Longhope Diary November 2015

Thank Goodness the muck spreading is done!  That’s the last of the major field work finished for 2015,  Mike very skilfully left a pile for the garden/allotments if anybody wants a bit of ‘well-rotted’ for prize winning veg.  Now we can get on with pre-winter barn repairs/machinery maintenance and mending a leak that is fast creating a lake to rival Chatsworth (no fountains/private rain water supply!). 

​Our lovely apprentice Luke has got a ‘proper job’.  I am so proud of his achievement.  He worked so hard at finding a suitable place, he will be working on a very smart farm with a young chap nearer his own age instead of a pair of old fogies.

I will miss him; we will keep in contact with him. I feel much the same as my children as they leave home one by one….I just hope we have done enough and prepared him for the work environment. Lessons learnt young stay with us all our lives. 

​We have been trimming the field boundary trees back. Mike must really trust Luke as he operated the cherry picker on the load-all boom arm.  All I could think was that Luke missed the opportunity to request a wage increase while Mike was suspended.

​The holiday cottage continues to be as busy as ever.  We had a major panic a while ago when a late booking was overlooked.  I dashed out of the farm house, yelled to Luke “Do you know how to use a hoover?!” An affirmative reply had him bundled into the car and off, kidnapping him from Mike without permission. Well, kidnappers don’t usually make a polite request first do they? Luke, Sharon and I had the place looking immaculate within no time (even if we looked appalling, exhausted and sweaty).  You just never know what you can do until challenged.  The cream tea may have been a little late but it was the freshest ever and the chocolate muffins were warm and gooey.  I begged Luke not to tell Hartpury College that their ‘agricultural student’ was forced to wield a hoover, mop and duster.  

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​Sharon is making beautiful cushions for sale.  These are no ordinary cushions; they are bespoke and created from fabrics of your choice as a lasting keep sake.  An example is a patchwork cushion made from school uniform or favourite baby outfits.  Each one is a work of art and full of memories.  What a lovely Christmas present.

​Mike, after years of freedom from exams, is studying for a compulsory spraying test.  The rest of us simply cannot resist poking at him after some of his comments … “education these days…not what it was in my day!” We are expecting nothing less than an A*.  (After all, it’s so easy these days).  

​Charlotte’s eventing horse, Fable, has been to Newmarket for a major operation.  He is doing really well and having more visitors than the Pope.  We are all keeping our fingers crossed that he will make a full recovery.  They have lovely new field shelter for his convalescence. 

​Gloucestershire has some of the most beautiful colours with the autumn leaves following a dry year.  I will never understand why the Forest is the ‘poor relation’ of Gloucestershire; it’s absolutely wonderful with so many walks/things to do.  

We are getting our load of forage ready to go to the Rescue Centre and Monmouth.  If anybody else wants to make a contribution please contact us.  I did an interview on Radio Gloucester to plug the cottage and forage donation.  Longhope was ‘Village of the week’. 

Clear TB test (couple inconclusive which we can live with).  The powers that be have decided to reduce/eliminate quarantine units such as ours.  This begs the question where do the male calves go from dairy herds with TB?  At a time when the dairy farmers are having such a hard time is this a good  woodland on the farm move?  Sorry to be political/moaning farmer but I really feel this needs to be thought through.

Looking back towards May Hill from Cotswolds