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!
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…
…isn’t, in reality, much different to normal life here. There’s one big exception though and that is the fact that I currently have no work. Being self-employed, and working mostly with events, means that I no longer have an income stream whilst the Covid-19 pandemic unveils itself. Of course I’m nervous about what the future… Continue reading Isolation on the farm…
…footpaths. Yep, I’ve officially hit middle age and I’ve a new love for footpaths. Having spent my formative years in the Sea Scouts I’d forgotten how satisfying it is to open a paper Ordnance Survey map and trundle across the countryside. It offers up a whole new world to anyone wishing to dive right in. It… Continue reading I have a new love and I don’t mind shouting about it…
