Local people making their corner of rural Britain unique
This week
Saturday 28 March 2008
In this week’s ‘Open Country’ Helen Mark visits the Willows and Wetlands Centre on the Somerset Levels, home of P. H. Coate & Son.
Helen follows the willow harvest with Jonathan Coate, an ancestor of willow grower and merchant Robert Coate, and discovers the family's long association witth the crop. The Coate family started the business in 1819 and they still run the business today.
Jonathan’s mother Anne is an expert in the history of willow and shows Helen what happens to the willow after it is harvested. She shows Helen the wonderful things that can be made from the wood. As specialist basket makers with 180 years experience between them, in more recent years they have supplied willow for film sets including this years Sweeney Todd staring Jonny Depp.
Joining Helen will be Laura Ellen Bacon who uses willow in her art sculptures. She tells Helen why she’s chosen to work with willow and how she’s taking it into the 21st century.
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