Mallinson Ltd - woodwork courses in Dorset. Perfect short breaks for everyone.

Last week saw our last course of 2009 and, despite the storms, we had a great time with nine carvers working away to produce a fine set of bowls. I think there is something very special about this time of year, in the way the woodland camp looks when it's lit as it gets dark, and in watching nine lanterns weave their way through the woods at the end of the day.

This course also saw the first use of our new double bitted axe throwing arena and target (see last month's mailing). I admit it's a bit hairy to watch, but everybody enjoyed having a go at this unusual 'sport'.

Christmas Gift Certificates

So, with the last course held, I've no excuse and have to do some work in the office. I can't begrudge it; after all, this is our busiest time of year for sales and in particular our gift certificates are proving as popular a Christmas present as ever.

If you want to drop a heavy hint to a loved one or want to get your present buying done painlessly, there's no better time than now to just pick up the phone or book a certificate online. Don't forget that the gift certificates can be left open for any two-day course on any date that suits the lucky recipient.

A Present In A Storm Kettle

If you or anyone you know ever fancies a brew outdoors, we have the perfect present. Just in time for Christmas, we're now selling storm kettles on the website. These ingenious bits of kit are the same as the ones that we often use for a brew in the woods and many guests have been impressed at the ease of boiling water in just a few minutes using nothing but a few twigs. They make a great gift for anybody who wants a cuppa when they're out and about - camping, fishing, bodging or anything else!

Talking of Storms ...

And talking of storms, the recent big storm caused havoc for many and we did not escape entirely. Three trees came down in the gale, one narrowly missing the tipi - we were very lucky. This was the first time I have had to leave the woods due to the danger of falling trees - a rather scary experience and hopefully one that we shall not have to repeat for some time, if ever.

Pleasingly though, the shelters themselves stood up well with the parachute canopies staying in place despite the very strong winds. The one downside of having fantastic views west to the sunset is that when the wind blows we do get it full-on. Thankfully, the woodland camp is in a relatively sheltered hollow.

Introducing Charlie and Tom

We have two new residents in the woods - Charlie and Tom, two Indian runner ducks that were given to us by the apprentices (of the same names) after the recent filming of the BBC's forthcoming Mastercrafts series.

Their arrival was a total surprise to me and they are giving me and the family a lot of pleasure and laughs, and with a bit of luck they will also keep the weed down in the pond. There was a third duck - Sarah (the third apprentice) - but sadly she is no longer with us. Life in the woods can be cruel.

Tom Vaughan also made a fantastic duck house for them that is now floating on its own island on our pond. Tom makes these to order, so if you fancy one (on expenses or self-funded) then he can be contacted through our links page here.

Monty Don's Mastercrafts

Filming is still ongoing for the later episodes of Mastercrafts, but the BBC is starting to publicise the series. Monty Don (who coincidentally is a keen bowl carver) is presenting, and although we still can't say or show too much, there is a taster (focusing on thatch) on the BBC website, to be found here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/tv/comingup/mastercrafts/

That's it for this month. Don't forget to order that gift certificate soon! Thanks for reading.

Guy and the team

Tree of the Month - Maidenhair tree - Ginkgo biloba

The recent stormy weather, as well as generating some truly awe-inspiring waves down at our local beach, also bought a sudden look of winter to town and country as the turning leaves we so admired last month were stripped from the trees over the course of a couple of windblown days. In our back yard, which is very small with no trees at all, an interesting mixture of leaves has blown in from the surrounding gardens. When I was sweeping up, one type of leaf in particular stood out so much that I had to go for a walk round the surrounding streets to see where it came from, and who had a ginkgo in their garden.

The distinctive, leathery leaf is unlike that of any other living plant. It is notable for its beautiful clear yellow autumn colour, and also for its unusual form; the common name refers to the similarity of the leaf to that of the maidenhair fern, while the Linnaean name reflects the leaf shape, being fan-like with parallel veins, and partly split into two halves, or lobes. The leaf shape is also a clue to the most exciting thing about the ginkgo, pointing to its roots in extreme antiquity, a living link to the earliest primeval forests.

In fact, the history of the ginkgo reaches back further than that of any other tree still in existence on the planet today. Although it is now only native to China, where it is so rare that it was thought to be extinct in the wild, the ginkgo was once far more widespread, and over time-scales that are quite hard to comprehend - a true living fossil. The fossil record reveals that plants very closely related to the ginkgo as it is today were prevalent in the great primeval forests over 270 million years ago; 65 million years ago, fossil leaves show us that ginkgo trees - as they are today - flourished in Britain, America and Canada, while 10 million years ago they were widespread across all areas of the northern hemisphere.

It is more than just a persistent leaf-shape, though, that makes the ginkgo a most ancient and fascinating tree, for the ginkgo stands alone. Although the family Ginkgoaceae is known to have been widespread, it is now reduced to a single species - Ginkgo biloba. Further, although identified as a tree, the modern ginkgo is a living 'bridge' between the higher plants and the lower ferns or cycads. The trees are dioecious; after reaching maturity at around 30 years old, male trees produce pollen on primitive catkins, and female trees produce ovules at the end of the stubby branch-tips. Fertilisation is a wonder, accomplished by motile sperm travelling through a film of water; a process seen in the plant kingdom only in mosses and ferns. The female trees can eventually produce foul-smelling fruits, and for this reason only male specimens tend to be planted.

This fascinating tree was introduced to Britain in the early eighteenth century, from its native China. In 1762 a specimen tree was planted in what is now Kew Gardens; the royal botanic garden created by George III's mother, Princess Augusta. Further plantings were recorded in 1773, all under the guidance of the great plant-hunter Sir Joseph Banks. Ginkgos were initially thought to be tender, so the first tree was planted against the wall of a great heated glasshouse to give it protection. The tree effortlessly outlived the glasshouse, which was demolished almost one hundred years later, and this first ginkgo still stands, now recognised as one of the oldest surviving trees at Kew - and named as 'one of the 50 Great British Trees' by the Tree Council.

Luckily, given the slow maturity of the tree, and the imbalance between the sexes in all intentional plantings, the Ginkgo is also proficient at asexual reproduction, with lower branches rooting readily where they touch the ground. This, along with its resistance to all modern pests and diseases, possibly evolved over its extremely long life on earth, has made the ginkgo extremely long-lived. The venerable tree at Kew is only a baby; many trees in China are known to be over 1000 years old, and there is a tree in Shandong province that is thought to be over 3000 years old.

The tree has no value for timber, but extracts of the leaves, and of the inner seed of the fruit has long been used medicinally in Japan. More recently, use of this herbal medicine has spread to the rest of the world; as befits a living fossil, extract of Ginkgo biloba is now thought to be beneficial in the treatment of a range of complaints of old age, from memory loss to a range of problems of circulation, sight and hearing. In its natural state, the ginkgo can reach a height of 30 metres, but named cultivars are available that will fit happily into a small garden, or even into a pot, so consider a living fossil for your garden today!