The Natural Navigator at Forty Hall Farm

For those that don't know of the Natural Navigator, he's called Tristan Gooley and, in a simplictic nutshell, has an eye for spotting navigational aids that nature and the Earth provide to our eye.

A while ago he was also kind enough to contribute a piece to the Scout Association's book The Outdoor Adventure Manual which I was involved with, and sent me a pre-sale copy of his Walker Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs book which I did a  review of.

I'd been wanting to meet Tristan in some way, shape or form and  finally did so at his National Maritime Museum talk in late spring which centred around his newly released book How to Read Water.

Recently I've been driving all over the place to the likes of London (for Tristan's talk), Bedfordshire, Wiltshire, Kent, Sussex and Dorset for courses, 1-2-1s and visits during my sabbatical, so it's a pleasure to have a leisurely jaunt for a change to Forty Hall Farm   for a organised day of natural navigation with Tristan Gooley...It almost calls for a Pimms!

The benefit of a easy and familiar journey (it's 60% of the way to the Bushcraft Store for me) is that I know where to go without the danger of getting lost, which is perhaps a potential embarrassment considering the course content. 

Once parked up it is quite amusing to see that the manicured lawns around the house are, quite literally, divided by a black wrought iron double gate (for vehicles and people) from the more down to Earth working farm.   

 

And it was in a building within the farm that nine of us, from different backgrounds, converged on for our day of natural navigation.

Tristan said that the day was to be in two halves; the morning was to be some 'classroom' theory with some outdoor practical stuff after dinner. He started off by telling us that we were strange as we had committed to learning about a fairly specialist subject, although he said that it made him a freak. He also pointed out that there aren't that many outlets for learning this sort of stuff so we were probably the only ones doing natural navigation at that point in time. He moved between a wet wipe board and a power point, the latter he described as a device to stop him going off at tangents.

 

Some dinner was provided in the shape of sandwiches and salad by the farm (with tea and coffee via an urn). Once we had finished we headed out and covered flat grassy area, woods, farm fields and finished up around the large pond/ small lake by the house. The site is 130 acres, managed organically and even has a vineyard.

We stopped just as soon as we'd started on a small patch of lawn where he explained something to us, and this set the tone for the rest of the afternoon. 

Some of the information was theory  but some physical clues were pointed out and picked over too. I recall a lady talking on the radio about her hobby of making items for dolls houses and how she views everyday items. Most would look at something like a toothpaste lid and not think twice about it, but this lady perhaps would look at it and automatically think something like 'What can I use this for in a dolls house, maybe a lampshade?', and Tristan is the same in that he's looking to see what directional clues things around us can tell him. 

 

Interestingly some clues that we were shown we peripheral and Tristan said that not all clues will necessarily give you directions, rather they give you trends and are all part of building up a picture. Weather changes can aid or cause a rethink of clues too.

Whilst out in the wooded area I did notice a Wild Service tree with the Chequers starting to develop. It looks like it will be a good year for them.

 

We reached the house grounds for the final part and looking at which way Tristan's hands are pointing it is safe to say that it was a point about the sun, this born out by the position of his shadow. And I had a mild moment of deja vu when the subject of water came up. 

We finished up back in our 'classroom' after some more powerpoint and brief question session. I asked if in the future it might be possible to consider publishing a pictorially heavy clues book, as opposed to writing with some illustrations. Sadly it wouldn't viable. Luckily the rain mainly held off and I came away from a top day a little wiser.

And Tristan was kind enough to credit me with a little nugget of wisdom (along with the source of it; Monica Wilde) on his blog.

Tristan Gooley Nat. Maritime Museum Talk

I'm not really sure where I first heard of Tristan Gooley but since I've been aware of him he has appeared regularly on screen and in print (both magazine and his own books).Talking of books I was lucky enough to get a pre release copy of his rather fine Walkers Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs book to review on this very blog.

I also asked him if he would consider contributing an article to the Scout Association's Outdoor Adventure Manual book which he kindly did, and I was pleased to have produced  some draft sketches  for it for Haynes to use to make the book illustrations. Oh, and if anyone likes his Facebook page I nudged him to get one set up, even though he is a confirmed Twitter user.

Anyway...I wouldn't normally head off to the Greenwich Book Festival but Tristan was doing a talk to coincide with his new book launch to promote How to Read Water so as I have the luxury of time on my work sabbatical I made my way to the National Maritime Museum with my Balinese hand made backpack (I know, get me).

A quick trip across London via the Docklands Light Railway and I arrived at Cutty Sark station. I'd given myself plenty of time for a walk around and Greenwich is worth spending time in.

After a cheeky Caffé Latte in the Old Royal Naval College I headed for a bit of pre talk sustenance which I got in the fantastic market. I got a Thai dish off a stand which was run by a Thai couple and I sat and ate it outside. As close to street food as you'll get in SE10.

But I digress. Anyway, the National Maritime museum is close by and it was a case of in the main entrance and bear right and there it was, sign posted on the lecture theatre door.

Most folk seated themselves several rows back but not me, straight to the centre of the theatre front row! Well why not?

Tristan came down from the back of the theatre with a member of staff and after a brief introduction off he went with his talk about his new book which also mentioned Greenwich.

He started off by joking that the talk would be about his sixty favourite puddles, then quickly moved onto Captain Cook who was his hero, but that he was also interested in his heroes, namely the Pacific Island navigators he met.

He described himself as a navigation magpie and a nature evangelist. Oh and these two pictures are pretty much the same thing in a different format...

Tristan is a seasoned speaker and made reference to a massively varied list of things; Vikings, ripple waves, duck's bottoms, Constable and Reubens, glitterpaths, riffles, Pooh sticks, pillows, slick lines, sand ripples, katabatic winds and loads besides.

After his talk concluded he left his podium and laptop and sat down to field some questions at a desk. I just managed to squeeze the penultimate one in (about sand ripples as it goes).

Those that wanted a copy of his new book had the opportunity to go to the museum shop and get one signed which I duly did. We had a chat and as it unfolded he clicked about the Natural Naviagtor page and the Outdoor Adventure Manual. A nice way to round off this day.

I will be doing a day course with Tristan soon at Capel Manor so expect another blog, and have a listen to the  podcast that Tristan did with Paul Kirtley if you get a minute.

The Walker's Guide to Outdoor Clues & Signs

Having just finished Tristan Gooley's new book 'The Walker's Guide to Outdoor Clues & Signs' (TWGTOCAS) it is sat in front of me I'm trying to recall where I first saw the man known as 'The Natural Navigator'...Other than guessing perhaps Countryfile I drew a blank!

Now this particular copy is an advance pre-release. I will say from the off that despite the fact Tristan arranged for me to have an advanced copy I am under no obligation to write anything other than what I think about this book. 

I was keen to both get it read to blog about but also to hopefully enjoy and inwardly digest it at the same time. As I neared the end it was interesting to read the book review in the 50th edition of Bushcraft & Survival Skills magazine (which also has a feature in too). Having got other books Tristan has written I was wondering in the back of my mind what this may be like as a read, déja vu? Not a bit of it and whilst there are themes from previous publications I found it  both absorbing and something I wanted to read in every spare moment which is just as well because TWGTOCAS comes in around the 400 page mark of content. It's the sort of book that sounds good when you hold it and drum your fingers on the back.

Predictably I'm going to start at the beginning. A couple of bits stand out early on that set the tone of the book and where he is coming from for me: One is that he 'Would rather die walking than die of boredom reading about how to walk safely' and the other suggests  that the book is written for those readers 'Who like to feel their minds flex with their legs'. I like the former phrase which just suggests Get out there! but equally, don't think for one moment that he is suggesting a gung ho approach, he does state more than once that personal safety should be in the reader's mind. I like the latter phrase because oft is the time on a family walk in the country that my wife and two sons look over their shoulders to see me way back staring at this and that. There are a lot of words used in this book that stand out too, thigomorphogenisis is my favourite, but don't let this fact thing the book is high brow and hard going, it isn't, it is very readable indeed.

So what is it about? Well it's hardly going to be a newsflash when I tell you that natural navigation and indeed orientation features a lot, but it is also a detailed insight into all sorts of terrain and the flora and fauna contained within, as well as the heavens (day and night) and human habits too. there is also some writing of a trip to Borneo that he took to take the reader away from the main UK(ish)/ northern hemisphere theme of the book.

 

Some sections are easier to digest than others and some are more relevant to me than others but whatever sections you find float your boat the most I guarantee that you'll benefit from a re-read because there's so much information crammed in (apparently over 850 outdoor clues and signs according to the press release). Even from this initial read of TWGTOCAS I have got some useful and interesting rural and urban facts on board that will not only enhance my future outdoor experiences but may also make me look rather clever too! 

Tristan has said that he tries to find clues in everything he sees and when he paints a scenario in the book he often asks you the reader to consider why certain things apply to the said scenario before explaining it and it does make you think. For instance he states how kestrels can indicate wind direction and whilst walking past a hospital recently I looked at one of those raptor kites that are often tethered over buildings to deter pigeons and concluded that whilst it wasn't as smooth as falco tinnunculus it too was indicating wind direction, and indeed an everyday kite on a windy hillside does too. Not only did I feel pleased that I was looking but that the very essence of Tristan's written encouragement was coming out. I've decided that this outdoors version of Neo from the Matrix kind of looking at the outdoors differently needs a name-Gooleyvision is born.

With the book being a large size you are getting a lot of written information with a sprinkling of images and illustrations so is good value. Do you know what I'd love to see in the future? A series of smaller A5 sized books that are the total opposite, namely colour illustrations backed up with text. As a visual person I'd love that.

>Edit< There is an indepth podcast Tristan interview on Paul Kirtley's podcast here.