Starting a new job!

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John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,108
2,843
66
Pembrokeshire
With fire lighting I teach that
A - you do not need fint or steel" flint and steel" fire lighting (Chert and quartz etc plus carburized iron work! - look it up on google!)
B - wood does not burn... solids do not burn - wood gas does and you have to cook it out of the wood first
C - "No smoke without fire" is wrong! "No fire without smoke" is the right version as the smoke is the visible sign that the gasses that are burnable are being cooked out of the wood (etc) and smoke is therefor the fuel - not the wood (etc)
D - the flame you get roaring out of the hole in the tin you are cooking your char cloth is a jet - therefor the jet engine was invented by whoever first made charcloth (not Mr Whittle but an Iron Age bloke with a copper pot and linen cloth and if they had thought about it we would have had jet engine vehicles before steam engines!
E - with flint lock muskets - Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo with Iron Age technology and ub=ntil we were all using matches C 1900) we used stone Age technology every day... flints shaped by knapping to fit our tinder boxes!
F - The Bible tells the truth
"Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward." Job 5.7 - when you strike down with a steel on a flint the sparks go up wards - so the charcloth goes on top... or you are in trouble!
Blows not only kiddies minds but also their teachers brains - I love it! :)
Told you I was showing off :)
Perhaps I have had too much falling over water tonight - but I an celebrating tonight!
 

Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
7,981
7,759
Mid Wales
www.mont-hmg.co.uk
I'll sit here and raise a glass of malt to you and your new job too John (Talisker by the way). Since you quoted (F) to me at the Moot I have been very successful with flint and steel firelighting so it's not just kids it/you can inspire :)
 
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British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
Mercia
Well - after many years as a Support Worker for people with learning disability I am starting a new job.
I will now be working at Castell Henllys as taking School Groups around the site, helping inturpret the site and Iron Age life for them - and also staffing Events and running Bushcraft Sessions in the summer.
I finished at the Care Farm before the summer holiday season and have been running Bushcraft events and selling my craftwork since then (some of this being at Castell Henllys) but I am looking forward to working at the hillfort on a more regular basis and working with the school groups :)
I will be working in Iron Age costume so get to dress up as well :)
View attachment 55805
I am upgrading my costume to include winter wear at the moment!

This fabulous, I think you'll be brilliant at it!
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,154
1,546
Cumbria
When I posted the link it worked i even looked at it after posting but it now isn't secure apparently. It was a good website.
 

Tengu

Full Member
Jan 10, 2006
12,780
1,517
51
Wiltshire
Arent you the lucky one?

I want to work in Heritage too, but I doubt I will do it with as much panache as you.

Im working to get known; Just did another paper at the Sporting Heritage Conference and will be on again at the Theoretical Archaological Conference....

I have also scored a mentorship at Uni...She works for The Box, our new Museum/archive in Plymouth.
 
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John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,108
2,843
66
Pembrokeshire
Yup - I think I am pretty lucky ... and although the contract is "Temporary Casual" there should be enough work to keep me going :)
The link to the site now works!
 
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Jul 30, 2012
3,570
224
westmidlands
You are a rotten git posting something like this on here, and the fact you get to play with spears and swords all day long is just rubbing salt into the wound. I hope the children give you the runaround :depressed:. Good luck anyway.
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,108
2,843
66
Pembrokeshire
I am still putting together my winter kit for the site but so far I have some nice thick trousers, a nice thick sleeveless top and a Paenula cloak and a sagum cloak all in blanket wool and hand sewn by one of the ladies on site who loves hand sewing in the Iron Age style, even to the point of using bone needles!
I have made myself the linen tops and trousers seen in the photo and they will be "underwear" in winter as well as "outerwear" in warmer times and have also made some "leg wraps" and a pair of trousers in medium thick wool - the ones I make are a cheat and machine sewn (but not visibly so)! :)
I also have a sheepskin hat (based on an Iron Age salt miners hat and wear a neckerchief of linen in summer and wool for the winter and tomorrow I should pick up a medium thick wool top from my lady sewist and give her another top and pair of trousers to sew for me - I get the fabric and cut it out, she does the stitchery - so I should be OK for all weathers !
My spearhead is one I bought off you Dave shafted (a bit short I admit) and all my belts and buckles made by me while the sword is a commercial one which passes muster at 20 paces....
Unfortunately we are not allowed (H&S) to wear authentic footwear (too slippy and no support!) so I will be wearing modern hiking boots :(
I will get photos up as soon as the whole collection is completed or I get opportunity.
I am going up today for my second "Shadow Shift" learning the ropes :)PB110002.JPG PB110003.JPG PB110007.JPG
Well - that is one set photographed...
 
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