How to harvest water reed for thatching

Alan Jones is no ordinary thatcher. He is an expert on regional styles and materials and is a pioneer in producing superior quality thatching wheat and water reed. This series of short films is about sustainability. These days it happens to be cheap and convenient for thatchers to buy imported reed from the Far East. But the quality is poor and the roofs don’t last. A good thatched roof should last 30 years. Alan has been cutting water reed beds (subject of this film) for 30 years, as well as