A successful north Lancashire business is offering families a wood day out on Saturday July 22, as it lays on ‘Logfest’ – its very first family-focused open day, destined to introduce everyone, from kids to grandparents, to the wonder of wood, in a most entertaining way.
Logs Direct, based at Brooklands Farm on Addington Road in Halton, Lancaster, will be enticing everyone from wood burner owners, desperate to know how to select the right wood for their home heating, to parents who know their children will be keen to learn about the story of wood, from tree to timber yard and beyond.
The eye-opening open day, running from 10am to 4pm, will offer visitors the chance to view the process underpinning kiln-drying, from the delivery of raw timber, to the hand-stacking of log crates. In between, they will be introduced to the kiln – a massive and woodchip-waste-hungry Swedish boiler unit in which Logs Direct invested £175,000.*
Here, they can discover how moisture-rich felled wood, which is totally inefficient as a fuel source, as well as being a clogger of flues and potential invalidator of wood burner warranties, is turned into kiln-dried wood, which can be burnt efficiently.
Further advice will be available from wood burner and stove specialist Esse and from local fireplace fitters and chimney sweeps. Fireplace Warehouse in Morecambe will also be displaying a range of stoves.
Additionally, visitors can learn about Logs Direct’s wide product range, including unique Coffee Logs, made from recycled coffee grounds, and the very eco-friendly Yorganics compost – made from the recycled garden waste of Yorkshire homeowners.
Those thinking of buying or making more of a wood-fired pizza oven will be able to sample freshly cooked authentic Italian pizza from wood-fired oven specialists, Valoriani. Logs Direct’s team will explain all about its new olive wood and own-brand Piccante logs for wood-fired ovens, as well as highlighting that those who prefer to barbecue can take advantage of its restaurant grade charcoal.
The use of wood ash in ceramics will be demonstrated by Miles Moore Ceramics, who will thrill visitors with the art of Raku firing and the glazed pottery that can be created using this technique. Raku is one of the most exciting processes in ceramics and visitors will be treated to the sense of anticipation that comes after a pot is placed in the kiln, when the intense heat is melting the Raku glazes. Those watching this process will see how the red hot work rapidly cools, once removed from the kiln, before entering flame and smoke, for its final phase. All will be amazed once the surface is cleaned and the results become evident.
Children’s entertainment in the form of a bouncy castle, truck driving experience and games will be laid on and there will be local ice creams on sale as treats.
There will also be the opportunity to ask questions of the Logs Direct team and find out more about its red squirrel conservation giving scheme, run in conjunction with Nurture Lakeland.
Logs Direct is currently short-listed for the e3 Business Award for Family Business of the Year and has grown rapidly over the last few years. The timing seemed right for its very first open day.
Logs Direct’s sales director, Stephen Talbot, says: “This is a free-to-attend event that will be both informative and fun. We have arranged it because we are constantly asked about the process that underpins our wood products, whilst wood burner owners often struggle to know how to best operate their appliance. This open day will allow us to answer all those ‘burning’ questions!”
