Weald & Downland Autumn Celebration

One of the last shows of the year, the Autumn Celebration at the Weald & Downland museum is one of my favourites and this year was a good one. I was joined by John and Wayne from the Sussex group of the APT (association of polelathe turners and greenwood workers) and they stayed on for the Sunday while I was busy at the blackmoor apple day.


John and I were mainly spindle turning whilst Wayne demonstrated bowl turning and spoon carving so our pitch was busy all day and with Waynes small bow lathe as well there was plenty for the visitors to see and do.



Next door at the bottom of the show field the threshing drum was busy devouring the straw rick with the gentle chuff of the steam engine


The thatching wheat is grown on the museums own fields and harvested earlier in the season. The threshing drum separates the grains from the corn ears and then the grain is collected whilst the chaff is rejected out of the pipe. The short pieces of straw are separated from the full length straw and bailed,




The full length straw is good for thatching and the machine produces bound sheaves which are then piled up. This straw is going straight onto one of the museum cottages, Gonville, which is being rethatched. I was amazed to see the ears still on the ends of the straw, though now empty after being threshed.



Up in the farmyard Julian was busy pressing apples. Both fresh juice and 2 year old cider were available for tasting, the cider was quite excellent.


Meanwhilst up in the woods above the museum the autumn sunlight played on the trees.....




.....and Jon prepared an earth clamp for a charcoal burn. The lengths of wood are carefully arranged around a central void. Once the earth is piled over the wood the central hole is used to pour in hot coles and start the burn. The size of the clamp is designed so that the burn will be completed in around 24hours and the clamp opened up before the end of the show.

I was pleased to see Wayne using a traditional bow saw, one of the late Barry Plant's giant collection of tools, many of which have found their way into our boxes and are now in use. He would be pleased. Many thanks to John and Wayne for joining me on the pitch, putting on an excellent show and for holding the fort on Sunday.