Peter Wood
January 08 saw me start my apprenticeship working with Maurice Pyle. I had already done several courses with Maurice including the NCFE in green woodwork through Houghall college and helped with some demonstrations. I have continued working with Maurice making charcoal, processing firewood, felling trees, helping with courses and attending shows with the Woodsmiths Store. Winter 08/09 I worked with Mark Connelly on various conservation projects mostly for local councils. Winter 09/10 I am again working with Mark and also with James Bedingfield doing Willow work and preparing materials for school resources. I have also been developing my own business, demonstrating woodcrafts, making charcoal and firewood.
Dec '09. Peter began his apprenticeship in 2008

Sam Ansell
I am thoroughly enjoying the first year of my apprenticeship with Rebecca. The list of activities is as long as a giant yurt-pole, but highlights include learning to make hazel hurdles, building a timber framed compost loo and a pole barn, and teaching kids to pole-lathe at kendal calling music festival. Perhaps the most rewarding moments come in a more subtle form - when dressing out hazel in the woods, or seeing a coupe thats recently been cut and fenced, and thinking "wow - we're really doing it, we're really out in the woods and keeping it real". And this is only the beginning! I'm really excited about the rest of the apprenticeship and beyond - building up my tools and resources, more training, honing my skills, and getting a chance to manage some coppice for the future.
Dec '09. Sam began his apprenticeship in 2009

Helen Elvin
I am just coming to the end of my apprenticeship, I have been placed with Martin Clark of Grampus Heritage and Training at Ashgill near Aspatria in the north of Cumbria. It has been an eventful time with lots of different experiences. Hannah Elhert (BHMAT graduate) and I did hazel and birch coppicing over the winters. I have also delivered several training sessions for students from different European countries with the idea of using traditional skills for contemporary ideas. This has involved a number of fashion shows making costumes from willow and other weavable materials . I have also been involved at the Dubwath nature reserve building bird hides from living willow, a celtic style round house with wattle and daub walls and turf roof with a door frame carved by myself and a norse style hide with bracken thatch. I have also carved two large cherry wood interpretation boards for the site. I have really enjoyed developing my carving skills and working on my willow weaving making baskets and sculptures which I sell through local galleries, shops and farmers markets. Hannah and I have also been running family play days in the woods to inspire and encourage fun and games in a sustainable way.

I am looking forward to setting up my own business coppicing in west Cumbria, especially regenerating neglected coppice and also planting up new sites. I will continue to work with children and young people through schools and workshops to promote sustainable forms of crafts and engage them with the rich flora and fauna of the wonderful area we live in.
Dec '09. Helen began her apprenticeship in 2007

www.elvincrafts.co.uk
www.playdaysinthewoods.com

Mike Carswell
Originally from Northern Ireland, I am now based in Manchester where I am making good progress setting up my own Coppicing business. My apprenticeship so far has been hard work but good fun and, most importantly, has taught me the skills and knowledge I need to pioneer the urban coppicing scene in Manchester.

I spend several days a week with my sponsor Rebecca Oaks, working on coppice regeneration contracts in the Silverdale & Arnside AONB. Together with Firewood and Charcoal production I have learned the ancient art of dressing-out coppiced Hazel and turning it into many different saleable products, including Hurdles.

My plan for the future is to introduce the vast aray of traditional woodland products to the people of Manchester and turn as much of the suitable local woodland into high-quality coppice.
Dec '09. Mike began his apprenticeship in 2008

Tessa Rhodes

Enthused by Woodland Pioneers in 2007 I enrolled on the NCFE Certificate in Greenwood Crafts at Houghall College in Durham, delivered by Maurice Pyle and specialist practitioners such as James Bedingfield, Phil Bradley and Owen Jones.

During 2008 I met Ruth Thompson of Sylvan Skills and volunteered with her learning about living willow sculptures, organising workshops and harvesting willow. In this same year I tried my hand at a diverse range of greenwood crafts and coppicing including: longbow construction, timber framing, an earthburn, basketmaking and horse logging. I also attended the APF exhibition with Maurice and his Woodsmith's Store where I demonstrated besom broom making. Then after Woodland Pioneers 2008 I applied to BHMAT for a self funded apprenticeship based in Northumberland and was accepted! Having spent the previous year taking on every opportunity in coppicing and greenwood woorking it was the next branch up the tree for me!

Since becoming an apprentice I have continued working with Ruth and with Maurice, but have also poured energy into my own business: setting up a workshop, finding local woodland resources and learning about book keeping and tax returns! I have also continued to further my training, which has taken me far and wide. This travelling around to work and learning from expert craftspeople has been a fascinating experience.
Dec '09. Tessa began her apprenticeship in 2009

Rupert Hoskinson
Rupert began his apprenticeship in 2007

Hannah Elhert
Hannah started her apprenticeship working with Rebecca Oaks, plus a day a week with Geoff Whitley. Before starting the course, she had volunteered for an intense 3 month work experience in North Devon with coppicer and hurdlemaker, Brian Williamson,. During her time with Rebecca she gathered experience in coppicing, scrub clearance for conservation, felling on limestone, some fence structures and hurdlemaking. A second main area of the business through the year was firewood and charcoal.

After a business restructure Hannah’s first placement ended. She travelled a bit doing a summer placement near Bath, with Tim Gatfield from the Cherry Wood Project, assisting on greenwood courses during the summer. Her last year of the apprenticeship course was spent with Grampus Heritage and Training near Cockermouth in Cumbria, where together with second year apprentice Helen Elvin, they helped to develop the greenwood working side of the business and ran day courses.

Hannah’s Lancashire placement was funded by the Lancashire LEADER+ programme; part funded by the EU (EAGGF) and Defra and supported by the Lancashire Economic Partnership. Also the Lancashire Woodlands Project and Arnside/Silverdale AONB Sustainable Development Fund.
Hannah graduated in 2008

Saul Blenkarn
Saul graduated in 2007

Natasha Twigg
Twiggy graduated in 2007

James Mitchell
James is from Kendal, South Cumbria. James started working with Maurice Pyle in September 2003 felling trees, producing firewood and charcoal, he completed a number of formal training courses including use of a chainsaw, ATV handling, first-aid, hedge-laying, willow basket making, pole lathe turning, wooden bowls and hurdle making. In June 2004 he set off to Slovakiafor 5 weeks to work on a number of green wood working prospects, then returned to Kendal to work with coppice craftsman, Ian Taylor.

Early in December 04 James had his first experience of teaching on his own course 'Christmas Crafts'. Six students were given tuition in the making of Rustic Reindeer, wreath blanks, willowstars and gypsy roses.

See pictures from his Graduation Exhibition in Woodland Pioneers Week 2006.
James graduated in 2006