Traditional skills
I watched intrigued as Suffolk ‘Thatcher’ Tim Ellis went about his work. In this case it’s a top-up to the more complete job of 18 years ago. And of course a great photo opportunity.
Tim Ellis learnt his Thatching skills more than thirty years ago under the stewardship of Peter Buckley, from the Cambridgeshire village of Elsworth. Peter lived in Elsworth most of his life, working with his Father Sidney Buckley. Peter had a ‘disagreement’ early in his life with his father and was bundled off to Norfolk on a five year apprenticeship. This was at Farnhams Thatching Company with a history going back centuries and a client list that included the Royal family. Sid died around 1970, literally whilst thatching, whilst his son Peter died in 1992. Tim has now been working entirely on his own for more than than twenty-six years.
Tim told me that everything he does and the tools he uses, have not changed for over four hundred years. The one change is that he has a Mercedes truck, to replace horse power.
By Roland Blunk