Teens getting to grips with drystone walling

DALE Rees (19) and Josh Howe (17)

YOUNG people are helping keep an ancient craft alive in Oldham.

Teenagers Josh Howe (17) and Dale Rees (19), both from Derker, recently trained with Saddleworth Drystone Walling outfit Dog With a Bone.

The duo, who spent two days in the hills of Diggle in all weathers, learnt the dying art by helping to re-build a broken old farm wall.

The initiative was set up by Positive Steps Early Help unit to help get young people to improve their own local areas themselves, such as parks and green spaces, and now they're looking to use their new skills to help start the process at Stoneleigh Park, Derker.

Dale said: "I loved the course. I learnt so much and we built a wall! I work as a gardener and am thinking perhaps we could now build some lovely drystone border walls.

"Also there are some broken walls about and I think having had the training we could now have a go at fixing them.'

John Matthews, who set up Dog with a Bone after being frustrated with all the damaged drystone walls he was seeing out walking his dog, said: "The main focus of Dog with a Bone is to train, encourage and help young people to learn how to improve the countryside. It is as simple as that.

"Many young people in the area have never even been in the local hills and I know the positive benefits there are of being outdoors as I am outside every day either walking or fixing someone's wall.

"We have also agreed to help a local 'Men in Sheds' group doing the same thing.

"My aim is to have a small army of people who can go into the local area and help make it a better place. We also teach farmers how to fix their own walls.

"Grants for such things are thin on the ground these days and it is a craft that many young farmers have not learnt from the previous generation. I am going to do something about that."

John, who is also a film director and writer, added: "Building drystone walls is a very complex, creative and absorbing activity.

"It is very good for you, it gets you outside and it gets you fit. What is there not to like about any of that?

Fantastic
"Many people are cooped up in offices most of their working lives and they think that they are not able to make things anymore.

"Spend two days with us and we will show you that you can in fact make something fantastic that might even last a 100 years or more!"

Dog with a Bone had more good news when it was recently awarded Gold Students Choice Award from Craft Courses, achieved through ratings by students.

More information at www.drystonewallingcourses.co.uk.