The Blog
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Foraging with Taste the Wild [Read me!]
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New Years Eve [Read me!]
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Christmas Craft Weekend [Read me!]
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Christmas is coming… [Read me!]
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Lewis Todhunter Gig 16th Nov 2012 [Read me!]
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Cakes made to order! [Read me!]
Keep up to date with Bivouac life with our blog and join the Friends of Bivouac for our regular newsletters.
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Builders and rain!
Beth Hardwick posted this on 30th Aug 2011
I think our builders are having too much tea! They might say it’s the rain but I am sure big burly Yorkshire builders should be used to working in the rain?
Mind you - they are doing a great job… I’ve been very excited to see the developments today (having hidden away for a few weeks). Sam calls me Alan Sugar as I crack the whip… I think that is a little harsh… but I won’t be cracking this whip just yet.. as there is much evidence of hard work around this site.
The cafe barn is coming along… the toilet block is looking restored and the shop and reception area is now dry!
Just at the tip of the iceberg as they say… but I am encouraged.. if not totally overwhelmed!
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Reclaiming the land…..
Beth Hardwick posted this on 29th Aug 2011
Over the last few months Sam and I have been working hard to try and clean up the woodland here. In and around Druids Temple - we see many visitors come and visit the site. Most folk are here to enjoy the woods and the folly. Sadly however there are those who come up at night to abuse this space. We now cannot count how many times we have been met with car racing teens who are over the limit… out of control fires…. parties which get out of hand… rubbish all over the woodland, broken glass, cars broken into and wallets stolen….and more.
To be honest - having to go up to the woodland every night - sometimes more than three times… can get a bit tiring. Mostly because these night callers are not the folk who are here to love but to abuse or at least to abuse us!
This site is private land. There is a policy clearly signposted which states that there is NO CAMPING and NO FIRES to be lit. The Bivouac now manage this area and we are keen to see this place loved, used in the right way and celebrated. We are not trying to be party poopers… or ruin plans for a nice night away. We simply cannot have one rule for one group and another for others. It won’t be long before you can camp here - in the appropriate way.
This weekend we met a group of four family’s who camped here. When at five pm I told them that by nine pm they would have to leave… they laughed at me and totally ignored me. They told us that they had camped here for years and they were not leaving. They lit fires and carried on doing what they wanted. We found them to be rude, self centered and in total disregard for us, our aims on this site and for our management. It is a very tricky thing for us… we love folk to go camping and enjoy the outdoors. BUT how can we manage this site with people like this thinking they can behave in this way?
It made me mad. I am grieving the loss of my daughter right now…this journey is not one I have any control over. When I was met with this behavior this weekend - something inside flipped. It took all I had in me not to go up there and scream at them…. and tell them of my pain, my loss, my reaction to their ignorant, selfish behavior and the lessons they are teaching their own children.
Instead I had to take deep breaths and grieve quietly here at home.
On their departure - a few days later… they broke open our locked gate, stole one of our bins and left us a LARGE BUCKET OF HUMAN POOH! Nice…. what kind of people leave their own sh.. in a bucket for others to deal with?
Sadly these people and many more.. have now made it even more difficult for us to be as open and flexible as we’d like with this space. We now need to tighten the rules and go against our ethos… whilst we are developing this site for the celebration we know it will be.
So - if you know of anyone who comes up here to abuse this area… or folk who think they can behave how they want with no regard for others… just warn them will you - that there is a grieving woman here who has had enough of people like this…..... !
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Florence Briah
Beth Hardwick posted this on 24th Aug 2011
On July 28th I had an amazing labour - and gave birth to a gorgeous little girl, called Florie Briah. For 7 days we loved, kissed, played, learnt, lived, slept, fed, dreamt.
On July 28th I had an amazing labour - and gave birth to a gorgeous little girl, called Florie Briah. For 7 days we loved, kissed, played, learnt, lived, slept, fed, dreamt. On the seventh day our dear Florie got poorly very quickly and was flown to hospital.
The next day after a good fight, she left her body and us here on earth.. and she now is playing a new song in heaven. This has obviously been a real hit for us… a painful journey began and we are still in baby steps with our new song. But we are peaceful… and we are supported and loved.
Bivouac has taken a second seat for a while… not to say we are not giving the vision our attention… but maybe not as full as it was and will be again.
The Bivouac is an expression of many things we are and have experienced in losing Florie… I am looking forward to this place being somewhere where people leave better than when they arrived… whatever that looks like.
Categories: Bivouac Life
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Getting back on line….
Beth Hardwick posted this on 24th Aug 2011
Since we were granted planning permission and funding our house has been alive with activity and we have not seen our feet hit the ground. It is all go in Ilton - and will be for many months ahead. This is one of the reasons for our blog silence… for which we are sorry. September will bring two new Bivouac team members.. and we will pick up the communication again and give you and all the in’s and out’s of what we are up to. I am sad we have let this slip.. but I am excited to show you and tell you what’s been happening and what is going on. We’ll be introducing all of the team as well… over the next couple of months…
