Leach Press and Oakist Press
Newsletter – Issue 5
28 June 2026
Hello everyone,
Welcome to the fifth Leach Press and Oakist Press newsletter.
The aim is simple – once a week, I'll send a short update covering new books, new videos, events, projects and life at Oakwood.
Thank you for subscribing and supporting independent publishing.
New Oakist Press Books
Three new books have recently been released through Oakist Press.
Living on the Road, Waterways or Off-grid in the UK
Dicky Dread
A practical guide to alternative living in the UK, covering vanlife, boats, off-grid living, traveller culture, legal realities and the many different ways people choose to live beyond conventional housing.
Nature Boy's Magical World
Steve Andrews
A personal testimony of a life shaped by a profound and enduring connection with the natural world. Steve reflects on nature, spirituality, creativity and the experiences that have shaped his remarkable journey.
Physics, Consciousness & Reality
Dicky Dread and Nigel Adams
An exploration of some of the deepest questions in science and philosophy. Drawing together ideas from physics, cosmology, consciousness studies and systems thinking, the book examines the relationship between mind, matter and reality itself.
New Leach Press Book
Paddy's Lost His Stash
Dicky Dread
When Paddy loses his legendary festival stash, the Cuckoo Crew launches a wildly chaotic international search spanning festivals, airports and continents – discovering friendship, madness and misadventure along the way.
New Videos This Week
Living on the Road, Waterways or Off-grid in the UK
Three new episodes were released this week:
- The hidden traps nobody mentions about land
- Permitted development – the reality behind the rules
- Campsites, static caravans and the reality of permission
These episodes explore the realities of canal life, off-grid living, planning law and the continuing challenges faced by travelling communities in the modern UK.
Physics, Consciousness & Reality
Four new episodes were released this week:
- You've never experienced “now”
- Even maths can't explain everything
- Has physics been fooled by mathematical beauty?
- The Anthropic Principle – is the universe tuned for life?
These videos continue our exploration of consciousness, altered states, perception and the nature of reality.
Off-grid Skills with Dicky Dread
- Can You Really Live Off-Grid With Solar Power? | The Truth About Solar
- How I Find Cheap and Free Solar Panels
- Battery Sizing Made Simple for Off-Grid Living
- MPPT vs PWM – which solar controller should you buy?
Oakwood Rewilding Project
Work continues at Oakwood in Llanbrynmair.
The heat and humidity made work very hard at Oakwood this week. We also had to face a very sad reality.
Lake Rose had effectively been dug in the wrong place. It was causing too much water to rush down the bank towards our neighbours' static caravan, and we had to make the horrible decision to fill it in.
We made every effort to save the life already there, including newts and frogs. We will now retain a large pond at the end furthest from the neighbours' boundary.
Next year, we will reconsider creating another lake elsewhere on the land. It has been a major learning experience – water goes where nature wants it to go.
The polytunnel also suffered in the heat, but we are getting huge courgettes, beans, peas, salad leaves, beetroot and spinach. We are hoping the tomatoes will begin producing soon.
The war with bracken has taken a turn as it fights back hard in June. However, our daily crushing has weakened its foothold in the areas we want to control.
We have continued sourcing trees for a cider orchard.
We are also planning the installation of a six-metre yurt for Erika's therapy practice and are waiting for a quote.
We have started stripping out the caravan for Erika's art space, although the heat stopped play this week.
We are hoping it will not be too hot on the Rewilding Day, as there are a great many dock seed heads that need chopping off.
Cheeko the Chipper will be fired up again to make more mulch for the young trees, while Justyn will go to town with the strimmer.
Upcoming event
Oakwood Rewilding Day
Saturday 11 July 2026
Erika and Dicky invite you to join us for a community day of rewilding at Oakwood, Llanbrynmair.
Starting time: 1:00 pm
Meeting place: Wynnstay Arms Hotel, Llanbrynmair
Activities include tree mulching, woodland path work, dock management, habitat improvements, species logging, wildlife surveys, nature discovery activities and bug hotel construction. A simple vegan meal will be provided in the evening.
DJ News
No new sets this week, although I may record one tonight.
Live appearance
Newtown – 25 July 2026
I'll be playing live at a show in Newtown. More information will follow when the organisers send me the new flyer.
Coming Soon
Work continues on a number of current and future projects, including:
- Further episodes of Physics, Consciousness & Reality
- Further episodes of Living on the Road, Waterways or Off-grid in the UK
- Further videos on off-grid living, continuing with solar power and charge controllers
- New Oakist Press releases
- Resources and the Future – An Anarchist Perspective
Cover preview
Crime, Justice and Punishment
An Anarchist Perspective
The book is now at the final proof stage and should be released soon.
Here is a sneak preview of the cover design.
Stay Connected
Thank you again for your support.
Until next week,
Dicky Dread
Leach Press & Oakist Press