I had an idea………it didn’t quite work out as I first thought.
In February of 2024, I had the strange idea of commissioning Alistair Macdonald (https://curlewfilms.com/) to film me taking a rug out into the wilderness somewhere, and possibly using a drone to film it. We had previously discussed the possibility of using a drone to film one of my rugs in the middle of the very big crop field in front of my workshop. Alistair is a keen fell runner in and around his home town of Marsden so he suggested the idea of the Marsden Moors and in particular West Nab. Turns out that West Nab is 500m (1641ft) above sea level and the 180th highest point in England. It is not the highest place in Kirklees but it does have its own trig point. With the trig point in mind and the potential views of the surrounding Marsden Moors and with Huddersfield beyond, I decided to Google trig points dimensions. I had an idea that it may make a great plinth from which to place one of my rugs and the unfurling could be filmed and captured by the drone also.
Trig point plinths have a specific standardised dimension so I used these to design my initial rug idea. I restricted myself to a size of 170cm x 170cm as this is the optimum size for a piece on my sample tufting frame and also, it kept the rug to a carrying weight of 15kg. The distance from the nearest car parking layby was a 20 minute walk up to the summit. This I was not prepared to do by myself so I roped in ‘mater tufter’ Luke. He’s from farming stock so built appropriately and plenty of stamina. Me not so much, but I knew that I could rest on the way up and pretend to take picture of the views.
Trig Point Rug on Marsden Moor………
Trig Point Rug
