Items donated or loaned during 100 Objects Exhibition in Glasgow
For the launch of 100 Objects Exhibition in Glasgow many banners, a giant handmade zine, set list for a band and other items were brought by Woodraft Folk members.
It also led to an interview with Jim Barr. In 1976, Jim and a few friends were packing up their gear on the Isle of Arran when they crossed paths with a Woodcraft Folk group from Sheffield just arriving for their summer camp.
“A couple of friends got invited back to go to their [Sheffield Woodcraft] camp,” Jim recalls. “It wouldn’t happen nowadays with child protection…couple of adult strangers just getting invited to stay…but they had a fabulous time. Most of us had been involved in the Scouts, but we didn’t like the regimented nature. Woodcraft seemed absolutely perfect. It was girls and boys. It was ideal.”
That chance encounter sparked a mission. Soon after, Jim and his friends contacted the London Woodcraft Office to begin reinvigorating the movement in Strathclyde and all over Scotland which had been strong before World War 2.
Blogposts written during the exhibition at Glasgow were spotted by Wendy Mayes in Sheffield, who sent a photo of the 1976 meeting on the Isle of Arran.
We wanted to document Woodcraft Folk through the eyes of it's members. The exhibition in Glasgow was an excellent opportunity to better represent groups and their history in Scotland.
Strathclyde interim report and final report, Woodcraft Folk Heritage Collection FH/033/05
1988 Annual Report of the Woodcraft Folk' Woodcraft Folk Heritage Collection FH/019/05/006
Henry Fair's return visit to Scotland YMA/WF/304
Where I can find it in a couple of sentences
‘So I got an honorary, leader award from the DFs on our Liverpool District camp at an award session as part of the Merry moot. I was a venturer, when I won this award it was kind of in honour of being someone who could round up the troops and I wasn’t frightened to be that young person’s voice, trying to get people to do things. I could galvanise people and get people to do clan duty and get people to join in with things’
“I’ve got two setlists and they’re both from the band, Fez, who performed at Common Ground and Camp 100, and they also camped with us in Scotland. That was my prized possession when I got it…[Keep your head up] I was feeling a bit rough at Camp 100 and I’m not who [sent it] but I have some suspicions. I really like it. That one came with a few lollipops…I think they’re all very, very Woodcraft in the way that they’re just like nice.”
Taken from Strathclyde Interim Report 1987
Woodcraft Folk join the amazing Banner for Glasgow Kiltwalk heroes in 2025. Over £8.3 million was raised for over 1,800 Scottish Charities