The Scythe Association is born

At the weekend 11 of us gathered in Oxford to discuss setting up an association to represent and further the use of the scythe in Britain & Ireland. The idea has been around since last summer when Simon Fairlie, who runs the Scythe Shop, suggested there is huge scope for more people to be mowing than at present.
After 5 hours of productive work the Scythe Association (of Britain and Ireland) was born with the aims to represent and promote the use of the scythe and communiction between mowers, land owners and other interested parties. Initially, a website is planned to provided information on the scythe, training courses and the events and festivals around the country.
It was an invigorating weekend bringing back memories of the summer past and excitement for the season to come, just what is needed during the winter when the warmth of the sun seems at times a long way off. I’m proud to say I was there, now begins the work of turning it into a reality.
With diverse backgrounds and interests we represented an interesting group and the discussion flowed freely covering topics from scythe use and manufacture to thatching, beekeeping, Captain Swing (more about him another time) and arctic exploration. Included in this was a sampling of blueberries preserved in polar bear oil – not for the faint-hearted!