Our meetings this season have got off to a cracking start. James Foster-Pegg, from the Gold Club, gave 35 members a talk on soft fruit growing at our September meeting and as usual it was very informative and entertaining. Could the October meeting be as good? We needn’t have worried.
 
Terry Heard, from Blandford, gave a talk on woodland crafts. He arrived at 7.00pm with a truck full of sticks, twigs, branches and some very strange looking equipment. Our members started to take their seats, Perhaps wondering what they had let themselves in for. Terry soon put them at their ease.
 
 
He described how a coppice is managed, using a model he had made. The slow and fascinating process of making charcoal and finally what can be made from coppicing. The whole tree is used. Trunks are turned into props for fruit trees. Branches become hurdles, thatchers, tent and clothes pegs, children’s toys and bean poles and besom brooms are made from the twigs.
 
 
 
 
 Terry made a broom using the very primitive looking, but very efficient piece of equipment you see in the photograph. We raffled this broom off.

He talked for well over an hour, answering many questions from his enthralled audience. Everyone left with a smile on their face, having enjoyed a horticultural talk with a difference.