And so it was that I found myself at 8am on a Sunday morning, devouring a bacon butty – fuel for the challenge ahead. I was taking part in the Pink Ladies’ Tractor Road Run for the first time. In its 20th year, this iconic event saw 197 tractors and 201 women, all swathed in… Continue reading Pink Ladies’ Tractor Road Run – I’m hooked!
It’s taken hours but I’m finally there – the tractor is bedecked in decorations and ready for the Pink Ladies’ Tractor Road Run this weekend. It’s fair to say that I have been fervently decorating the beast with passion, consideration and glee. And, it has given me time to consider the sheer scale of the… Continue reading Pink Ladies Tractor Run – clutch control mastered (maybe)…
At the end of last year a friend emailed me. He said, ‘I think I’ve asked you before about Detectorists: I’ve watched every episode over the past few weeks, and I love it. It’s filmed in your neck of the woods, innit?’ I replied the next day and said, ‘I’ve never seen Detectorists before, whizzed through the… Continue reading Metal detecting in Norfolk…
On a frosty walk through the woods, a momentary stop to appreciate the clarity of the day drew my eye to the south-facing trunk of a struggling ash tree. It was covered from top to toe in what I thought was some sort of fungus but on closer inspection it turned out to be clusters… Continue reading Ladybirds in hibernation…
This morning I awoke to a tweet on my phone’s screen which simply said, £27/t. It meant nothing to me, but a little digging revealed the news that NFU Sugar and British Sugar have announced a one-year sugar beet contract for 2022. It means that beet farmers will receive a fixed sum of £27 a… Continue reading Sugar: From British beet to bake…
Now, I like foraging and for a few years I’ve had ambitions of hunting for horseradish. I was inspired by a cracking horseradish sauce I had with a roast at a pub in north Norfolk. It was at once hot, peppery and creamy and perfect with beef. Come November each year I’ve set about searching… Continue reading Homemade horseradish sauce…
Deep down I secretly enjoy the slow turn of seasons as summer melds into autumn. Yes, I miss wearing a bikini in the garden, slopping around in flip flops, sipping rosé in the sun, sitting outside late into the night, flinging on a pair of towering sandals, lighting barbecues, wrapping myself in floaty dresses and helping… Continue reading Damson ketchup is a winner…
I spent the morning eagerly perched on the edge of a field. I was utterly immersed in the hum of harvest. As a child my brother would spend weeks – probably most of his summer holiday – stood on the side of the fields surrounding our house. He would watch the coming and going of… Continue reading A scene of biblical proportions…
Sometimes it’s important in life to stop and appreciate lambs frolicking in a field – to admire their unbridled enthusiasm. On our daily dog walk I’ve been enchanted by their sheer joy for each other’s company on a nearby farm. Every time I catch sight of them my day immediately brightens and when the sun… Continue reading Lambing…
…you know you’ve got too much time on your hands when you make an inventory of your freezer – yes that’s actually happened, I did that – and guess what, I rather enjoyed it! We all know that most of us have no idea what’s in there and it’s true to say I didn’t. Who… Continue reading Isolation forces freezer adventures to continue…
