The business cards I left at Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre eventually led to my invitation to take part in the Sherwood Forest festivals.
There was one rather important detail, though.
The organisers had made it clear that traders with medieval-style tents would be given priority.
By this point, I had already invested so much of my time and finances into developing Nukshi Leathercraft that buying a medieval tent simply wasn't within my budget. And, to be honest, I had absolutely no knowledge of them.
I'm quite at home with a lightweight mountain tent. I've spent years camping in the mountains and know my way around a good lightweight shelter. But a large, heavy-duty medieval canvas tent?
That was a completely different world — and a rather intriguing one.
I spent days scouring the internet, trying to understand what was available, what I would need and, frankly, how on earth I was going to get one.
Then I remembered Matthew, a master armour maker, and thought he might either know something about medieval tents or perhaps know someone who could help.
As it turned out, he knew exactly what I needed.
Matthew had a nearly new, British-made medieval canvas tent, and he very generously offered to lend it to me for all the festivals I had been accepted for.
And the kindness didn't stop there.
For my first festival, Matthew and his partner came along and helped me set it up.
I honestly don't know whether the festivals that followed would have been possible without their generosity.
I had spent so much time and money building my leathercraft business, preparing my stock, developing my workshops and investing in tools. The prospect of having to find and buy a huge medieval tent on top of everything else felt almost impossible.
Instead, someone simply said, “I have one. You can borrow it.”
That meant an enormous amount to me.
I am incredibly grateful to Lancaster Armoury for their kindness, trust and generosity. Their help didn't just give me a tent - it helped make it possible for Nukshi Leathercraft to step into Sherwood Forest. 
