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Report of First Competition (2005) and Second Competition (2006)
The Fourth West Country Scythe Competition : June 14-15 
Many people we talked to thought the fourth festival and competition, held at Thorney Lakes on 15 June was the best yet. The grass was good, the weather held, attendance was up, and some people's performances were much improved. Watch out European scythesmen, we're catching up!
Here are the results.
Overall Champion (for the second year running): Simon Damant (Cambs)
Second place (very close): Phil Batten (S Wales)
Third: Ray Lister (Notts)
Fourth: Mike Ingram (Devon)
Women's Cup
First: Mary Durling (Somerset)
Second: Rebecca Laughton (Somerset)
Third: Itziar Amarato (Somerset and Basque Country)
Quality Trophy
Phil Batten
Commendations
Paul Kingsnorth, Deano Martin, Peter Wright,
Veteran Mower
Henry Best
Here are the performances of the 12 who mowed their 5m by 5m patch in less than 5 minutes. Figures are time in seconds and points awarded for quality, out of ten.
Simon Damant: 1.45; 8
Phil Batten: 2.08; 9.5
Ray Lister: 2.42; 8.5
Deano Martin: 3.28; 5
Steve Lucas; 3.6; 4.5
Chris Swinburn: 3.45; 2.5
Sten Grendon: 4.10; 3
Tony Harcourt: 4.18; 3
Mary Durling: 4.21; 7
Itziar Amarato: 4.42; 6.5
Paul Kingsnorth: 4.45; 7.5
Mick Edwards: 4.52; 5.5
And here are the other mowers whose quality was rated 6 or above.
Mike Ingram 5.22; 9
Peter Wright: 5.25; 8
Rebecca Laughton; 8.06; 7.5
Alastair Ingles: 7.38; 7
Marian Reed; 14.5; 6.5
Many thanks to everyone who participated; to those who helped put on the event, to Gerhard Wagner, and his son Wolfgang, who came over from Austria to provide instruction; and to Ann and Richard England for hosting the event, and providing the grass.
Below: Simon Damant mowing with a 110 cm Schroeckenfux Austrian style blade.
The Third West Country
Scythe Festival & Competition
was held at Muchelney on 17 June. Over 1000 people attended, the weather held, and even cynics enjoyed it. Here is a picture of Phil Batten from S Wales with his home-made Eastern European style snath. Behind him Henry Best of Somerset, winner of the over 70s class. Behind him, Samson.
RESULTS OF COMPETITION
( This year the grass was very thick and leaning so times were slower than in previous years)
5 metres by 5 metres
Overall winner: Simon Damant from Cambs (5 minutes 59 seconds).
Runner up: Ray Lister (2006 champion) from Notts (6.18 )
Fastest time: Steve Friend (2005 champion) from Somerset (5.53)
Quality of cut award: Mike Ingram, Devon ( 7.45 )
Runner up for quality: Simon Bowden, Wales (12.31)
Women's cup: Rebecca Laughton, from Dorset (12.27)
Youngsters' award Jonathan Koetsier (Wilts??), age 12, (12.58)
Oldster's award, over 70, Henry Best from Somerset, (7.32)
2 metres x 5 metres
Men's: Sten Grendon from Glos (2.56)
Women's: Gil Hardstone, from Scotland (12.31)
For more about the Green Fair side of the occasion see http://www.greenfair.org.uk/
HERE IS A PHOTO OF THE WINNER, SIMON DAMANT. HE LEARNT TO MOW IN ROMANIA.
The First Lancashire
Scythe Festival & Competition
was held at the
RE-TURN Community Environmental Reserve
Turn Village, Nr Edenfield, Rossendale
on Saturday 21st July and Sunday 22nd July 2007
Joint winners, Simon Damant and Nick Lowe.
For more information contact:
The LITTORAL Trust, 42 Lodge Mill Lane, Turn Village, Lancashire BL0 0RW
Tel 01706 827961 M. 07796 607 167 E. littoral@btopenworld.com <www.littoral.org.uk>
The Second West Country
Scythe Festival
Sunday 30 July 2006
About 500 people came to the Trading Post, Lopen Head, Somerset to watch contestants from all over Britain compete for the title of
West Country Scythe Champion
(which effectively means UK champion, as nowhere else is holding competitions).
SCYTHE VERSUS BRUSHCUTTER
In the morning we held a competition between a scythe and a professional petrol-powered brushcutter, with a metal disc.
Four areas were tackled in turn, by different workmen, and the results were as follows:
Area 1: Long grass: the scythe won.
Area 2: Brambles: a draw.
Area 3: Nettles and thistles: the brushcutter won.
Area 4: bracken: a draw.
The competition was declared a draw.
Users of both the scythe and the brushcutter were equally knackered at the end of each bout.
 |
 |
|---|---|
| Raymond Lister | Hal Wynne Jones |
MOWING COMPETITION
There were 22 contestants.
Each contestant mowed a square 5 metres by 5 metres, in heats of three contestants at a time.
Because it was July, in a very dry year, the grass was poor, dry and difficult to cut;
but none of the contestants complained and all performed bravely and effectively.
The result, after these heats, was inconclusive so a final, was held,
again on squares of 5x5m, between the five best performers who were:
Simon Bowden from Wales.
Davin Bull from Dorset.
Mike Ingram from Devon.
Raymond Lister from Notts.
Hal Wynne-Jones from Glos.
In the final, two competitors outshone: Hal mowed his square in an energetic 1 minute 40 seconds, but his cut was tufty.
Raymond took 3 minutes 25 seconds, with a finish like a serge suit.
The judges remained undecided, and asked the spectators whether greater weight should be given to speed, or to quality.
Those who cried "Speed" cried loudest, but the voices in support of "Quality" were more numerous.
The spouses of the two protagonists then began lobbying the judges,
arguing, on the one hand, that had speedmerchant Hal gone back and tidied up his patch he would still have been ahead
— and in support of cleanhead Ray, that no self-respecting scythesman mows a meadow by going over it twice.
Happily, the judges had acted with forethought and come equipped with two awards.
The Championship cup was awarded to Raymond Lister.
Hal Wynne Jones was given a special award of an engraved competition-length scythe blade.
The three other finalists were awarded medals,
The entry level for the women's championship was disappointing this year, with only two entrants
(last year's winner Jenn Carter, couldn't come, and last year's runner up, Mary Durling, was a judge this year).
The women's award this year went to Emma from Glos, with Rosie Bond from Wilts runner up.
The award for the best performance with an English scythe went to Ray Meeks from East Anglia.
A big hand please for all participants.
The First West Country Scythe Festival
and Mowing Competition, 2005
