgeshire event, click on What's On section, and it's under June events (21st and 22nd June)
http://www.wimpole.org/ Should be a good day out. I'll not make that one, as I'll be at the Royal Highland Show |
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| Slim |
Might be time for me to revisit the old family scythes... and look for someone 'round these parts who can give me a bit of a guide | ||||||
| vegplot |
Inspiring isn't it. I've decided on a complete change of lifestyle wondering the country scything the verges of the nations highways and byways living a proper downsized life and shunning the adoration and respect of the people (unless they happen to be young ladies wanting to show their gratitude). |
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| Frewen |
I had a friend wrote a song called "seaching the highways and byway's of life"
It was all about finding a wife 
Maybe that wasn't what you were talking about 
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| Slim |
Something tells me that perhaps that's exactly what he's talking about, though maybe not the official "wife" terminology |
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| Frewen |
on a verge
that's called something else starting in D and ending in g and having an ogging sound in the middle
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| gil |
It is, isn't it - inspirational - that's one of Peter Vido's daughters, that I mentioned, with the amazing mowing technique. And yes, cpg03, quite a lot of mowers go barefoot. |
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| vegplot |
I'm no exhibitionist. But a little walk wouldn't be out of order. |
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| vegplot |
If I'm not careful someone reading this may question my motives. Seriously, it is very inspirational. |
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| gil |
A simple video, that says a lot about various things. Hers is the best mowing technique I've ever seen, in terms of speed / economy of effort, and quality of cut. Love the start and finish where she whirls the scythe around her head. It's so celebratory. I also like the Gandhi quote at the end. There's another video clip with the whole Vido family out mowing. Awesome. |
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| vegplot |
It's something to aspire to. |
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| gil |
And in Lancashire
The Second Lancashire Scything and Rural Crafts Festival, 26-27 July 2008 Turn Village near Ramsbottom Competition, tuition, rural crafts exhibitions, local foods and other events on a community owned meadow. Saturday 26th (scything and meadow restoration training day) Sunday 27th July (public workshops scything demonstrations and associated rural crafts exhibitions, and local foods festival). Free. Organized by Littoral Arts 42 Lodge Mill Lane,Turn Village, Nr Ramsbottom, Lancashire BL0 0RW Tel/Fax: ++44 (0) 1706 827 961 E-mail: <littoral@btopenworld.com> Website: <www.littoral.org.uk> |
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| Chez |
Re: Scythes and scything events
It looks like we might be coming to this ... ! |
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| Cathryn |
My lawn is being scythed. I think I'm hooked.
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| Anders |
Thanks for the links, Gil | ||||||
| gil |
There are photos for an article on this.... and ......Cathryn's had a mow herself (pics of that too). Now she's really hooked. |
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| vegplot |
Scythe order popped in post today. Can't wait 
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| kevin.vinke |
great video, got to be the best exercise out there!
I shall give it a go with all that long grass round my beds, has to be neater than a strimmer. |
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| gil |
Re: Scythes and scything events
I'll look forward to seeing you and Arvo there ! And any other south-westwardly Downsizers who fancy a day out on the Sunday (Saturday is for folk with scythes, though nowt to stop you making a weekend of it on the very pleasant adjoining campsite). Muchelney is very near the place that does good smoked eels. It's good to see so many of you enthusiastic about the scythe
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| Mrs Fiddlesticks |
Tim's very tempted by the scythes on the website. Although we don't have great swathes of land we can see plenty of uses for it.
He has even jokingly challenged a friend to a competition between scythe and strimmer on a derelict allotment. although there was some amusement at work yesterday when he was trying to explain about scything and first had to explain what a scythe was - there was no alternative but to resort to Grim Reaper imagery 
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| mochyn |
Re: Scythes and scything events
And there's a good pottery too. One of the Leach's. |
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| Cathryn |
Ta da, one lawn...
Maybe I exaggerate but it's not bad.
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| vegplot |
It looks really good.
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| Home on the Hill |
My scythe was lost many years ago because it was used as a Grim Reaper prop in the GM protests. I was quite p***ed off at the time, but now I have been educated by Gil about good (Austrian) and bad (English) scythes, I realise it wasn't such a loss after all. Carrie |
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| colour it green |
we've got one of these scythes.. really good. | ||||||
| vegplot |
Hoorah, it's arrived.
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| Mrs Fiddlesticks |
posted an order for one for Tim today
What did your postman say as he carried it up the drive? |
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| vegplot |
Plain cardboard box so no comment made 
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| Mrs Fiddlesticks |
oh, that's a shame. |
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| vegplot |
Staff were amused when I opened the box though.
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| mochyn |
Nothing to what my postie said when he delivered the pig AI kit... |
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| sean |
Does he know your internet name then? 
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| vegplot |
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| mochyn |
Luggage. |
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| Mrs Fiddlesticks |
Tim's scythe has just arrived in the post
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| gil |
Forgot to bump this before the event
I went down for the Sunday. Did some one-to-one tuition with a few folk, and was part of a team mowing demonstration (which was absolutely knackering, since the pace was being set by Simon Damant - still UK champion - and it was very hot and sunny, and we were being accompanied by a ceilidh band playing reels). Also got my snath/stone blade angle problem sorted. It was fairly low key compared to last year's, and there were not that many people there (so there was no mowing competition), but still good. I gather that the Cambridge event went well, and will happen again next year. As Deano said : hope to see some of you at next year's Scythe Festivals - they are very instructive and great fun, with good folk (there's a scythe community emerging; and a lot of common ground with Downsizer) |
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| Woodburner |
Any events near essex? I have a scythe, (I used to borrow it, but when I bought the house it became mine ) but no instructions. My Dad taught me how to use it and sharpen it, but not how to peen it.
Also, I didn't think you were supposed to twist so much. I certainly couldn't, but that I aside I thought you were supposed to sway rather than twist? Oh, and what's the difference between an English scythe and an Austrian one? Lookiing at the ones on that site, I'm guessing mine is Austrian, too. |