I have known for a while that my video topic will have some link to sustainable living. However, now the challenge was to find people living such a lifestyle whom I could film. They had to be not too far from Canterbury, preferably in Kent so that I could get to them with my buss pass, and agree to let me film them. I did not know of anyone living this way in the area, so I searched everywhere I could online to find people...
I looked on various Facebook pages, I went through the local Couchsurfing list, I went on the WWOOFING website, I searched on the Global Ecovillage Network, I typed different key words into my search engine... No luck. Finally, I looked on Workaway and found an add entitled: "Help with roundwood timber framing and off-grid living in Kent, UK". This sounded perfect! So I renewed my Workaway membership and sent them a message describing my project and asking them if they wouldn't mind me coming and staying with them for a couple of days to learn, film, chat and help out. Phil messaged me back saying that he and his friend Billy would be very happy for me to come over and stay as long as I want! So we arranged a date and meeting place, and a few days later I got the bus to meet them in Ashford.
My stay with the two friends was an amazing experience and I learnt how to make roofing shingles, spoons and bowls out of wood. I even made a few items myself while I wasn't filming. Their home was still very basic since they do not live there full time yet and are still setting it up. All the cooking was done outside on the open fire, the only lighting in the evenings was by candle light, and the place was heated with a very small wood burning stove which they only lighted once we went indoors for the evening... meaning that it took a while to warm the place, if at all!
One interesting thing about my stay there, which is very apparent in the video, is that the dates we picked happened to fall during the snowiest period the country has known for years! This made the experience unique, but also freezing! I was extremely lucky to have one day of sunshine while I was there, so my footage is clear and bright. Phil and Billy were extremely kind, generous and good humored hosts and I had a great time.