IT'S one of Nottinghamshire's most famous landmarks and this weekend the mighty Major Oak is being honoured with an entire two-day extravaganza named in its honour.
The Major Oak Woodland Festival is taking over Sherwood Forest Country Park today and tomorrow with an assortment of family-friendly activities in this ancient and atmospheric setting.
You'll be able to enjoy a mix of entertaining and educational stuff and try your hand at some traditional crafts – or you might even get the chance to take a once-in-a-lifetime trip right to the top of the Major Oak itself.
Organised by Notts County Council and the Sherwood Forest Trust, the event features bodgers (who are NOT, contrary to popular belief, a group of people who make a hash of mending things), Windsor chair makers, charcoal producers, wood turners, knife smiths, wooden toy and furniture producers and archaeologists.
You'll also get the chance to meet members of Notts Wildlife Trust and other conservation organisations as well as charities, such as the RSPB.
There'll be a variety of engrossing demonstrations of modern-day forestry machinery and you'll get the chance to compare these hi-tech methods with the gracefulness of the Nornay shire horses, who'll show how timber was extracted in a bygone era.
Plus, there's a range of amazing stuff on sale including craft produce, tools (courtesy of Ray Iles, of The Old Tool Store), wooden turning blanks and timber.
Among those taking part is the Wild Man of the Woods, aka actor Barry Patterson – a colourful character bedecked in leaves and other natural material. He'll be entertaining the crowds with songs and musical performances on the flute, bagpipes and bodhràn (a traditional frame drum), promoting the importance and beauty of nature, trees and wildlife.
Barry explains how the Major Oak "spoke" to him when he spent time in Sherwood Forest a few years ago.
He says: ''I was staying in the forest and visited the Major Oak tree and asked it if there was any reason why I could not sleep within the hollow of the tree in the way that Robin Hood and his Merry Men used to do.
"At that exact moment, a whoosh of bats came from the tree and that was my answer not to disturb the great tree.
''Our trees, local woods and other natural environments need all the friends they can get and we need to care for our environment. Sherwood Forest is such a special place. It is wonderful that it is celebrating this great occasion and I am looking forward to taking part.''
Meanwhile, expect a bit of a scrum for one of the big highlights of this weekend's event. Some 20 festival-goers will get the chance each day to see the wonderful Major Oak up close and personal, as they're lifted into the canopy of the tree on a mobile elevated work platform, or ''cherry picker.''
If you'd like to be one of the lucky ones and enjoy this once in a lifetime experience, you'll need to go along to the Sherwood Forest Trust stand next to the Major Oak on either day to book your place.
The stand will be staffed from 10am, with trips running every 15 minutes from 10.30am.
Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, so make sure you're there early. You'll be asked to make a minimum donation of £8, which will help protect the Major Oak for future generations. The experience will last around ten minutes and you'll be able to take pictures.
If you're not lucky enough to get a place, perhaps you might like to take advantage of another rare opportunity – the chance to ask the Major Oak a question that's always puzzled you.
Hand your question to a member of the Sherwood Forest Trust team or go on their Facebook page (search Sherwood Forest Trust). The best questions will be picked out and read aloud by question master the Wildman of the Woods between 1pm-2pm on both days. And yes, the Major Oak itself really will answer.
Sherwood Forest Country Park is this year celebrating 60 years since it was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Internationally famous as the home of the Major Oak and the place where Robin Hood and his Merry Men used to hang out, it also has a rich natural history, with rare insects such as the Welsh clearwing and the hazel pot beetle among its modern inhabitants.
Sherwood Forest also took second place in the Best Nature Reserve category in the BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards 2013.
Councillor John Knight, culture committee chairman at Notts County Council, says: ''We are rightly proud of Sherwood Forest, which is one of the most famous forests in the world. The Major Oak Woodland Festival gives us an opportunity to promote its glorious past and everything that it offers today, as well as celebrate the diamond anniversary of Sherwood being designated SSSI status.''
The Major Oak Woodland Festival is open today and tomorrow from 11am to 4pm. Admission is free, with a charge of £3 for parking. For more information, visit www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/sherwoodcp or www.sherwoodforest.org.uk.
