Happy Birthday, Terry
See you in September.
He writes:
Folks,You can read the rest and see some new photos here.
Probably the strangest, but certainly one of the most rewarding activities over the past month would be the smelting of iron ore to make my own sword, with the help of Jake Keen, formally of the Iron Age Centre in Cranborne. This involved collecting the iron ore (yes, there more of it about that you would think) from a nearby field, building a kiln using clay dug out during Rob’s building work, cleaning, roasting and selecting the best of the ore and two days of actual smelting which resulted in two blooms (large balls of mostly iron mixed with some slag, created in the heart of the furnace).
The next step is to hammer the slag out of the blooms to get wrought iron and then we’re off to see the blacksmith. The whole thing was a strangely fascinating process and the smelting itself, controlling of the kiln and occasional venting of the surplus slag seemed a mix between industrial magic and genecology. The ultimate aim is a completed sword, which every Knight should never be without.
Fans who wish to honor Terry on his birthday might wish to donate to The Alzheimer's Research Trust or the Orangutan Foundation International (Terry is a trustee and spokesperson for the UK branch).
Sia
Art: Portrait of the Author, Himself by Paul Kidby
Links:
Terry Pratchett at Wikipedia
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