The Bushcraft Magazine May Day Meet

This past weekend I spent a fantastic few days down at Egerton, Kent at the second annual Bushcraft Magazine May Day Meet. This is an annual gathering of like-minded people brought together to share skills, talk craft and swap stories. Over the weekend, which begins on the friday evening and lasts through until monday, a whole host of taster courses, mini workshops and demonstrations are laid on and everyone has a chance to participate and learn something new, or to just sit back and chill out amongst like-minded company.

The May Day Meet is structured in a similar vein to the Wilderness Gathering but on a smaller, more informal scale. The event also reflects the 'back to nature' ethos of the magazine. Readers will know that The Bushcraft Magazine focuses on the traditional woodsman skills that are swifly being forgotten by an aging population, on the flora and fauna that abounds in our fields and forests and, rather than fixate on shiny kit and gear reviews, presents a naturalist's philosophy of nurturing the relationship we have with our environment and developing it into something sustainable and appreciative. Their mantra of 'reconnecting to the landscape' is one that certainly ran true for me throughout the weekend. Traditional pole-lathe demos, forging workshops, ferreting, medicinal plant talks, green wood working and foraging walks is just a taster of what was on offer throughout the weekend, all in line with the traditional, natural theme.

The weekend also had a very clear emphasis on families. There were plenty of activites for the children, not to mention a large open farm to play in, and I never once saw one complaining or misbehaving, despite some pretty horrendous weather on the sunday!

Please see the following link for some pictures and a breakdown of the weekend: http://www.bushcraftliving.com/reviews/44-media/165-bushcraft-magazine-may-day-meet