Yesterday Hilde and I jouneyed out of 21st Century London, travelling east on a very noisy Tube train, and then on a less noisy bus, to walk past the guardian oak tree into Hainault Forest and the timelessness of nature. The green of the new leaves was almost dazzling. Those two well-known woodsmen, Trui and Greg, awaited us as we came out into the clearing that is now Camelot Car Park, Greg with his trusty steed laden with equipment for survival, most importantly his mum’s fruit cake and tea.
He took us to a truly lovely spot where a fallen beech tree (still growing) provided a comfortable moss covered bench. There we discussed the rudiments of survival in the wilderness and he showed us how to gather tinder and light a fire. The forest floor was very dry so needless to say the flame was instantly doused with copious water. Believe me, if civilisation breaks down, Greg is the man you want to be with.
He led us in meditation inviting our Celtic ancestors into our groves to remind us of what we had forgotten we knew. Then we had tea and cake. And if you want to snare a female Druid of the species Hildensis you place one small square jaffa cake in front of the friendliest looking tree and wait quietly for this shy creature to approach you and ask for more.
Thank you Greg for an enjoyable and interesting afternoon.
lol Thanks, Liz. You did make me giggle.
I did say at the time that this particular specimen of the species would probably be a bit suspicious if it found a jaffa cake lying around in the woods… :)
How was the party?
Comment by hilde — 22/4/2007 @ 9:57 pm
By the way, having consulted my tree book, I think it was a hornbeam not a beech.
The party was dull as I suspected it wuld be so I was glad I’d had such a lovely afternoon. Still, my friend was happy so that’s what matters.
Comment by Elizabeth — 24/4/2007 @ 7:17 pm