It was easily the coldest day of the year when we spent the morning on a Yorkshire farm with fencing contractor, Wilf Standeven. Wilf grew up in Yorkshire and after a brief stint in London was drawn back to the countryside, where he started working for another fencing contractor. After gaining valuable knowledge and expertise… Continue reading Fencing in Yorkshire
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Ample Bosom
When Sally and John Robinson were looking for new ways to diversify on their farm near Helmsley, North Yorkshire, Sally came up with the idea of selling bras and lingerie on the internet and, in 1999, she launched the wonderfully-named ‘Ample Bosom’. It was certainly one of the more unusual farm diversification projects that we… Continue reading Ample Bosom
Being Model Fisherwomen in North Yorkshire
Whilst in Yorkshire, we were invited down to Raygill Fisheries, in the heart of the Dales just outside Lothersdale, to take a look round and do a spot of fishing. Previously a lime quarry, Bernard Clement bought it in 1987, landscaped the site and began to stock trout. Twenty years later, they have four lakes… Continue reading Being Model Fisherwomen in North Yorkshire
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
One Man and Lots of Dogs
Like many of the people we have met on this journey, Aled Owen is busy doing a lot of things but, when asked, he would say that first and foremost he is a farmer. However, he is most well known for being a master in the art of sheepdog handling and training and that’s how… Continue reading One Man and Lots of Dogs
Welsh Farm Organics
Looking into rural businesses on this trip, one thing that has really stood out is the lengths to which some people go in order to create employment for themselves in a part of the world they love; be that the countryside in general, a particular region, or the very farm they grew up on. As… Continue reading Welsh Farm Organics
Pub Quiz and ‘Taste of Game’ Night at the Picton Inn
When we approached Gordon Miller, the landlord of the Picton Inn in Clarbeston Road, Pembrokeshire, about doing a Muddy Pub Quiz night, he suggested that we tied it in with the BASC ‘Taste of Game Week’ (10th – 17th November) and offered to put on a number of game dishes to try for free. We… Continue reading Pub Quiz and ‘Taste of Game’ Night at the Picton Inn
Eco-Friendly Tourism in the New Forest
Although it is England’s smallest National Park at 57,000 hectares, the New Forest prides itself on being the greenest and, with all the chat about carbon footprints and doing your bit for the environment, we headed down to Brockenhurst – the Forest’s largest settlement – to find out how one goes about having a low… Continue reading Eco-Friendly Tourism in the New Forest
Winemaking at Plumpton College
Having spent the morning at the Sedlescombe Vineyard, we thought we’d make the whole day about wine and go west a bit to Plumpton College to find out what courses are on offer for anyone wishing to learn about winemaking. Nestled alongside the South Downs near Lewes, Plumpton specialises in land-based courses and is the… Continue reading Winemaking at Plumpton College
Radio Masts at Dawn
A man from BBC Essex Radio came to interview us at about 7am in the farmyard we had parked in the night before. He had trouble finding us and was slightly disgruntled to find there were so many overhead wires. We couldn’t understand what the problem was until we finally found a wire-free area and… Continue reading Radio Masts at Dawn