We’ve been to all sorts of farms on this trip but thought it was time we found out what goat farming was all about, which was how we found ourselves at Gill and Martin McManoman’s farm near Preston, meeting some very entertaining goats and hearing about Gill and Martin’s growing business, Capra Products. They started… Continue reading Getting Your Goat
Author: Andrew Mitchell
Training with SARDA: the Search and Rescue Dogs Association
Keen to find out a bit more about the Lake District’s Search and Rescue Dogs Association (SARDA Lakes), we arranged to meet Les Telford, one of the handlers, in a car park in Keswick and follow him to Buttermere, where their weekend training was taking place. A nail-biting journey then ensued as we tried to… Continue reading Training with SARDA: the Search and Rescue Dogs Association
How many cows do you have to kill to get some milk?
Earlier on in this trip we were shocked to hear a story about a London schoolteacher who thought that it was inappropriate for her class to see a cow being milked as it might upset them. What? Turns out she actually thought you have to kill a cow to get its milk. With rubbish like… Continue reading How many cows do you have to kill to get some milk?
Abseiling in the Lake District
Think outdoor activities in the Lake District and you might be conjuring up images of wet school trips with ill-fitting waterproof gear and soggy sandwiches. Okay, so the Lake District isn’t known for its tropical climate, but Johan and Emma Hoving, founders of outdoor activity and holiday company, RiverDeepMountainHigh, strongly believe that with the right… Continue reading Abseiling in the Lake District
Hanging Out at an Eventer’s Yard
We popped into international event rider Jamie Atkinson’s yard at Langley Park, Durham, to have a look round and meet his groom, Kirsty. Being a groom is not for the feeble and involves long hours and lots of hard physical work. The job consists of the general daily care of the horses in the yard: … Continue reading Hanging Out at an Eventer’s Yard
Forraging for Food with James Burton
We spent an action-packed day with professional chef, mean shot and founder of Vallum Cooking, James Burton. Based on a Northumbrian smallholding on Hadrian’s Wall (‘vallum’ refers to the deep ditch that runs alongside the wall), James is passionate about seasonal and locally-sourced food and, with his own rare breed Middle White pigs, the shooting… Continue reading Forraging for Food with James Burton
The Field: “Muddy Tour of Britain in a Country Cottage Motor Home”
Our Muddy Marathon makes it into the December edition of The Field.
Spying on Salmon
We came across the Philiphaugh Salmon Viewing Centre by chance when we saw the new log-cabin tea shop they have just built next door and thought we’d kill some time and grab a cuppa. Our mobile country home obviously caught the eye of the owner of the Philiphaugh Estate, Sir Michael Strang Steel, and he… Continue reading Spying on Salmon
Hunter Boots: Alive and Kicking
When we told people that we were going to visit the Hunter boot factory in Dumfries, the immediate response was, “I thought they went bust, what happened?” To be honest, we weren’t entirely sure but we knew they were still operating as they’d been kind enough to sponsor us with a few prizes over the… Continue reading Hunter Boots: Alive and Kicking
Popping in to a Whisky Distillery
Much like the haggis making, we didn’t feel we could leave Scotland without having a quick trip to a whisky distillery. As we were still in East Lothian, we decided to pop into the Glenkinchie Distillery before heading into Edinburgh (not very rural we know) for the Scottish Countryside Alliance Christmas Drinks Party. Established in… Continue reading Popping in to a Whisky Distillery