Final week of the Pilot

Sadly we had to cancel David and William on Monday again, due to a) the freezing weather conditions and b) the burst pipes we had in the portacabins over the previous weekend!  Unfortunately we had forgotten to lag the pipe work, not thinking that we'd have such a cold spell before Christmas....
On Wednesday, great excitement, we arranged to meet our three students and their carers at Winstone, as our local Hunt were meeting there 'on foot'! (It was much too treacherous for horses!) We introduced them all to our masters, and Simon the huntsman, and they sampled Mrs Barnes' legendry fruit cake, and delicious hot sausages prepared by Sue G!  We set off across very snowy fields at Simon's almost trotting pace - quite difficult to keep up cross country - but we were never far behind.  We had a spectacular view across from the Caudle Green road to part of Miserden Wood across the valley - it was a great sight to see the hounds working and the odd dash of colour from Simon, and to hear him on the horn... I think we walked about 8 miles at least - we ended up the far side of Miserden Park, leaving hounds running towards 'Whiteways' (Gloucester way!!)  and then walked all the way back to Winstone.  Luckily, Sue was at home, and gave us all large cups of tea & coffee to recover - thank you Sue! I'm sure we all slept well that night!
Thursday was our last day - so we invited all the students to lunch in the house.  Tom, Steve & Simon arrived on time at 10am, and spent the morning working furiously to get the poly tunnel cleaned out and cleared up, and they made a compost frame with Bob.  Danny, our other regular Thursday student, arrived early - and could hardly contain his excitement - he kept saying he had a surprise for us - and i just knew he was about to tell us all immediately - we managed to keep his busy cleaning out the ducks for a short time - his attention span was shot to bits with the excitement of it all...!  David arrived at 11am, and i kept him busy in the house, peeling apples for the crumble, as it was much too icy up on site for him - He was a great help, along with Steve, Danny's carer, they helped preparing veg, and making paper chains to decorate the kitchen!  I think we ended up with 17 of us, squashed in round the table - all my helpers were invited, and the 7 students with their carers.  It was a great lunch, and i was particularly touched when Simon stood up and gave a speech at the end of the meal (he said he was shaking with nerves!) to say how much they had all enjoyed taking part in the pilot, and were really looking forward to coming back in January. Ps mustn't forget to mention Danny's surprise - yes, he dressed up as Santa!! - complete with his green wellies on the bottom - i had to play 'Jingle Bells' at his entrance - very special!

For my part, it has been an exhausting, but exhilerating experience, and the highs definately outweigh the lows - there is no better feeling, than when you hear how much these students have got out working alongside us for the last few weeks.  Roll on 2011, and let's hope we get the funding to move the project onwards and upwards!

Happy Christmas to everyone, and see you in the New Year!

The Dry Stone Wall - so far...!

Week 6

Last week positively flew by - sadly we had to cancel David & William coming out on Monday due to the FREEZING weather.  Wednesday, our three regulars arrived with their carers - complaining about the cold!  We spent the morning de-icing the duck pond, cleaning out the ducks, de-icing the troughs around the farm for the sheep, and generally checking on stuff freezing in the polytunnel.   After lunch in the house, i took the students to Coln House School in Fairford for the afternoon.  Helena made us very welcome and we had a lovely tour of their gardens, greenhouses and polytunnels - complete with hens nesting under the mushroom compost!  Simon & Tom loved handling 'Angel' one of their huge hens - apparently she laid her first egg the next day!  I hope it has inspired the boys to plan for next year, once the weather improves.  Thursday, we had Danny here as well, and once we had explained that it was too cold up on site for the turkeys, and he had checked that 'his' two turkeys were still in the shed - he helped me muck out my horse's stable - attention span very short - whilst the others repeated their de-icing tour.  The highlight of the entire project so far, was Lucy bringing her sausage making equipment down to my house at break time.  We all piled in round the table, and first off made some rolls and left them to prove, and then mixed up bowls of minced pork with, leeks, apples & mixed herbs.  Then the best bit.... everyone took a turn at putting the sausage meet inside the skins - it was hilarious, and Luke videod the evidence, and then played it back on the television for us all to have a good laugh.  We cooked up a batch for lunch, and then they took  a bag of sausages home with them. (Along with a photograph of 'Richmond' the runty pig that Bev named when she was here!) 
On Friday morning, Helena from Coln House, brought two of her young students (and the Deputy Head) out to the farm to do work experience.  She assured me that they rather liked 'mucking out' - having been practising at school, so we set them the task of mucking out mum's hen house - hard work, and then Manny my horse's stable - it was bitterly cold, so i tempted them inside for their lunch, and cooked up some more of Lucy's sausages - general consensus - a bit too much pepper - must pass the comments back to her!  It has been great to form a link with Coln House School, and we hope to continue providing work experience for some of their students when they leave school at 16.
The last week of the project approaches, and it will be really sad to say goodbye to the students who have been here over the last 7 weeks - albeit briefly - i hope they will return in January, when we start again.

Wed / Thurs 24/25th Nov

I've got a bit left behind lately..... I've been busy organising a Christmas Fair - more of that later!
Wed, we had two of our three students, with Bev (Bodgit) Sue, and Lucy later on.  In the morning, Simon & Barry, made us a path up to the duck pen, as it's been SO muddy on site!  Bev & Sue carpeted the hen house, with an old bit of coir matting recovered from a shed on the farm - very plush for the hens - although i think it's actually too cold to put them up there at the moment - theyr'e used to a stable in the yard at night.... Lucy & Steve made new gate for the duck pen out of an old pallet, as we had to abandon Mike's effort from the previous week (sorry Mike!) - it wouldn't shut (We reckon he'd actually hung it upside down!!) Pm Simon & Barry started putting legs on an old, very odd shaped table that we acquired from a theatre group ... it was left in the shed for years, so we've claimed it!  Sadly for Steve, the mice had been at some of his pea shoots, so we've had to cover them over again in the poly tunnel.
Thursday, the guys spent most of the day finishing the table - it now sits very proudly in the polytunnel waiting to be used - great job!  Danny spent most of the day asking where Lucy was, so he could move HIS turkeys up to the site - not sure Lucy got any lunch that day, as Danny was lying in wait for her!  He's now over the moon, as he thinks his turkeys are going to start laying eggs int heir house on site.... it's way too cold up there at the moment, so we've had to put them back in the yard until he comes again on Thursday!

Sunday, we had our annual Christmas Fair in aid of the Cotswold Hunt - a great day, and it was lovely to see most of our students there at some point or other - and what was even better, was being able to sell the baskets of bulbs that David had helped make, and the beautiful mince pies, that Steve, Simon and Tom, had all made specially to sell.  They were delicious, and we sold out completely.  We've got a few baskets of bulbs, left that are going down the the Village Christmas Fair on Saturday.  We raised over £200 for the Project, so well done to all my helpers on the day, Mum, Sue, Tracey, Shannon and Lucy, who had made delicious soups too!

Thursday/Friday 18/19th Nov

Thursday, We had the same crowd as usual, with Danny of course - 'Turkeys' was the only thing on Danny's mind - when, where, and is your sister back yet??!  The students spent the morning taking cuttings with Bob, from Mum & Dad's garden - Wineberries, Gooseberries, Blackcurrants & Redcurrants, and then putting them into a trench at the back of the polytunnel for the winter - exhausting work, as the site really doesn't have anything other than stones - so lots of to-ing & fro-ing with wheelbarrows of muck!  PM, they finished the fencing for the ...... Turkeys - and Ducks - in terrible conditions - i've never seen so much mud on wellies in one day!
Friday, we had a visit from Coln House School again, this time 4 students.  They spent the first hour digging the base to put the duck pond in - back breaking, but very satisfying, then after having their sandwiches in the sun outside the portacabin, they had a tour of the animals again - a real treat to see the pigs, turkeys, goats and rabbits, before a hose down in the stable yard, and back to school.  Charming, polite boys, and a great help, thankyou!

I must say a big thank you to Tina, who has tirelessly been making cakes every week for me to feed my happy helpers at break times!  Tina's Chocolate Brownies have been voted favourite, with Lorna's Lemon Drizzle Cakes, a very close second!  With no electricity on site yet, it's a real boost to have such delicious cakes to keep the troops spirits up - Thank you Tina and Lorna...

In case anyone would like to know what's on our WISH LIST I've posted it opposite!

Sunday, Monday

Sunday - our first fund raiser - the dry stone walling competition!  The weather was ok - ish pretty foggy to start with, but it cleared, and our 'Star' waller was James Sharp from Rapsgate, who with his dad, spent the whole day here walling!  They were presented with 'Tracey's Trophy' - a beautiful hand crafted, gold sprayed stone (from the wall of course) set in gold covered concrete! - Oh, and a voucher for the 'Five Mile House' - which went down really well with James.  Thanks go to Mark, Paul & Tim who all helped walling, and their friends & families who turned up to cheer them on.  Most thanks go to John Teakle for organising the whole day, preparing the stone, and persuading his friend, also John, to come and lend a hand, and judge the walling. Also, John's wife, Lorna for providing the most delicious array of cakes - they kept us all going! We still have a long way to go, but they made a brilliant start.  Any wallers out there, dying to have a go - just let us know!
Monday, no William again sadly, but David came, and we spent a happy morning planting up more baskets for our Christmas Fair, and labelling them.  After lunch Coln House School visited, with 4 students.  They are busy filling some of the mountains of old tyres with tulip & narcissi bulbs - that'll cheer the place up!

Today was filthy weather - but great excitement, as Radio Gloucestershire came to interview us about the project - well actually the reporter nearly didn't get here he was so lost, but luckily David & Igor, found him and led him here!  The students were great, providing lots of 'digging' background noise, and explaining all the best bits - whilst i hopefully put across our need for funds, and volunteer helpers! - It's on BBC IPLAYER for the next 5 days, if anyone wants to listen... Ben, ably helped by some very bedraggled students, has sorted the fencing for the Turkeys and Ducks, (Danny will be over the moon tomorrow!) and they have made a gate out of the Ash seedlings (I knew they'd come in handy!) and chicken wire.  I was very touched this morning, when the guys arrived with a pumpkin pie for us, that they had made at home - Thank you guys!

Wed / Thurs 10/11 Nov

The weather was stunning yesterday - so we got on with ... yes more fencing!  Mike & Simon put up three more posts - no mean feat with our limestone site - they had to be concreted in!  Steve & Anita made a beatiful path from the gate to the polytunnel, desperately needed for this lovely rain we've got today.  Pm we all piled into the Land Rover, and went to look at the Duchy Pig set up on the Whiteway - thousands of pigs/piglets of all ages (up to 26 weeks) being free-ranged organically on about 50 acres.  A very slick set up.  We were trying to persuade Thomas that he really doesn't want to take the 'runt' of Lucy's latest litter home with them to Cheltenham!  I think he got the picture, and has persuaded Bev to enjoy them on the farm here instead!
Today the weather was terrible first thing, so we all piled in the Rover again, and went off to the market.  Lots to look at, and everyone enjoyed themselves - it also took up the morning which was useful, as i didn't have enough helpers at home!  PM - yes, youv'e guessed it - MORE fencing - Danny (our Thursday student) is still obsessing about his turkeys, and is desperate for us to finish a pen for them! Finished off Tina's delicious brownies with several cuppas, and then Steve et al, piled more stones into their boot for their rockery being built at home.
Exhausted, and my back's killing me, but i've had such great feed back so far, that it's definitely worth it!  I just need more volunteers now..... Anyone out there??!