Bringing Bushcraft to you.

Statement

It has been said that ‘we have become apart from nature rather than a part of nature.’

Lonescout believes this to be the case, evidenced in the way that we abuse our Earth, destroying it increasingly quickly with our consume all and hang the consequences attitude.

It is easy to not care when one is distant, a state born of ignorance. Lonescout thinks that constant bombardment about the enormity of the catastrophe that we are heading towards globally is only partially effective.

Lonescout firmly believes that to begin to grasp the global issue then we must become aware of our own local picture and develop a respect for our garden, school ground, park, recreation ground, woodland etc.

We are too busy with our lives today to even give our environment a chance, it has become nothing more than a distant and sometimes irritating background. Even in an urban environment we can wake up to the sound of the dawn chorus, but who chooses to take the time to listen? Most of us have experienced the cat digging up our bedding plants and leaving ‘little messages’, but how many of us have seen their footprints on the lawn?

Lonescout offers to help us notice our own part of the Earth by using Bushcraft skills. When we initially look at our countryside it appears to be a mass of green with a bit of brown. As we spend time learning we are able to see different shades of green and brown, witness ‘Jack by the Hedge’ and how it stands out from its surroundings. Then those minute shots of colour that are the ‘Hazel’ flowers. The more we become familiar with our surroundings the more we relax and the more we notice.

Testimonials

Ian is one of those guys who will make you feel at ease the moment you meet him which is a valuable gift that many of my students/customers have appreciated.
He has worked with me since 2005 and has been the one person who I could rely on to deliver a course knowing it will be done to a high standard. He delivers his sessions/courses with clarity, flexibility and with his own brand of humour you are sure to have a memorable time. I can pretty well guarantee that on any course Ian runs he will get some feedback of high praise and as the saying goes the customer is always right.
I wish him every success with Lonescout Bushcraft.

Dave Watson LPIOL
Director of Woodland Survival Crafts Ltd

We recently spent a family weekend with Ian & Sarah. What a brilliant  weekend ! I think we will be putting a lot of what we all learnt into  action when we camp. Ben can't wait to buy his first pen knife. Jasmine is delighted with her new found survival hygiene tricks. Wayne will light all fires the macho way through friction and I intend to learn more about the hidden culinary secrets of natures. Many thanks to Ian & Sarah for making the weekend one we as a family shall not forget.

Wayne Wills

Hi Guys, just completed the father and son course last weekend with my son Ben, I wanted to take the time to thank and complement you all. The instructors, Ian and Paul were magnificent, they created a warm friendly atmosphere and tempered it with heaps of knowledge and patience. We laughed, we worked and we bonded, it rained and we survived, what can I say!
 
Lovely, lovely people, we will be back.

Best regards
Pete Smith

Why the Logo?

The 'Wolf that never sleeps'  (Baden-Powell) has been influencing the way my life pans out from way before I was born. In short, a man who was known to me as 'Skip' lodged with my Grandparents and he was involved with Scouting as far as I know back to the 1920s. He had a great influence on my dad and a profound influence on me. I still find myself seeing things through his eyes.

Lonescout is the name given to me by my American hosts at Camp Geiger when I was admitted into their honour camping society, a programme that keeps teenagers and beyond enthusiastic about Scouting.

Upon 'googling' lonescout images an image of a sculpture by Mark Hopkins was one of the first to come up. A wolf.

My logo is a combination of a wolfs image through its own paw print. Many of you saw both images, some didn't. This is down to what is known in tracking circles as 'binocular rivalry'. When two or more things are competing or the eye/brains attention the most obvious one wins out. Tracking is something very close to my heart, which is another story in its self!

So there you have it, the abridged story behind my logo, and some of what makes up Lonescout Bushcraft.

Who is Ian?

Ian Cresswell, founder of Lonescout Bushcraft, has been connected with the outdoors for over 40years.

It could be said to have started with walks down Pigeon Hill and up the Old Hills with his grandparents, then as he got older playing in Castle Woods, watching the wildlife from wood ants to sparrow hawks. He had to wait until he was seven before he started his connection with Scouting by joining The Cubs (there were no Beavers at the time), not long afterwards attending his first camp. Although homesickness was an issue during his Cub years and even into his first Scout camp age and experience put paid to this demon. Ian was fortunate to learn the basics of camp craft in Cubs and Scouts before moving on to Venture Scouts, which was more activity oriented (a portent of where Scouting appeared to go during the 80s and 90s) and becoming a Young Leader with a local Cub pack.

During this time Ian went through school doing OK at ‘O’ level but struggling at ‘A’ level (an understanding of why that was the case has only come recently during his Forest School Leader training). On leaving the 6th form Ian spent a few months labouring for a local builder pending the start of Basic Training in the REME. After serving 101/2 years in the Army, the majority of which was with BAOR and including active service on OP Granby, Ian decide the time was right to move on. Upon his return to ‘civvie street’ Ian had a short spell as a driver/drivers mate for a local luxury chocolate manufacturer, then entered a 14 year period as an HGV mechanic for a main dealer.

Within weeks of leaving the Army Ian was contacted by his old Scout Leader to help out at his old Troop. Scouting had helped make Ian who he is so this was a great opportunity to start to ‘give something back’. So started his second, and current, time with the Scouting Association. This lead to the forming of Lonescout Bushcraft Ltd. As part of the Scout programme Ian was delivering ‘traditional camping skills’ these included elements of survival skills and bushcraft skills. As a way of assessing his own skills and learning new skills to pass on Ian went on an OCNEMR accredited course with a nationally respected bushcraft school, subsequently Ian was invited by Dave Watson to become an instructor at that school, Woodland Survival Crafts. During the next 5 years Ian was very closely involved with the company eventually becoming a director as the company ‘went limited’. Inspired and encouraged by Dave Ian formed Lonescout Bushcraft Ltd. so that he could make the most of opportunities coming his way.

Ian has been married to Vicky since 1983, a feat in itself for which Vicky deserves a whole host of medals! They have shared many adventures together and without her continued support and friendship Ian would not be the man he is today.
For those of you who have waded this far through the diatribe, well done! You may now have an idea of who Ian is.

Qualification and Professional Bodies

First Aid at Work
City and Guilds Level 3 Delivering Learning
Accredited Practitioner of the Institute for Outdoor Learning
Member of the Institute for Leadership and Management
Scout Association Wood Badge
OCN Level 2 Woodland Survival Skills (Bushcraft)