Probably watching Eddie Magee on television in the 70's and living next to an old abandoned airfield that had been reclaimed by nature. I used to watch his shows and be amazes by the idea of walking out into the woodland with next to nothing and just living on your whits. I was lucky enough to have a pet dog that loved being out all day so during warmer months I would get up and head off in to the woods and not return until the sun set. When I left school I went into a few jobs from the building trade through to local govt. I was looking for something and joined the TA and was lucky enough to end up with two ex regular instructors who talked me in to going in the regulars. Loved that and ended up learning a lot of field craft working in 2 man teams doing close target recces for the Int Cell. I went back to the TA and my boss was Richard Holmes who saw a potential in me I'd never seen and asked if I'd thought about being an Officer. With his help and support I did Officer Selection and ended up on a 3 year Short Service Commission. Back in to the woods and plenty of time on Dartmoor, The Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia later I was getting pretty good at the idea of LNT. I did fail Special Forces Selection but at least I had a go at it and was invited back for another try but decided I wasn't really up to the job. Eddie Magee and his No Need To Die book and TV Show started it but Cpl Coombes, Cpl Carter, Sgt Evans and Lt Col Holmes all inspired me in ways that can't be put in to words in a language as unpoetic as English. I'm hoping that as my son gets older my wife will allow him to spend whole days out in the woods, it's an apprenticeship that has such fine rewards.
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Originally Posted by Fletching
