This was my first bush moot and I must say I was mixed with various emotions and thoughts on the upcoming event. The bushcraft community was new to me and I wasn't sure what kind of people I would encounter (harbouring a fear of meeting some end of day believers or casualties of the millennium bug fever) so you can understand that I was excited and worried and all of the emotions in between as I was also bringing my partner Charley and daughter Maya (age 4) and assuring them that wewould go straight to the nearest hotel if they were uncomfortable or if it felt like a cult training camp or some such.

As we approached Methyr Mawr we relaxed somewhat being awe inspired by the surroundings and natural beauty and charm of the place.

When we arrived at the location and went to register we were greeted with warm hellos and friendly acknowledgements, it felt very relaxed and not the testosterone charged militaristic environment we thought it would be.  It was exciting for my daughter as we could pitch in any location of our choice and the there was the friendly chatter and play of children everywhere among the throng of people pitching their camps. After setting up and a brew, we went for a little venture exploring the site and I have to say the location of the moot is stunning and suitably located, you have a wide range of types of landscape from sandy dunes and long stretches of golden beaches to a river, wooded areas and grass/ meadow lands perfect for any bushcraft jaunt.

There were also shower blocks and washroom areas, toilets, washing up facilities and a communal sheltered area so you still had some relative comforts and various water taps situated throughout the area for ease of collection and avoiding queues and other sanitation issues. At this point I must stop describing the area and location as it could devour a few thousand words in its own right, and I will proceed with the activities I was absolutely flabbergasted by the array of classes, workshops and activities that were on offer across the 4/5 days, everything from knife safety and use to flint knapping, fire craft , shelters, leather craft, medicinal and food forays preparing game and lots of activities for the family and children, who were absolutely in seventh heaven they had the freedom of the location and it felt like a safe environment, my partner and I are probably a little overprotective with our daughter but we felt comfortable and secure that our daughter was safe and she had a lot more freedom than she normally would have anywhere else. The sense of community was strong and it was such a warm and friendly environment to be in everyone was genuine and just enjoying the experience of being with other people with the same interests and passions. The demonstrators and workshop leaders were excellent and the quality of their demonstrations and delivery was with passion and enthusiasm which was infectious and I am now continuing to endeavor in these activities. The place and the entire event was a collective goldmine of knowledge and I have learned so much that it is impossible to digest all of it there was something for everyone that even the most experienced bushcrafter would have gained something from this event. Not wanting to waffle on (even though I could) to round up and summarise the entire event all I can say is book a place for next year it is an excellent getaway and for the paltry sum of 50 pounds per person it is a steal. The environment is warm, friendly and with a genuine sense of community and well being that it restores ones faith in society. In terms of brushing up on previously acquired skills or learning new ones the moot excels at this, overall it was fun, educational, relaxing and rewarding and it was with some regret that we had to leave on the final day. I would like to thank everyone that we met such as Spark, Sandsnake (thanks for fixing the ankle and other advice) Will Lord and family and everyone else we had the pleasure of meeting and learning from. And finally a big thank you to Tony and all of the Bushcraft UK team, MODs and volunteers this moot was a credit to you all and was a fantastic experience and thanks from me and the family for an unforgettable experience and we will definitely be back next year.   

See you all next year and for now happy and safe journeys to you all.