Woodland's 40th birthday meet 22nd-24th January 2016

[HammockForum]

I'm just about to reach the end of my mid-thirties and I can think of nothing that I'd rather do than freeze my bits off with you lot somewhere with food, fire and friends and so I would like to propose that we find some woods somewhere and do just that. The above weekend is a proposal but I would like to stick to it if possible as it is the least likely weekend this month that I am likely to be working.

We will also need a venue so suggestions welcome. I'd like to go somewhere like the Peak District, North Yorkshire or similar but somewhere a little closer to London would be fine if it means that more of you can make it. If you know somewhere we can go with decent access, decent facilities would be good too and where we have permission and will not be bothered by idiots then shout below. It goes without saying that we will need some trees and to be able to have a fire. If anyone has a parachute that would be helpful.

Families would be welcome too assuming that the cold is not going to put any little ones at risk.

That's about it though. If you can make it put your names, availability and venue suggestions below and let's get out and have some fun.

[burghaus1]

Sounds good to me!!
Badgells wood?

[HammockForum]

Don't think Badgell's Wood is open until March if I'm not mistaken.

[Rita H]

Oh yes!

[Paulm]

Only forty, I'm jealous !!!

Broadstone Warren near East Grinstead is open all year http://www.broadstonewarren.org.uk/ It's used at the end of each month by a small group from BCUK but I've not managed to join them as yet, but we could obviously do our own thing the weekend prior as proposed rather than swamp their meet, Here's what they post on BCUK about the site and their own meets there, hope nobody minds that I've borrowed their post ! Hopefully gives some idea of what it's like and how it's organised. It's not open to the public so would probably need booking as a forum or group meet.

Another year and another meet already booked up for the weekend of 30th/31st of Jan 2016. Hope you all have a great Christmas and the best of New Years.

The usual rules & regs are here:

Pitch D1E which is the first one up at the top of the hill as you drive up the track from the main car park

PLEASE SEE MAP FOR LOCATION:
http://www.broadstonewarren.org.uk/index.php/site_plan/

General Details
Location of the Campsite & details of the Venue Broadstone Warren is a Scout site situated in the Ashdown Forest in the North of Sussex, midway between the South Coast and London. The site which is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) comprises 386 acres of the Ashdown Forest with campsites situated throughout the woodland in many of the glades.


How to get there
http://www.broadstonewarren.org.uk/index.php/find_us/

By Road
From the M25 - Leave the M25 at junction 8 following the M23 southbound towards Brighton. Leave the M23 at junction 10, and take the first exit on the roundabout along the A264 towards East Grinstead. When you get into East Grinstead, follow the A22 southbound towards Eastbourne. Remain on the A22, straight through Forest Row. Broadstone Warren is on the left-hand side approximately 2 miles south of Forest Row.
From the South - Follow the A22 northbound crossing the crossroads at Wych Cross (just after the Roebuck Hotel). The main entrance is approximately 500 metres after the junction on the right-hand side.

SAT-NAV - If using Sat-Nav, the postcode for the site is RH18 5JS. As you get close to the site, you need to look out for the signs as the same postcode is used for a number of local properties.

By Rail: The nearest train station is at East Grinstead, which is approximately a fifty minute train journey from London Victoria. When arriving at East Grinstead Broadstone Warren is a bus journey or ten minute taxi ride away.

By Bus: Bus services pass Broadstone Warren from East Grinstead, Uckfield and Haywards Heath.
-------------------------------------------

Times & Car Parking
You can stay the Friday night if you want, although the main meet starts on Saturday Morning & normally goes to lunchtime or mid afternoon on the Sunday.When you arrive on site you can drive to the pitch to unload but then please put your car back in the main car park; unless we have a pitch near the Ranger's car park at the end of the main dirt road in which case use that. Please be aware that you need to pay for each 24 hour period you are on site, so if you arrive at 12am on Friday & stay after 12am on Sunday then you need to pay for 3 days.

Fees
They put the price up to �6 each from the 1st of Jan 2015. Please note that this is charged on a 24 hour basis , so if you arrive on the Saturday & leave on the Sunday after being there for more than 24 hours then you need to pay for 2 days. Sorry but that is their rules. They like the organiser to collect all the fees & pay the bill, which Neumo normally does, but if he is not around then one of the regulars needs to sort this out.

You are welcome to come down for the day if you can't stay over, for which the site charges a day visit fee of �2.50

What we do at the meets
This is an opportunity to meet some local(ish) Bushcrafters, camp out with like minded people & practice/learn some skills. We have had a handful of these meets before, some at other venues, but they mostly follow the same pattern. We tend to do as much or as little as you want but try to have a few sessions where anyone can take part if they want; these are usually things like different ways to make fires, carving, tree id etc.. We cook on the shared fire, often having a communal meal & have tea on the go all the time. We have a few beers round the campfire in the evening but tend not to stay up too much past midnight as others are often asleep by then & we tend to get up early when you wake up in the woods, usually round 7 (although some sleep on for a bit).

What to bring & Food
We spend quite a lot of time sitting round the fire under the parachute or a tarp, so a CHAIR is a good thing to have. Tea/Coffee making stuff & a mug are the other essential things to have. People tend to self cater so bring enough food to feed yourself for the weekend. There are shops in Forest Row where you can resupply if needed.

The other important stuff

WATER: Standpipes are located at various points around the site. Sometimes in winter there is no water on a pitch but that is rare. Brining a water container is not a bad idea as sometimes we pitch up the hill from the taps.

FIREWOOD: There is ample wood for burning lying around the forest. Under NO circumstances is live wood to be cut or damaged. Chain saws are NOT permitted on the site. Some pitches are better than others but we always find enough wood. Bringing a bow saw is a good idea if you have one.

PITS: Due to the nature of the ground on site NO pits of any type may be dug.

VEHICLES: NO vehicles are to be driven onto the camp sites or parked on the rides other than with the Duty Manager’s permission. On arrival you may be allowed to unload your equipment at your site after which you must park your vehicle in the car park allocated. At the end of your stay, after receiving the Duty Manager’s permission, you will be allowed to take your vehicle to your site to load up your equipment. Please note that if it has been raining a lot then the office may decide to close access to the pitches by locking the gates; this is done to protect the rides.

CYCLES: To comply with the Forestry Commissions Laws and Natural England, cycles are NOT permitted on the site.

DOGS: NO pets of any description are allowed on site. Sorry but that is the site rules.

NOISE / NUISANCE / Anti-social Behaviour: As the consideration for other users is paramount, music players, radios and the like must not be audible off your own site. Noise must be kept to a minimum between 11pm and 7.30am. Unacceptable behaviour by any users on site will not be tolerated. Unacceptable behaviour includes: Bad language that causes others to be seriously offend; Trespassing; Vandalism; Consumption of alcohol by minors/excessive consumption by adults; Illegal substance use; Setting fires (with the intent to cause damage); Acting in a way that may cause danger to self or others.

Verbal, Emotional, Physical or Sexual Abuse etc... will not be tolerated, neither will people who constantly bring these topics up in conversation. This is a scout site full of children so participants need to realise that what they say round a campfire may be overheard & reacted to in a very different way from how they think their 'banter' will be recieved by the people they are talking to. We are not trying stop people enjoying themselves but some topics of conversation are not appropriate for a scout camp, so we are asking that common sense be used here. Please see the disclaimer below. We will be keeping an eye on this from now on.

SECURITY: In the interest of security we would recommend that you do not leave any valuables in tents or buildings.

RUBBISH: Recycling facilities for glass, cans and tins are located at Camp Centre. Please clean all glassware, cans and tins before disposal. Please bring a bin bag if you can. All other rubbish should be brought to camp centre and placed in the bins provided, or taken home for disposal.

FIRE: Fire is to stay within the main fireplace, unless people are being taught how to make fire under appropriate adult supervision. This is mainly aimed at kids, as we need to be careful where embers land away from the main fire for obvious reasons. This excludes personal hobos, gas cookers etc.. which are the owners responsibility when operating.

Please note: Camping at the site by registering using the Sussex BCUK name when not at one of the advertised meets is not allowed. Sorry but you should only be able to book a pitch on Broadstone Warren as a registered user of the site & we don't want to lose our use of the site due to anything happening outside of a regular monthly meet.

Cheers, Paul

[Paulm]

There's a couple more sites in Basingstoke and Arlesford that could be good in season but closed till spring unfortunately. This one may be open and is near Arborfield but I'm not sure if open at the moment and what facilities they have as I've not stayed there http://www.camping-berkshire.co.uk/

Only some suggestions to get the ball rolling, open to other ideas too as always

Cheers, Paul

[Paulm]

Looking a bit more closely at the website I think this one closes for the off season at end of October so I think this one is off the list.

Cheers, Paul

[Diamond Dave]

This sounds good.....who will be bringing the birthday cake...

[Morticiaskeeper]

Now I'm really jealous!

I will be spending part of that weekend in a classroom with a baffling subject while you lot get to play outside :-(

[Tardis]

Sounds good!

[Gooner]

Unfortunately can't make this, really gutted.
Hope you all have a good one

[Stevie]

As discussed Woodland I'd be delighted to attend. Obviously I'll go with the general concensus but I would urge those proposing sites to keep in mind that this is a UK site. For example, I'll be travelling from Glasgow and logistically Yorkshire would be a better fit for me. For one it means I can take take the car. If it's London then I need to look at practicalities of flying. What I can and can't carry - will I need to post my knives and fire kit on ahead of me and of course the same at the othe end.
And most importantly, it would be easier to take Woodlands birthday presents in the car! Oh yeah, and the dog too! 😉
Looking forward to meeting all of you.

And anyone from up my way looking to car share, or indeed anyone i can collect on the way contact me please.

[GadgetUK437]

Working that weekend, I'm afraid.

[Paulm]

If the East Grinstead option at Broadstone Warren above doesn't suit then another alternative might be at Egerton in Kent, subject to the chap who runs it being agreeable and confirming availability. Some of us have already been there for other meets eg SteveB, Gooner and Diamond Dave.

You can get a flavour of it from this post on BCUK today which reminded me of it ! http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/sho...92#post1714192

It is a very small wooded area on a slope though, together with a large field, so I'm guessing that the wooded area might do six to ten hammocks at a push, but not masses of woodland to spread out in like at Badgells or Broadstone. There is no water on site but is a decent composting loo ( I helped build it !) and a small parachute covered fire area. Firewood would need to be asked about, there has been a fair amount on site before for gathering but it may be that we would have to bring in our own.

There would be a modest fee payable per head if we wanted to go ahead, I forget how much last time but think it was a fiver or tenner per night, but subject to agreement.

Happy to make contact with the chap that runs it if wanted, but don't want to mess him around unless it is the preferred venue and we would go ahead.

Broadstone Warren sounds like it is a lot bigger, more like Badgells Wood, has water, and firewood I think can be foraged, so may be better, but there is no cover that I know of unless we rig our own parachute (if someone has access to one) or tarps.

Neither are much help to our members further up North, sorry Stevie ! I haven't ventured further up country as yet so am only suggesting those I have been to or am aware of, it totally doesn't preclude suggestions from others elsewhere obviously

Cheers, Paul

[Sunndog]

Theres britton wood in the middle of the country


Link here from bcuk

[Stevie]

Sounds grand mate - not sure if it would work though due to BCUK being there on same weekend. A great spot for future consideration though unless Woodland is happy to share...

[Kieren]

To be honest money is a bit tight at the minute and I want to be able to ensure I can get to the meet so need to hold it close to home this time.

[Stevie]

Well, it is your birthday after all fella! 😉

[mefa]

Sorry Woodland, won't be able to attend your birthday celebration, have a great time. UK in January? Brrrrrrrrrrrr

[Kieren]

Can't say I blame you really either. Sorry about November. Still got Spain on the backburner.