Essential Survival Manual
New in our book section is this pocket size hardback which as the title suggests is essential reading for Prepper’s and Survivalists or just anyone interested in living in and with nature. The exciting part is that the author Kenn Griffiths will be on our 1948 stand at the Bush Craft Show signing copies of his book. He will also be taking the main stage for a short talk on his career and what lies behind the book.
His talk will take place at 10.30am on Saturday 25th May and he will be signing copies of his book at around 11.15am in our 1948 Original Equipment jurte. The Bushcraft show is a great event and well worth a visit. For all the information visit https://www.thebushcraftshow.co.uk

There is not too much in the news that has made me laugh over the past few weeks. I did however like the story of the French woman who called her cat Brexit. It howled by the back door to go out and eventually when she got up walked to the door and opened it the cat could not make up its mind whether it wanted to go out or stay in. As a three cat household I was so familiar with this behaviour it made me grin.
The Bushcraft world also has its moments. I took a customer call to ask about the various knives we sell. I braced myself for very technical questions and asked what aspect they wanted to know methods of construction, the grind or type of steel? “Oh no, I just want to know how sharp they are”.
Another question, about back packs was “Will all my kit fit in the pack?” I delicately probed to try and ascertain what kit they usually carried and how were they travelling? Once again the answer did not narrow down the options “I am not really sure, it varies, as sometimes it’s just me and sometimes the family”.
Big Al wasted good cider when last year he brought his eleven-year-old son with him to the Kelmarsh Show. Like all eleven year olds he was perhaps more worldly wise than his father appreciated. At a given point the son started to demonstrate some gestures commonly used amongst his mates. As questions and answers flowed we got to a point where as an old fogey I was not knowledgeable, on a specific expression used. As happens with these moments all the background noise faded and I asked the son in rather a loud voice "What is Tea Bagging?”
It was at this point that his father who had just taken a rather large mouthful of excellent cider, guffawed and shot most of it over both me and the table whilst everyone else present dissolved into laughter. I was unsure whether it was my lack of knowledge or that his son clearly knew the answer that took the father by surprise.
One of the very enjoyable consequences of working at both Land Rover and Bushcraft Shows is the team we have working with us. The eating and drinking together in the evenings is always just great fun. The banter is sharp, acerbic and no-one is immune or excused. It really is good to forget the world for a time and just enjoy the company of friends and colleagues. In many ways sitting, talking and enjoying company is becoming a lost art as the digital world tightens its grip. Perhaps we could all do with a bit more laughter.

I am a grumpy old sod and this trait is rising to the fore. As you get older you know more, have experienced life and start to listen and observe more. When I was young I lived and worked through the three-day week, constant power cuts, changing governments, London bombings (I worked at Harrods on the day it was bombed). I was young and carefree and none of the above concerned me.

Now I am consumed by global politics, so aware of corruption and abuse of power plus I have no idea why we are travelling headlong into something called Brexit that no one understands or can rationalise. What will the future hold? It is anyone’s guess.

Why is politics in the UK now so polarised regardless of which party you support. Having worked in London and the clothing business most of my life I have no idea where anti-Semitism has suddenly sprung from. How has all the hatred come about?

I nail my colours to the mast by saying I think we need immigration, we need free travel and free markets. These tenets must be the future for the human race. What we do not need are criminals that exploit the weak, the young, the old and minorities. We need tolerance, understanding and a respect for other people and their views.

Politicians whilst claiming to represent us are in the main so insulated from real life and the issues we all deal with on a daily basis. They often start out with high ideals but quickly get swept into the party and power black hole.

Few politicians in their ivory towers really take notice of the communities they serve. Even today I see that yet another MP is being prosecuted for expense irregularities. The privileged few seem never to have enough they always want more and take it at the expense of others. One argument often put forward is that they have to work within the system. But if the system is wrong they should campaign to change it. As I mentioned to a colleague recently, women did not wake up one day to find a man had given them the vote. There was a long campaign and struggle to get what was right – an equal vote. It is too easy to blame the system. If the system is wrong it should be the desire of all to change it. More often than not self-interest clouds doing what is right.

I have just read a very interesting book “How to Lose a Country – Seven Steps from Democracy to Dictatorship” by Ece Temelkuran. This is well worth a few moments of your time as it brings into focus the way societies are now manipulated by movements. The way we are given two options Brexit or Remain, In or Out which gives no explanation about the path or the effects. You are either with me or against me. Social media now guides our young generation and is so easily manipulated.

No one person has the divine right of kings. In Britain we used to be good at compromise and finding the middle ground. Today this is not a choice - we have to support one side or the other.

Here I stand much older, grumpy and in the middle of a time I barely comprehend. I want a world that is tolerant and fair. It is often forgotten in today’s world that respect is something that has to be earned not something that can be demanded. If only we could all treat others how we would like to be treated. If we could all do what is right rather than hide behind process, rules or just apathy we could all find the world a much better place to live.

I was born in 1948 out of necessity rather than planning. I had to learn Dutch at a very young age. My roots are firmly in the country although as I have got older, you can now see me mainly in the city.

I share my birthday with HRH Prince of Wales, Roger Plant, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Stevie Nicks and Olivia Newton – John, so the purr of music is in my DNA with just a little bit of royalty.

I am versatile and a jack of all trades. I am one of a kind as no two of my family ever match. I am part of a large family of militants but there are some who just do not understand me. I have travelled all over the world in mud, snow and sand and generally always cope with whatever is thrown at me. Some say I am the first that many in Africa ever saw and I made many of the roads that others now follow.

I pull very heavy loads and have saved a lot of lives. When necessary I fight and am proud to have served. My public adore me as do members of the Royal Family when in Scotland, Windsor or Sandringham as did Winston Churchill and Marilyn Monroe to name but a few. My career in Film & TV has been a high spot of my career, with appearances in Bond, Tomb Raider, Heartbeat and for some reason even in World War Two classics when I was not even a sparkle in a designer’s eye.

I have always been sporty and participated in Trials & Races and even some real long distance events across Africa and South America. I have set many records in my time and continue to do so even today.

Like fine wine I have become more valuable as I have matured. Many people wish they had kept faith in me or some of my older brothers, as they have really hit the jackpot in recent years.

Today my younger siblings all live in towns and cities but that’s OK. I hear the adults talk and it seems we may be getting a new addition to the family. I don’t suppose for one minute the newbie will want to play outside as we have. He or she will be into tech, apps and screens which is a shame as working on the farm did me no harm.

Still life moves on and any new addition can never match my status having been voted the “Coolest Ever”.

I will not be confounded by the polarised views spouted by our Politicians’ on almost every subject.

I will not rant against wealthy politicians who believe they know what is best for all, whilst they manage Investment Funds live in Chelsea and holiday in Gstaad, St Barts and the Hamptons.

I will stay calm when my bank/telecoms supplier/HMRC call centre takes over thirty minutes to answer the phone or has options that lead me down a route that arrives back where I started.

I will no longer expect service from most retailers where self-service and self-payment tills now seem to be the only option. I will not eat or drink any of the bad things when they are labelled bad as I know within a few days there will be another study encouraging me to eat and drink them.

I will no longer be angry at how much of the press, distort the stories and the truth to make headlines drama and confrontation where none need exist.

I will no longer be a he or a she as Ze is the new political correct address although in some circles my beard will be seen as a strong pointer. I have also decided not to age any further.

My body shows signs of long term wear but I propose to remain at the age I feel. (Today around 35). The exception to the above rule is collecting my pension which I will still do in December.

I will try to see the world and myself as others see me, and only point out their mistakes to those who are wrong! Most importantly I will encourage others to read, listen, enjoy music, imagine, seek out new experiences, try new food and talk to strangers.

This really would solve most of the world’s problems. PS - It’s the 8th of January and at least I tried. My mistake was reading the news and trying to contact my bank. Better luck next year.

It is an empty bus and I look around as buildings flash by. It appears we are accelerating and I am not sure where to. I remember sitting on a crowded bus with lots of jolly people. It was crowded and we did not want anyone else on the bus.

I believe I am the very last person on the Clapham Omnibus. As I look back I have no idea how our politicians became so polarised and so obsessed in their own doctrine and self-interest. They have completely abandoned the very tenets that drew them in to serving the people.

The mistake, was the referendum without clear objectives and evaluation of consequences or saying where it might take us. The lost opportunity, was not making the action plan for Brexit cross-party. The reality, is throwing away a generations hope and aspirations.
What reasonable man can possibly think “No Dea”l will benefit the country in any way? The answer is only reasonable men who have significant financial resource, property owners and those who have never experienced what it means to be ordinary or poor.
So much has been written about the EU. There is no doubt the concept is top heavy with greedy people who personally put nothing at risk. Reform of the gravy train should have taken place years ago and the EU members must take full responsibility for the mess all sides are now in.

Much is talked about the red tape that cascades from Europe and binds us. As the last man on the Omnibus I don’t recall the red tape.

I have been involved in business my entire life and been fortunate to work all around the globe. I welcome new experiences, new food, new religions and new culture. I embrace it. I now run two small business units. I employ people some on zero hour contracts which suits them as they work when they want to. We pay well above a living wage, give holiday pay and pensions with everything going through the PAYE system. Our business and staff pay taxes, we all contribute. Where people come from should not be a recruitment criterion; if they work hard and contribute to society, should be.

Today, goods we make in the UK and sell in the EU have to meet EU standards, goods sold in the USA have to meet their standards (the car industry is a good example). Exporters have to meet the standards required in every country they sell to. What will change when we come out of the EU? Not much as we will still have to meet the standards of every country we sell in to. We will not suddenly relax everything to meet just our own standards.

Will immigration cease? I sincerely hope not because if it does there will be no staff in my local 24-hour garage. What will happen about the NHS, distribution chains and many more industries all of whom have a large percentage of their workforce made up of immigrants.? There are many young people from overseas within the UK now and their future may be guaranteed but what happens when they return home and we need another wave of people to replace them?

The intellectual argument that we need so called “skilled workers” is completely disingenuous and shows the lack of basic human morality. Why is a computer engineer any more worthy than a care worker? A high percentage of care workers are immigrants. I could and would not be capable of doing their jobs and increasingly we need more care workers due to an aging population.
In my thirties I was a child of the Thatcher revolution. I believed in market forces, I lived and worked in London. Work was everything to me. It was all about the next flight and the next meeting. Age has brought experience, better understanding and tolerance. I have enjoyed an easy life, home ownership and wealth creation but I now realise we have no right to deny future generations the opportunities I enjoyed
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Free trade and free movement of people should be the objective of all governments worldwide. Our concentration should be on how we create this for all. We now appear to want to turn back the clock and isolate ourselves. To what end? Our energy should be on inclusiveness and striving to understand others no matter the barriers put in our way by dogma, greed and fundamentalism.
In all the debates about Brexit I have not seen one list compiled by any group that does not suggest we will all be worse off in the short term. I have not seen one list offered about quantifiable defined gains in the medium or long term.

Many people voted to leave on only one thing the reduction of immigration. It now seems most parties accept we need immigration to staff our Warehouses, NHS, Care Homes, Distribution Networks, Retail Stores, Agriculture, Restaurants and Hotels to name but a few. These are not those currently described as “skilled workers” these are good honest workers. The disconnect between some of our politicians in understanding what we need for our nation to function and their definition of “Skilled Workers” is astonishing. Let’s drop the term skilled. We simply need good workers. It should also be remembered that good workers contribute substantially to our taxes and economy. If we pursued bad workers and frauds with the same vigour as Brxit many of our ills could be solved.

My politics were fixed for nearly forty years. Today I am so bitterly disappointed in all parties. Policies founded on a public vote of 48% to 52% with such a complexity of resolution that no-one when voting could have had no idea what they were voting for, are now so polarised on theory with no consideration of destination. Who will vote for a house value drop of 20% and price increases of 20% due to a fall in sterling? Not me for sure. Will any Brexitiers guarantee no fall in sterling, no price increases and at best a static economy? If there is one out there, please tell us now how and why you hold these views and why we should all support you.

Negotiations are as hard and difficult as you make them. Posturing is part of a politician’s DNA. Openness and honesty might bring surprising results. The often said cliché that you don’t show your cards when negotiating is in reality pathetic when dealing with many nations well-being; but then again honesty does not come easy to powerful people. It is clear to many that the only acceptable solution is to make compromise on all sides. Divorce is never satisfying and only the very wealthy can really pay for it.

I sincerely hope that the driver of my omnibus lifts their foot from the accelerator and not only applies the brakes but also follows a road to a destination we can all live with without facing financial disaster.

The mantra that we must honour the peoples vote, and out means out, has worn mighty thin with me. All families and business adapt to changing environments. What is a decision today is changed tomorrow as new intelligence emerges? Politicians must understand that we can all change our minds. It is not a surrender to do so but it is bravery of the highest order to admit we might be wrong. The mandate to leave the EU was not a landslide but finely balanced. I suspect if there were to be a second referendum we would see very different campaigning and probably a high turnout of young voters who currently feel disenfranchised and ignored.

Our party political system that may have served us well in the past is not serving us well now. There are simply too many wealthy individuals who are immune from the real financial worries that the majority of voters carry. Humility is a trait many could embrace. I am sure all start out with good intentions but power corrupts and they lose sight of their original purpose.

Now more than ever we need cross party thinking to achieve any reasonable form of Brexit. We also need to know when to stop digging. The decisions we make on Brexit are probably the most serious decisions facing our country since the second world war. There is no consensus within parties let alone across parties.

As the last man on the Clapham Omnibus I have no faith in the driver. I only hope he or she has is not blinded by the timetable in simply wanting to arrive on time. I hope the driver finally realises that they are a public service on which the whole nation relies. It is not the driver’s bus or their journey it is how future generations will travel and to what destinations that is important.

Where has all the common sense gone? Politicians need to stand tall and realise they are playing with the lives of at least 60 million people. With more and more companies and institutions warning about the downsides and not one as far as I am aware guaranteeing anything good, what are we doing? In a globalised economy companies and the wealthy can move but whole nations cannot.

It’s a pity there are not more people on this omnibus as I always liked a good singalong.

At this time of year we all spend a fortune and you have to question is it really necessary? Tons of food ends up in landfill, many presents are forgotten by Boxing Day or at best get recycled in a summer fete or to unsuspecting culprits next Christmas.

The stress that seems to encompass some individuals is not good for blood pressure or longevity. Like many things in life today we are encouraged to seek the perfect Christmas and told exactly how this should be accomplished. This advice should be avoided at all cost.

Personally we have kicked this trend by moving closer to the Danish idea of Hygge - being cosy and a sense of wellbeing. As this seems to be an “On Trend” subject at present we would like to state that our version of this is simply born out of life’s ups and downs, living longer and having experience.

There is simply no point in doing things that you don’t want to do or getting stressed because the supermarket has a long queue and no milk. A button falls off or the pudding is burnt – so what! Simply look at the positives and push the negatives behind you.

We are not visiting relatives and not having sprouts this Christmas. A leisurely start to the day, a meal at any time it happens, roast goose, fine wine, a log fire, two devoted cats and maybe a film. Anything we have forgotten is forgotten. Christmas is not stressful, people make stress and drama because they read, view and listen to the press. Treat it like any other day and you will be surprised how enjoyable it can be.

Rushing out to the sales on Boxing Day will not bring you happiness or change your life. I listened to someone say we never really know when we are happy so do not enjoy it. We just moan like mad when we are sad. Don’t fret about what you have not got but make the very most of what you have today. It is only all to easy to fret your life away and you only have the one life, so spend more time enjoying the moment.

Never regret the things you have not done but marvel in the great things you have achieved. For years the Scandinavians have been viewed as the happiest people in the world. Perhaps we should all take a leaf out of their book and learn more about Hygge.

The following words I found on the web but I could not find out who wrote this piece so I cannot acknowledge their fine work. It was written in the USA so I have taken the liberty to translate it into English, as we would understand it this side of the pond.

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the much older woman, that she should bring her own carry bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. The woman apologized and explained, "We didn't have this 'green thing' back in my earlier days."

The young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations”.  She was right -- our generation didn't have the 'green thing' in our day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, pop bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the factory to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled, but we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day.

Grocery stores packed our groceries in brown paper bags, that we reused for numerous things, most memorable besides household rubbish bags, was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our schoolbooks. This was to ensure that public property (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings.  We were then able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags. But too bad we didn't do the "green thing" back then.

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator or lift in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower car every time we had to go 500 yards. But she was right, we didn't have the "green thing" in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby's nappies because we didn't have the throwaway kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 240 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand new clothing. But that young lady is right; we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV or radio in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of a bus.

In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn petrol just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right; we didn't have the "green thing" back then.

We drank from a communal water fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new biro, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the "green thing" back then.

Back then, people took the tram or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service in the family's 4x4 SUV or van, which by the way now cost what a whole house did before the "green thing." We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint. But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the "green thing" back then?

We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to piss us off...especially from a tattooed, multiple pierced know it all who can't work out the change without the cash register telling them how much.

Put aside politics, race, immigration and prejudice and let's understand the world we live in. We can't return to the 1950s and, you know, they were not the Good Old Days, life was just as tough but we did not demand or expect as much.

Yesterday I found my Hotmail account had been hacked. I phoned the help number and went through to a call centre in India. They could not have been more helpful and spoke perfect English. They said I needed added security on my email account which I agreed to purchase. An engineer phoned me back and by his accent I assumed he was also in India. He was very straightforward and once again very polite. He fixed everything, restored all my email which had been wiped by the Hacker. An excellent job was completed, I now had security on my email account and enhanced security on my computer, I was very happy.

I asked the engineer where he was based as I had never heard of his company's name. "Oh, in California" he replied "but when you call us, we are open 24 hours per day so you could just as easily be routed to our office in Australia or anywhere in the world". He then told me his company's head office was in Germany.

We are a global community and to think otherwise is folly. We need the rest of the world and they need us. Isolationism and protectionism is not an answer. We need to embrace others. I fully accept my prejudice at overseas call centres but I realise my prejudice is misplaced - it should be against bad call centres regardless of where they are placed. My experience yesterday taught me this very lesson.

Great service is great service no matter where it comes from and I was glad to have the whole world watching my back.

We all have bad days and sometimes one leads into another. Many times in life I have said to myself “Why me?” Looking back I now realise that having witnessed the plight of others my life has been pretty good. I have never had the wealth that many captain’s of industry seem to get today. It does not appear that they need to be good at their jobs just in the right place and a little greedy and self-centred.

So imagine when I was invited to Miami and Grand Bahamas with an opportunity to test drive a new vehicle and my first reaction was “Why me, I don’t want to go”.

This was a stupid response and I soon got to grips and understood many would change places with me at the drop of a hat. It was a quick trip and full on but just fantastic and one that I felt very privileged to undertake.

The car in question was the new Jaguar F-Pace and what a car. A SUV with sports car performance. Those that know me will be aware that I am a Die Hard Land Rover fan although I did buy a new Jaguar XJS around 1990. I was at best sceptical about Jaguar making a SUV as in my mind they are good at only one type of vehicle and that is a sports car. Their most recent efforts such as XF and XJ did not strike any notes with me.

From the moment I got into the F-Pace I knew this was something different, the first new Jaguar I just might actually purchase. Its performance and handling is sublime.

Another highlight was getting to drive it around a NASCAR oval in Miami. This gave me a new respect for NASCAR racing as at over 100mph holding a car at the top of the oval is terrifying. Imagine double that speed and four abreast, I can’t. Testing the car on a small track with curves and chicanes plus an ice road further made me realise how good this car really was.  

The icing on the cake at the end of our day at Homestead Miami Speedway was another first. I had often wondered how cool it would be to drive from A to B like H. M. the Queen or President Obama with police outriders holding back all traffic. Well our host Jaguar Land Rover organised the trip back from Homestead to Miami Port, nearly 40 miles across many Freeways, in convoy with Police outriders stopping all other traffic. Our escort of some 8 to 10 officers all riding iconic Harley Davidsons was a once in a lifetime treat.

Waking up next morning to sun in Grand Bahamas was tough work but someone has to do it.


The F-Pace on tarmac, gravel roads and along sandy beaches did it all and made me want one even more.


We sat and drank fruit punch on a beach used for Pirates of the Carribean but with no sign of Captain Jack Sparrow just an old friend Uncle Ken Knight working for JLR and looking very suntanned.







The following day we were back in Miami and visiting Wynwood Walls an area just filled with spectacular art and artists. If you ever go to Florida/Miami don’t just visit all the fun parks and studios make time for Wynwood. I have never seen anything like it anywhere else in the world.



It was only a 4 to 5 day trip but I packed in a year of new experience. I have my health and I realise I have nothing to moan about. It is corny to say it but I think I am blessed. I should be saying “Why me? -  I am so lucky”.