My brother Dave Nicoll who was a member probably from 1996 when he built his first coracle on a Terry Kenny’s course on the weekend of the Ironbridge regatta of that year, died on Saturday 20th April after a short illness aged 85
Ash dieback disease
29 December 2012
The recent news stories related to the ash dieback outbreak make for troubling reading for any nature lover, but much more so for the coracle maker. Ash is one of the ‘staples’ for coracle construction and this outbreak could, if it reaches the extents of the Dutch Elm disease outbreak - which by the 1990s had wiped out over 25 million elm trees - quite possibly put most coracle makers out of business.
The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority recently issued advice to its visitors, advising them to wash down their boots, vehicle tyres, pets - anything that might have come into contact with leaves or wood whilst visiting the area - and to avoid visiting similar areas within the following 24 hour period. This is some simple, sensible advice that the coracling community may wish to consider heeding when they visit any wooded area, to help prevent the spread of this destructive disease.