The weather was perfect for another one night camping trip, this time with another pal – Phil who’s an expert bushcrafter and ex-chef. Sorry for the lack of photos, I brought the wrong camera so the few on here were taken with my phone.

I arrived mid morning on Wednesday, expecting my guest late afternoon. So I set to work removing the small brambles that had sprouted in my new tent area and clearing the paths around camp. I set the tent up and prepared as much as I could. At some point, I wanted to build a small saw horse next to my campsite log store from some plans I’d found in a book. I headed to the hazel copse to find some suitable poles. It was mid afternoon now and the birds and butterflies were abundant. Four or five wrens appeared to check me out, two of them being very brave and landing just a few feet away. There was a stirring in the undergrowth and blackbirds started to cluck and take flight. There must have been about a dozen in that area, a sign that they have bred well, close by. I usually see just the odd one or two. It suggests that the building of my deadhedges and various structures has paid off for the blackbird population. The mass exodus seemed to be away from the ride side of the copse and I wondered if someone was coming along. I saw no-one, picked some poles and headed back to camp. Half way back I heard a loud wooden knock, like someone at the door. I heard it again so I answered back. Silence. This smacked of Phil’s arrival and his wicked sense of humour. Somewhere nearby a deep ghost-like groan wafted across. Yeah it’s Phil!

I planned to do most of the cooking. I’m not a proficient cook and wanted the practise. Cooking for a chef is quite a challenge too. I planned a curried vegetable rice for the evening. I’ve done it hundreds of times at home in a wok but wanted to try it in my dutch oven on the campfire. Phil taught me a valuable lesson in fire management – controlling the heat by moving the embers around rather than raising and lowering the pot. It went well and this picture shows it simmering nicely. I love the pot.

We had an evening walk to the wood edge and watched numerous large dragonflies and on returning to camp, were rewarded with 3 or 4 bats flitting around the opening in the canopy, catching insects. Sleep was a sketchy affair, unable to settle into anything meaningful, I got up around 4.30am. Phil was still sleeping under the stars in his bivvie bag. Eventually he stirred and I relit the fire. Breakfast was a repeat of the eggs in beefsteak tomatoes cooked in foil that I tried when Simon camped a few weeks ago. Baked beans and bannock bread to accompany made a nice breakfast.

I packed up the tent and we took a walk to a neighbour’s plot (with his permission of course) where there is an ancient burial site. It dates back to the Neolithic times. It was excavated in the 1990’s and revealed the remains of four people. The numerous artifacts found as offerings suggests the deceased were of great importance. The Romans had also venerated this site and it was strange to imagine what it must have looked like 5000 or more years ago when a small river ran through and hunter gatherers roamed the woods. We climbed a forty foot tower the owner had built from his timber as a lookout and folly.

After a lunch of fruit cake and cookies, we set-to building the saw horse, it made a very sturdy and useful item.

We finished clearing up by late afternoon, another memorable mini adventure under our belts and lots of good memories to hark back to.