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Down to the woods
Posted: 30 Oct 2021, 5:41am
by Sweep
For anyone who likes the idea of freecamping in woods, but maybe not digging catholes.
https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibiti ... E5,2JA37,1
I'll probably go actually - they do some good exhibitions/I like the place.
Re: Down to the woods
Posted: 30 Oct 2021, 8:40am
by Pebble
something wrong with that picture - 3 young people and none of them were faffing with their mobile phones. I can't imagine there would be even a hint of tranquillity in there.
Re: Down to the woods
Posted: 30 Oct 2021, 10:33am
by pwa
I am sure the facility is lovely but it just made me shudder at the thought that one day this might be how most people experience forests. I am about to take the dog to a real forest where we may get rained on but we will be out there amid nature and the elements. No doubt she will find a grey squirrel to chase again
Re: Down to the woods
Posted: 30 Oct 2021, 2:06pm
by Sweep
pwa wrote: ↑30 Oct 2021, 10:33am
I am sure the facility is lovely but it just made me shudder at the thought that one day this might be how most people experience forests. I am about to take the dog to a real forest where we may get rained on but we will be out there amid nature and the elements. No doubt she will find a grey squirrel to chase again
I know what you mean - it does a tad have a whiff of something ersatz for the stressed out urban crowd.
But they do do some interesting stuff - a while ago they had a thing where you could enter a room of near-invisible nicely smelling smoke - and I can recommend their permanent chill-out zone with a nice selection of books, beanbags, nice ercol furniture and free wi-fi - recommended for anyone with a bit of time to kill near Euston station.
Will try to report back if I get along.
Re: Down to the woods
Posted: 30 Oct 2021, 2:41pm
by nirakaro
"They took all the trees
Put 'em in a tree museum
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see 'em"
Re: Down to the woods
Posted: 30 Oct 2021, 2:42pm
by Jdsk
Sweep wrote: ↑30 Oct 2021, 2:06pmBut they do do some interesting stuff - a while ago they had a thing where you could enter a room of near-invisible nicely smelling smoke - and I can recommend their permanent chill-out zone with a nice selection of books, beanbags, nice ercol furniture and free wi-fi - recommended for anyone with a bit of time to kill near Euston station.
And the café is an excellent place to meet.
Jonathan
Re: Down to the woods
Posted: 30 Oct 2021, 4:57pm
by Tim Holman
Cycle Camping??
Tim
Re: Down to the woods
Posted: 31 Oct 2021, 6:57am
by Sweep
Tim Holman wrote: ↑30 Oct 2021, 4:57pm
Cycle Camping??
Tim
I suppose I thought it might give folk an enthusiasm for experiencing the peace of a bit of wood lurking.
A pic of some wood lurking for you:
Re: Down to the woods
Posted: 1 Nov 2021, 10:01am
by nsew
I sometimes wonder if yours is a parody account. No brakes. Train to somewhere , spend the day in a Wetherspoons. Doss in skanky overgrowth and train home.
Re: Down to the woods
Posted: 1 Nov 2021, 10:15am
by nsew
Compare that muck with these sites
Re: Down to the woods
Posted: 1 Nov 2021, 10:49am
by Sweep
nsew wrote: ↑1 Nov 2021, 10:01am
I sometimes wonder if yours is a parody account. No brakes. Train to somewhere , spend the day in a Wetherspoons. Doss in skanky overgrowth and train home.
Oh dear.
Thanks for your concern, but I do have brakes on all my bikes - was going to post a relevant question in relation to that "brake" post of yours in the other thread but thought better of it/life intervened. Will get round to when a mo - your answer if forthcoming may be interesting.
You know nothing about that wood camp or the trip it was part of. And there were far far greener bits of that prticular wood but I pitched the tent there for very good reasons I won't waste my time going into.
I have kipped in greener woods,but have no pics. Again you know nothing about those trips either.
Re: Down to the woods
Posted: 4 Nov 2021, 7:15pm
by Bmblbzzz
Thanks for posting this. I enjoyed looking at the exhibition highlights they've chosen to put online.
As for it being ersatz, I can see how that point of view arises, especially in the context of "cycle camping", but it's art. It's exploring ideas of tranquility not necessarily representing them and it's certainly not a recreation of tranquility. Some of the exhibits might be intended to produce tranquility – if they do then that's tranquility! If they fail, then it's not. Photographs of a forest are no more an ersatz forest than a portrait is an ersatz person. And the exhibition has far more, even just in the highlights, than photos of forests.
Re: Down to the woods
Posted: 5 Nov 2021, 6:46am
by Sweep
Bmblbzzz wrote: ↑4 Nov 2021, 7:15pm
Thanks for posting this. I enjoyed looking at the exhibition highlights they've chosen to put online.
As for it being ersatz, I can see how that point of view arises, especially in the context of "cycle camping", but it's art. It's exploring ideas of tranquility not necessarily representing them and it's certainly not a recreation of tranquility. Some of the exhibits might be intended to produce tranquility – if they do then that's tranquility! If they fail, then it's not. Photographs of a forest are no more an ersatz forest than a portrait is an ersatz person. And the exhibition has far more, even just in the highlights, than photos of forests.
thanks for the thoughtful post bm - encouraged me to get along - will look out for any cyclists when there.
Re: Down to the woods
Posted: 10 Nov 2021, 7:03am
by Sweep
well I went.
As bmb' says, its much more than a photo installation of woods/forests.
The pics by the by were not all of green dingly dell woods - several were somewhat mulchy looking, like my freecamp.
And I learned a new word - petrichor - the smell you get after rain.
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/le ... /petrichor
Definitely plenty of rain on my camp (torrential through much of the night) but the nature of the wood floor meant that it was all effortlessly soaked up.
Enjoy your free camping folks.
Re: Down to the woods
Posted: 10 Nov 2021, 8:01am
by pwa
My worry over camping in woods (real woods) would be midges, just before sunset and early in the morning. I find I encounter a higher density of midges near trees than I do in the middle of a field. And they do get in the way of enjoyment.