Cluaran Heritage Project
The international racing event called Skiffieworlds started on Saturday. An expeditionary party of cluaran connected people were there to see the opening ceremony.
https://stranraerwatersports.com/skiffieworlds2025/welcome-stranraer-skiffieworlds-2025
With boats from the D&G coastline, accross Scotland Ireland, England, the Netherlands, the USA, and Austrailia it was properly international. One day, perhaps, there will be a Dumfries boat there too!
I’m in the workshop today doing some Cluaran maintenance in preparation for a row this evening.
While I’m doing that I’m thinking about this years Nithraid. Nithraid is a festival which helps people reconnect and reimagine their relationship with the river Nith.
A few years ago I made a video about toy boat building using household materials. Instead of flushing plastic away and forgetting about it, it can be re-imagined as a valuable resource. There are projects around the world doing this on a large scale. On a small scale, we could make the components needed to turn used containers into components for toy boats.
If you are interested, please get in touch!
We may be able to contribute to this years on the green Nithraid activities (24th of August).
Of course, if you would like to row get in touch too! We are practicing on the Nith (including this evening – the 3rd of July)
We live on an island. More accurately a collection of Islands. Even if you are not separated from the centres of urban population by a body of water, travelling by land is often the long way round.
So one of the range of activities WSC supports encourages familiarity with the water. At present it does this by collecting people and things together, and then suggesting opportunities. Perhaps it will become more formal, but at the moment that is where we are.
Here are some photos of evenings on the river Nith.
On Thursday the 3rd Simon is planning to take Cluaran out on the water again. It will be the usual procedure of mustering at the workshop at 6 , then launching according to the wind and the tide and the number of folk we have.
It’s been a while since we have been blacksmithing at Taliesin. It is a wonderful place, and an amazing idea becoming real though.
(Some info about the historical Taliesin and the old north here)
They have some events coming up this Easter. We are involved in Quartz things that particular weekend but here is the info to share and look at.
Two successful school visits
After the school visiting there is the unpacking, sorting, checking and repairs! It was great to be asked back to two schools from last year though.
Both teachers and pupils have been very complimentary about one of the activities we offer. In the “Settler to Sea King” game the pupils form groups on an island. They gradually explore the area and find resources to build their settlement. As they build the settlement they gain different ships, and eventually one island will be the first to aquire a dragonship and call themselves Jarls.
The game is based on archaological studies of the Nordrøy/Shetland/Orkney and has a trading game which links to it.
Looking for Vikings to visit your educational establishment? If you have the silver we will travel!
As Cluaran we spend a lot of time in the Viking era. When people think about this time they usually also think about Futhark runes. Some go on to discover the variations in types of Futhark. There are elder runes, younger runes, Futhark and Futhork, poems … Still fewer people explore Ogham.
Like Futharks there is evidence for Ogham runes being used while Rome was the dominant culture. The runes are associated with Ireland, but further research will quickly reveal evidence of their use throughout the British Isles at various times. They are found carved in stone, and also later on in manuscripts.
The quote on the image which introduces this post refers to their use in cryptology. A secret way of writing (the quote is referred to in this article which describes an Irish scholar perhaps imitating an ealier Latin scholar). Most of the Ogham inscription found carved in stone though are interpreted as mentions of people. Public announcements rather than secret lore! Does this mean that have lost a library of lore held in twigs, or twig like runes on manuscripts?
What seems clear from the manuscripts which have survived is that if you are interested in exploring runes, and searching mysteries, then this is something you share with our ancestors. During the Viking era, in the disruption and turmoil, people were being taught their letters and runes. Books were copied and distributed.
This post was inspired by news of a free to access online session which will be held in Glasgow
Find out how digital technologies can transform understanding of ogham writing with Professor Katherine Forsyth and Dr Megan Kasten, OG(H)AM Project, University of Glasgow, at this University of Glasgow Archaeology Research Seminar.
But if those times don’t suit you, here are some links. Perhaps they are ‘keys’ to help you unlock lore that has been stored and treasured. Hidden, wrapped like a present.
Compiled in C13th from earlier sources, the book of Ballymote
A page with clues about where to find Ogham on stones
Wordsmith Crafts CIC (WSC) has been established as a Community Interest Company for three years now. We combined the professional activities of Simon Lidwell, artist, with the mostly voluntary community development activities of Cluaran and Quartz. This was as a response to the COVID years and BREXIT challenges which were a massive disruption.
A CIC is a community interest company. These are taxed like other companies and earn income, pay employees etc. but instead of existing with the purpose of generating profit for their owners and shareholders they exist to serve a community interest.
Each year we have written a report to describe what has been carried out through the existence of WSC. This demonstrates how we have served the community. At an immediate level this community is the members and local people who interact with WSC through its projects. Like those who have rowed Cluaran, or made things at craft workshops. On a wider level it is people who follow our social media, read things online, drop into events or who are pupils in the schools we visit.
I just wanted to drop you a quick email to say thank you so much for this morning. The children thoroughly enjoyed it and have talked about you all day!
Primary School Teacher
In 2025 we are reviewing the last three years of activity and checking that what we are achieving is worth more than the effort put in to make it happen! With a business this is simply a case of looking at the profit margin and returns for investors. For a CIC we need to check that the community interest is being met in a way which is affordable.
Keep your eyes open for the 2024 report coming soon!
Thursday evenings 19.00 to 21.00
This is a club not a led workshop.
Think of it as an excuse to get round to it, especially the things it would be unwise to do on your kitchen table. Bring your own materials and projects. You could also try something new with the donated materials and tools we have accumulated – or turn junk into raw materials ready to be used.
From time to time regulars are willing to share their skills and materials, and so some evenings will have a theme. Information about that, and any costs, will be posted on this site.
We ask for £5 a time to cover overheads,
or you can contribute in kind if you are short of cash, chat with Simon.
Make a candle holder on the 6th!
| Thursdays 19.00 to 21.00 | Wordsmithcrafts Studio, 3 James Avenue, DG2 9AU |
| 30th of January | Making Space |
| 6th of February | Simon – Blacksmithing intro Make a candle lifter/lamp £15 |
| 13th | Making Space |
| 20th | NO MAKING SPACE |
| 26th | Perhaps with added stories? |
If you’d like to support what’s going on in a more regular pattern then you could become a Cluaran member.
Here is a hidden gem from the recent past, introducing people to a hidden gem from centuries past.