Birch Eco Cottage
It has been six months now since we started offering people the opportunity to stay in Birch Eco Cottage, and not only has the response been amazing, we’ve met some wonderful people.
Living the Good Life
Last year we were approached by a couple of production companies about appearing in TV programmes, and we said yes where they were factual. The first was one about homes in Britain and Northern Ireland, so we spent half a day with a camera crew and played host to Gloria Hunniford
Wonderful willow
It was when we began putting on willow basket making courses that I realised I had the basket making bug, and so it was only a matter of time before my mind turned to creating a source of willow. It turns out that there are many, many varieties of basket willow and the range of colours is wonderful.
Gathering our harness
This week we went off to the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, to their annual Horse Ploughing and country skills day. Apart from anything else it was a good chance to go and have a look at everyone’s harness, as it turns out that literally every single set seems to be different in some way, and we fancied seeing how ours compared.
Lackan Farm Forest School
An exciting development for 2017 is the formation of our first Forest School group, which will be led by Lucy, an experienced Forest School teacher. Ever since hearing about the idea of forest schools or outdoor schools we’ve been excited by the idea of getting a group going and an amazing bunch of children and parents have come together to make this happen.
Practical renewable energy
This course is aimed at those who are keen to find out more about the potential of small scale renewable energy and heating, and the opportunities for DIY and home energy storage where a grid connection is not always practical.
Open day – June 17th
We get a lot of requests from folk who would like to come and have a look around, find out more, and share their stories with us, so this year we have decided to have an open day on June 17th , when anyone can come and see what we get up to, and ask questions about any aspect of what we do here at Lackan Cottage Farm.
Introduction to green woodworking – 1 Oct 2017
Green woodwork is one of the most accessible and enjoyable woodcrafts you can experience. Using traditional tools to shape green (unseasoned) timber with the rhythm of the pole lathe and versatility of the shave horse is pleasure that is hard to match. The beauty of green wood lies in its ability to be shaped easily as it is soft and easily worked by handtools.
Make a stool from a log – 30 Sept 2017
This workshop will teach you the skills needed to make your own piece of furniture in the form of a rustic stool, encompassing the use of the shave horse and a variety of handtools including the axe, draw knife, auger drill and spoke shave.
Willow basket making – Saturday 28 April
Before plastic containers and even cardboard boxes became common, the woven basket was used as a container for literally everything. Able to be made into all sizes and shapes, limited only by the imagination of the basket weaver, the basket was part of everyday life....
DIY Living – 20-21 May 2017
Whether you have a project already started, or are dreaming of your ideal plot, this course will help you turn your dreams into reality. A hands on course for all abilities and experience levels.
