Steve Tomlin Crafts

Meadowlife film

Posted on June 22, 2015 by stevetomlin

I hadn’t been to the cinema for over 10 years but I couldn’t miss the premiere of ‘To the end we will go’, Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s new film which was made by local film-maker Simon Sylvester as part of their Meadow Life project.
I’d been involved last year when Simon came out to film some of the Learn to Scythe courses I taught as part of the project and also when he took the super-slow motion footage of my blade mowing.
As Simon explained in his introduction, the aim was to produce a democratic piece that would present both sides of the conservation/farming debate and prompt questions to start discussion rather than attempting to answer them.
It’s all beautifully shot, very thought-provoking and reminds us what an important asset meadows are. What do hay meadows mean for you?

Posted in Scytherspace | Tagged Cumbria Wildlife Trust, film, hay meadow, learn to scythe, Meadow Life, scythe, Simon Sylvester | Leave a comment

Somerset Scythe Festival 2015

Posted on June 9, 2015 by stevetomlin

This week I’ll be in Somerset for the 11th Green Scythe Fair, one of the highlights of my year and a fabulous event with scythe classes and competitions plus crafts, organic food and live music.
There are still places available on the Masterclass and Beginners courses which I will be teaching ahead of the Fair, details and booking are at The Scythe Shop. Hope to see you there.

Posted in scythe festivals & events, Scytherspace | Tagged 2015, festival, scythe, somerset | Leave a comment

Rake making at Heavy Horse Festival

Posted on June 5, 2015 by stevetomlin

This Sunday I’ll be making hay rakes at the Festival of the Heavy Horse in Northumberland. I’ve never been before but am really pleased to have been asked and looking forward to it as I do like to see working horses and Northumberland is a fantastic part of the country.
If you’re the area it looks to be really worth a visit and, while you’re there, stop by and say hello.

Posted in SteveTomlinCrafts, wooden rakes | Tagged demonstration, hay rake, Northumberland | Leave a comment

Scything in Yorkshire

Posted on June 4, 2015 by stevetomlin

This week I spent a day with Caroline and Rob at their meadow near York. They wanted to learn scything to be able to mow paths through the 3.5 acre meadow to enjoy it more during the summer.

On a private course like this we have time to fit in some extra things so, after the morning setting up the scythes and mowing two neat swaths, we spent the afternoon looking at other jobs that the scythe could be used for including trimming around trees, clearing nettles and tidying around a pond. Rob was keen to practise sharpening the scythe standing up which I was happy with and there was for him to get some hands on peening with the jig too.
A very enjoyable day with lovely people in the beautiful north-east of England, thanks for asking me.

Posted in scythe courses, Scytherspace | Tagged Austrian, course, meadow, scythe, York | Leave a comment

Learn to Scythe first course for 2015

Posted on June 1, 2015 by stevetomlin

The weather forecast steadily improved over the course of the week and yesterday my first Learn to Scythe group for the 2015 season had a great day at Sprint Mill in Cumbria. An interesting and lively group with a mix of projects for the scythe including orchards, cutting rushes, a community park project and volunteer work with Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside. Most people used and then bought one of my Complete scythe kits while Frances brought her own scythe which I helped her set up correctly and get back to sharp.
The young grass and buttercups in the paddock made a perfect training ground and I was really pleased to see everyone cutting so neatly and sharpening with confidence by the end of the afternoon.
The next course is at Brigflatts, near Sedbergh on 11th July and costs £80. Places are filling up, please email to book your place now.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 2015, course, cumbria, lancashire, learn to scythe, scythe, scything | Leave a comment

Mowing in Manchester

Posted on May 17, 2015 by stevetomlin

I was in Manchester yesterday and, popping into the City Art Gallery on a whim, got a lovely surprise in the form of George Clausen’s Old Reaper which I’ve admired many times in photos online but it was so much better in real life.
The movement in the man mowing is really great and the textures in the paint bring the weather and colours of the crop to life so much more than when seeing in on the screen.
The old Reaper by George Clausen
The outside of the Gallery has been transformed into a fantastic Lost Gardens of Manchester display in conjunction with the National Trust, including deck chairs where I enjoyed my lunch in some rare Manchester sun. I couldn’t resist a snap of this wooden hay rake propped up in a corner.

Posted in Scytherspace, wooden rakes | Tagged George Clausen, Manchester, National Trust, Old Reaper | Leave a comment

Ancient pear eating spoons commission

Posted on May 3, 2015 by stevetomlin

I don’t generally work to commission but every once in a while, I’m offered something that catches my attention. These two eating spoons are from a piece of an ancient pear tree that was cut back during building work at Hexham Abbey. My customer had managed to save a piece of a branch and asked me to carve some wooden spoons he could use in his kitchen. I love that part of the world and making something from the timber is a way of preserving the tree forever and connecting that history in the present.

The small section was quite twisted and dry so there was more work involved in carving these eating spoons than normal but the colours and story make it worth the effort.

Posted in spoon carving, SteveTomlinCrafts | Tagged artisan, eating spoon, handcarved, Hexham, pear | Leave a comment

Cherry colours

Posted on May 2, 2015 by stevetomlin

After all the scythe hullabaloo of last week, it’s been good to be back in the workshop and carving cooking and eating spoons from some lovely local cherry I got hold of. The colours in it are just fanstastic and will look even better once they’re oiled.

Posted in spoon carving, SteveTomlinCrafts | Tagged cooking, eating, handcarved, spoons, wooden | Leave a comment

Scything for breakfast with Chris Evans

Posted on April 22, 2015 by stevetomlin

Continuing the stream of media attention that scythes are getting since Poldark, my mate George Montague was this mornings mystery guest on the Chris Evans Breakfast Show. A big man with a big personality, George is the perfect man for the show.
For those of you interested in knowing about the man behind the voice, here’s George in action and the two of us (he really is that big!) after his win in 2013.

Listen to the show on iplayer here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b052hz6f#auto – George is on air from 2:11:45

Posted in Scytherspace | Tagged championship, Chris Evans, festival, Poldark, scythe | Leave a comment

Scything on Radio Lancashire

Posted on April 21, 2015 by stevetomlin

Since Poldark, the whole BBC has gone a bit scythe crazy with features and interviews on Farming Today, the Radio 4’s Today programme and countless local stations. Here in the north-west I’ll be on Radio Lancashire tomorrow morning talking to Graham Liver who is so keen that he drove up to Kendal today to meet me and get a taste of the scythe.

We struggled a bit to find some grass that needed cutting and he seemed mainly interested in posing by the river with his shirt off but I managed to get him to cut a few strokes with the scythe first and his efforts weren’t wasted.

Posted in Scytherspace | Tagged BBC, lancashire, Poldark, radio, scythe | Leave a comment