English: Linda Lemieux, Somerset, UK: "There's basket makers and basket makers, there's the guys that work up in London that make contemporary baskets and buy their willow and aren't particularly connected to nature and who are very good at promoting themselves. But I’m a rural basket maker and I definitely wouldn’t be a maker if I couldn’t grow my own willow and other woods I use, I also grow my own rush. Willow makes the hard baskets and rush makes hats, mats, domestic sized soft baskets that might have gentler wear and bark too, that's one of my things. I built my own coracle, there is lots of basketry in it. We made one using hazel and willow together and instead of putting a hide on it we used a cloth with tallow. It's a strong job physically to bend the hazel and I am not as strong as I used to be so only made a couple for people and make them for my own purpose. They're not a pleasure boat, for me they are a workhorse, the river has a variable muddy bottom so that's why I use them, I use it as it doesn't have a keel, it's draft is amazing and if you're not too heavy can go in 3 inches of water and it can go in any direction. I took my pattern from the Boyne River in Ireland and have adapted the style and taken a bit of Irish style, Welsh style and a bit of my own style so I can lean over and cut the rushes cleanly. I toss the bolts up on to the bank when I have a boat load and then we bring it back here and put it on the racks in the garage to dry and cure it and then you damp it again before you use it, you let it mellow. The rush can be ready within 3 or 4 hours and the willow in 5 or 6 days." Intended for article in Signpost by Ed Gold