Welcome to Thatchcroft North.

An imaginary village. A real creative home.Join YouTube’s RickVanMan for stories, a little humour, and handmade creations. Browse the village gift shop or see what he's making next. There’s always something curious on the shelves.

About Thatchcroft North

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Hello. I’m Rick, a video maker, writer and enthusiastic tinkerer, based here in the Shires, UK.Thatchcroft North is an imaginary village and a hub for my creative endeavours. It brings together my stories, humorous articles, videos and the handmade things gradually taking over my craft room.
Whether you’re looking for a gift, something to read or watch, or simply fancy a browse, you’re very welcome here.─────❦─────
HOW IT ALL STARTED
It started with a very ordinary problem: I was trying to spend less time staring at bright screens before bed. Audiobooks seemed like the perfect solution… except I can’t just sit still and listen. The moment my hands have nothing to do, my brain starts whispering, “Just check the phone for a moment.”After considering a ridiculously long list of hobbies, I unexpectedly fell for a little hand-cranked knitting machine. I could listen to a good audiobook and make something practical at the same time. Hats started appearing. Proper, wearable, surprisingly good hats. Before long, I had more than any one head could reasonably justify.Naturally, I wondered whether other people might like them too. I liked the idea that someone could watch a particular hat being made, then buy that very hat, knowing where it came from and who made it. With thoughtful extras and care over the packaging, it could become a nice gift with a story behind it.That idea gradually grew into Thatchcroft North.─────❦─────
A VILLAGE TAKES SHAPE
At first, it was simply going to be a name on a hat label. But living here in Wiltshire, I began picturing the place that might go with it: a cosy village of thatched cottages, a stone bridge and interesting little shops. I’m not entirely sure why knitting hats required a whole village, but I was enjoying the creative process, and so here we are.─────❦─────
BRINGING THE VILLAGE TO LIFE
Meanwhile, my spare bedroom was ready for a change. I wanted somewhere pleasant to spend my evenings making things, with space to experiment, a comfortable reading corner and somewhere to film what I was working on.Of all the places I’d imagined in Thatchcroft North, the gift shop was the one I most wanted to spend time in. I could picture wooden shelves, baskets of wool, warm lamps and a big table where I could pull up a chair, put on an audiobook and get on with making something.So I decided to bring a little bit of Thatchcroft North into my home: my own craft room, with the theme and character of the imaginary gift shop. I loved the thought of opening the door each evening and finding a little part of the village waiting for me.It would also be a potential backdrop for YouTube videos, where I could share what I’m making, pack the occasional order and film the room coming together. This is still a room in my home, rather than a shop open to visitors, but finished creations will be available through the online shop.─────❦─────
MORE THAN HATS
As Thatchcroft North took shape, I realised it could give my other interests a home too. My stories, books, humorous articles and videos have always lived in different corners of the internet. The village offered somewhere to bring them together, where someone browsing for a hat might discover something to read or watch.You don’t need to buy anything to enjoy being here. The stories, articles and videos are here for you to explore, so put the kettle on and have a browse. You never know what you might find.─────❦─────
SMALL AND PERSONAL
The handmade side will stay small and personal. I might finish one or two hats in an evening, and I’ll make whatever takes my interest rather than keep a regular range in stock. Some colour combinations may return, but you’ll be choosing the particular hat shown in the photographs, made and carefully boxed by me. There may only be a couple available in a week, and sometimes none at all.For now, there’s a room to decorate, a chair to find and a growing number of hats demanding shelf space. I’ll share the progress, the experiments and the inevitable occasions when something looked considerably easier in the instructions.─────❦─────

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I’m Rick Clarke, known on YouTube as Rickvanman and as the voice of The Honest Guys. I also write fiction under the pen name Finn Wilder. This is a home for all those creative endeavours, with the gift shop as just one part of it.You’re welcome to read, watch, laugh and browse.It turns out that trying to watch less television can create rather a lot of things to do.Welcome. Pull up a chair. The kettle’s on.

Books and Audiobooks

I write fiction under the pen name Finn Wilder and have discovered the fun of self-publishing.
I’m still learning the craft, and I suspect my characters sometimes wish I knew what I was doing, but I enjoy telling their stories.
My stories can also be a little left-field, not for everyone. They often feature Neko: people with feline ears and tails - intended as a visible mataphor. Apparently, giving my characters ordinary human ears just wasn’t an option.My latest story, The Quiet One Who Knew, is a young adult (YA) mystery mainly aimed at teenage readers.
(available in print shortly).
Six Gentle Lives is an illustrated collection of six stories, each following a Neko character, exploring kindness, belonging and finding a place in the world.You can read my stories for free on Wattpad, listen to audiobook versions free on YouTube, or buy Six Gentle Lives in print through Lulu.

Thatchcroft North Gift Shop

Colourful woolly hats, thoughtful gift sets and little things worth giving.Here in Wiltshire, I’m giving my personal craft room the cosy themed character of Thatchcroft North’s village gift shop, with space to make things, film videos or settle down with a good book.A few handmade creations are already taking shape. You’ll be able to find them online through the Ko-fi shop as they become available.

The craft room and online shop is currently taking shape during this winter of 2026.
Visit my Ko-fi page for updates and, once the shop opens, to browse the gifts available to buy.

Humour and Articles

Everyday life supplies the material. I just write it down. From suspicious bargains to companies that think we’re in a relationship, these are my observations on life’s absurdities, published on Medium.

Rickvanman on YouTube

Home projects, campervan trips, DIY, experiments, recipies, daytrips and whatever else catches my curiosity next. My Rickvanman channel is where I share what I’ve been doing, what I’m trying, and how it all turns out.

Aki’s Bramblewick Journal

Meet Aki, a barista in the fictitious seaside village of Bramblewick. Also the character from one for my stories.
Explore his collection of journal entries about café encounters, small kindnesses and everyday life, including a gull who thinks he’s staff.
Read along on Substack.