One of the things I enjoy about the work I do is the opportunity to work in some spectacular places. In 2003 I was contacted by Lofotr, the Viking Museum at Borg to provide a craft demonstration for a few weeks in 2004. The museum is based around the reconstruction of the largest Viking longhouse found so far and is today one of the most popular visitor attractions on the Lofoten islands in the North of Norway.

I was asked to demonstrate Viking age leather working techniques in the longhouse as part of a living history project in the peak summer season.

The timing of the project fitted in well with the British school holidays and a number of other craftspeople would also be present including my good friend Ken Ravn hedegaard, an archeologist and very skilled bronze caster.

Ken arrived a week later than myself with Jana Kruse, another craftsperson I had heard of, she was there to recreate a “Tating” ware pitcher that had been found at the site.

Many of the things we recreate as living history could easily be described as lost arts. Some crafts have become redundant in our modern world while others, though still practised, have been completely transformed by modern tools and materials.

Very often the only way to accurately recreate an artefact from another age is to use the same tools, methods and techniques as were used when the artefact was created.

To work closely and learn from knowledgeable and like minded craftspeople who are dedicated to the accuracy of their chosen discipline is a privilege I try to take at every opportunity.

I am also rather fond of Viking ships and the museum also boasts some fine reconstructions including a full size copy of the ship found at Gokstad.

It is only when you see a Viking ship afloat that you can truly appreciate what a powerful tool it is. The “Gokstad” ship fully laden and filled with ballast weighed about 30 tonnes but floats in less than 3 feet of water. Such boats were a key to the success of the Vikings