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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Toddle Waddle
Andy Robinson posted this on 19th Jun 2012
Weekly walk around the Druids woodland
…do you have pre-school aged children?
…want to meet some new people?
…fancy a weekly walk around Druids Temple?
…or perhaps to experience Bivouac’s quirky new café?
…are you free on Fridays?Sarah and Jo would love to meet you at their friendly and welcoming Toddle Waddle. No need to book – just turn up!
10am at the Bivouac car park for the “Toddle Waddle” or 12 noon in the Bivouac café for lunch.
We go out in all weather, so bring wellies and waterproofs.
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Bread-making at the Bivouac!
Bivouac Cafe posted this on 14th Jun 2012
We’re really excited to introduce Susannah Vickers, a local artisanal bread-maker, to Bivouac.
Come up and indulge in one of her bread-making courses; forage for ingredients and cook on a home made camp-fire!Gain an insight into bread-making from start to finish, using local and seasonal ingredients and cooking on an open fire!
Susannah’s philosophy is based on a fun, shared experience and getting people enjoying bread-making by learning the skills in a friendly environment. Her passion for sustainable living runs alongside this, using locally-sourced ingredients to flavour the breads and eco-friendly cooking techniques.
A 3-hour session includes: making the dough, building a camp fire, kneading and shaping the dough, topping with anything from wild garlic to nettle and chive oil, then baking on a stone on the open fire.
Our introductory price for these exciting courses will be £15 per head.We will also be selling the “Kneaded Starter Pack” in our Bivouac shop, which contains everything you will need to continue making bread in the comfort of your own home.
Visit Susannah’s website for further details: www.thekneadedexperience.co.uk.
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Meet Jo Borg…
Becky Doggett posted this on 12th Jun 2012
Here at Bivouac we offer massages for guests and locals alike on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The lovely lady from leeds who provides them is called Jo and we thought it was about time we shared her with you, just so you could see how great she is and get a better idea of the massage she provides and the ethos behind her work!
Q: First things first, tell us what made you become a massage therapist.
I trained over a decade ago but it wasn’t until I moved to Yorkshire that I took the opportunity to change careers. I’ve enjoyed the other jobs I’ve had but always knew I’d return to massage eventually.
There’s a Chinese proverb that goes ‘Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.’ It makes sense to me that when we’re relaxed and replenished we are the best version of ourselves. We’re more patient, more generous and better able to take advantage of the opportunities that come our way.
Rather than being somewhere to go to retreat from the world, massage can act as a touchstone to help us navigate our way back to that feeling of peace in our day to day life.
Q: What style of massage do you offer to our Bivouac guests?I practice a massage style called Lomi Lomi. It originates in Hawaii and is characterised by long flowing strokes. It’s very relaxing and also allows for deeper muscle work - it’s the best of both worlds!
Q: What do you use to massage?I use fairly traded organic coconut oil from Shea Butter Cottage. They source their ingredients directly from farmers, producers and community projects and donate to workers co-operatives to pay for health insurance and build facilities like toilets. All their products are vegan-friendly too which is an added bonus.
Q: What’s the best thing about your job?I love thinking of ways to make my clients feel treated. I heat my massage table before appointments, warm up my massage oil and wash clients feet with hot cloths.
Q: Tell us a bit about how you got involved with Bivouac.We met on Twitter. They wanted a chef, so I offered to massage instead. I came up for a visit on a wet and windy November evening and fell in love with the place and it’s people.
At that point the site was still a work in progress, and there was lots of mud. I came back again in spring for their volunteer weekend - I was tasked with painting the shack walls and furniture - so I got to see how things were taking shaped before it opened. I’m so proud of how Bivouac has turned out. It’s gorgeous!
Q: What’s the best thing about working at Bivouac?I love being surrounded by nature. Being able to walk out of the massage room onto the hilltop and see for miles across the valley is incredible.
Q: If any of our guests are thinking of booking a massage and would like to find out more, where should they look?There’s more details about massage at Bivouac on their website. They can also take a look at my own website, friend me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.
I’m currently available at Bivouac on Wednesdays and Saturdays and it’s best to book ahead to make sure that there are appointment times available.
Q: Over to you for the last word ...There’s a poem by Miller Williams called ‘The Ways We Touch’ which I hold as my manifesto.
‘Have compassion for everyone you meet
even if they don’t want it. What seems conceit,
bad manners, or cynicism is always a sign
of things no ears have heard, no eyes have seen.
You do not know what wars are going on
down there where the spirit meets the bone.’Heres a few helpful links if you like what you’ve read…
Jo’s website http://www.lomimassageleeds.com
Her Facebook http://www.facebook.com/lomimassageinleeds and Twitter http://www.twitter.com/ilovelomi
Shea Butter Cottage http://www.akuawood.co.uk -
Tom Copson Gig 23rd June
Becky Doggett posted this on 10th Jun 2012
Just occasionally, amidst all the dodgy Beatles cover versions and taped backing music, you come across a busker who’s so good you have to stop and listen!
We are very lucky to be able to put on FREE gig up here at Bivouac with Cambridgeshire singer-songwriter Tom Copson. His Debut album ‘Woven’ was released on Monday 4th June and this summer he will be performing at Hop Farm, Cambridge Folk Festival and Secret Garden Party festivals. So book a place as space is limited or make an evening of it and book a table if you want to experience dinner at our quirky cafe as well!
The bar will be open all evening and we know it will be a fantastic night of good food, good music and brilliant company! Check out the video to hear for your self how amazing the music will be and call 01765 535 020 for more information or to book.
