Author Archives: stevetomlin

Request for Chair-making memories

Jennie Alexander has asked me to see if I can help her trace any of the people and details of a green wood chair making course she taught there as John Alexander. If you were there or have any information … Continue reading

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Scythe courses with Cumbria Wildlife Trust

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been teaching a series of Learn to Mow with an Austrian Scythe courses for Cumbria Wildlife Trust as part of their Meadow Life project. Working over the next 3 years the project aims … Continue reading

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Meadow patterns

The 15th July is an important date for a lot of farmers as it’s the first day you can cut your meadows if you are in the Higher Level Stewardship scheme. This means that everywhere you  look the fields are … Continue reading

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Learn to Mow in the North Pennines

As part of the new Nectarworks project in the North Pennines AONB I’ll be running a Learn to Mow course at the end of the month. There are still places available on this subsidized course which includes meals and accomodation … Continue reading

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Baling the hay

On thursday Paul & Grace put in a heroic effort, manning the baler through the heat and putting out a massive 50 bales while Kirsten & I continued to spread and turn the grass cut on tuesday. While we worked … Continue reading

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Mowing in the orchard

Lovely mowing conditions and the chance to cut a nice clean sward for hay making in the orchard at Sprint Mill. Peaceful and sustainable, it’s such a nice way to spend the morning and everyone can work at their own … Continue reading

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Hand hay making with the scythe

The meadows are full of activity this week as farmers take advantage of the incredible weather to make hay while the sun shines. At Sprint Mill it’s no different except that we are making hay by hand. On Monday I … Continue reading

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Peening a scythe with the jig

Edward, who owns Sprint Mill where I run my scythe courses in Cumbria, is addicted to his 40cm Schroeckenfux scythe blade which he uses for trimming and tidying around the vegetable beds. It gets a lot of use and not … Continue reading

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Carved serving spoons

I’m working my way through a pile of crooked branches that I collected earlier in the year and carving them into serving spoons and ladles. You can predict to some extent how a green wood crook will split but you’re … Continue reading

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Scything in the rain

Call that rain? Nowt but a bit of dampness in the air.. Thankfully it was nothing but showers and the seven students who turned up for their Learn to Scythe course had a great day. That was partly thanks to … Continue reading

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