Scaife Hall Farm

Howgills, Alpacas & Lunch

2012-01-14T17:10:00.005Z

Chris had ordered some pallet forks for the tractor from a firm just north of Sedbergh. As the sheep cake is all arriving on tuesday we thought today would be a good day to go and collect them.
The proposal to me was a drive in the country and a lovely lunch. Ill come back to that!
Anyway as we had a sharp frost last night the day was beautiful and bright and the scenery was amazing. The Howgills looked beautiful.
As we were driving back we saw quite a sight,after driving past fields of sheep, hundreds and hundreds of them in fact, we had a great surprise when we saw this wonderful field of Alpacas. They arent all on the pic but there must have been 30 or 40. Not something you see every day!
Back to lunch. Just before setting off the idea of a 'lovely lunch' had somehow become Fish and Chips in the LandRover. I wasnt really impressed but hey ho!!. We drove through Sedbergh but couldnt see one, we drove through Settle, saw the chippy but no where to park, so we trundled on. Hellifield, oh another F &C shop, but it was closed, Gargrave nothing but tea shops. Even the advertised 'food in next lay-by' failed to materialise.
By now I was starting to get a bit miffed at the thought of getting home and having to start making lunch when the promise has been a lovely one out somewhere. Chris was in his farming overalls so there was no way I was taking him into a pub or cafe!! Skipton was fast approaching, and after that the next stop would be Scaife Hall when Oh what joy to behold, a Burger King!!
Burger King it was then. A picnic in the Land Rover, certainly not fine dining but at least I didnt have to make it!!!

Strange Hotel Guests!!

2012-01-10T20:31:00.005Z

Today I met up with a couple of friends/fellow B&Bers Sally, from Elslack Grange and Karen from Hellifield Peel.
We went to lunch at Coniston Hall Hotel near Skipton. We had a lovely lunch and caught up on all the gossip, outstaying all the other diners that were there, but then thats nothing new, we often manage to be the last to leave. We put the world to rights, and then some!!
When we came put we got quite a surprise to see these two stood at Reception. They didnt seem to have any luggage so I guess they werent checking in, and luckily they didnt leave any calling cards. At least not while we were there anyway!!!

December

2012-01-10T20:04:00.007Z

Its been a while since I last updated my blog so I thought I would do a really quick resume of December. It turned out to be a very hectic month, busy with guests until the 11th and then on the 12th I jetted off to Germany to vist my friend for a few days. I forgot to take my camera so there arent any pics but all we did was lots of talking, shopping and generally catching up so there wasnt really anything to photograph.
I had a lovely time but all too soon back to reality and my annual Work Experience stint at Hearts and Flowers florists in the lead up to Christmas.
I had a wonderful surprise when Lisa and Darren called in to see me. Lisa first came to stay for B&B about 22 yrs ago with her family and although she now lives in Australia we have always stayed in touch. They were visiting some of Darrens relatives in South Yorkshire so decided to venture further and visit us. 18mths ago we saw all the family again at the wedding of Lisas sister Catherine in Surrey which was a wonderful occasion.
Christmas saw us entertaining all my family, dont think Bess knew what to make of it all but she joined in anyway!
On the 27th we went down to Cheshire to the wedding of Andy and Rebecca, son of our friends John and Rachael (who we also met many many years ago through B&B).
After this we came back and got ready for New Years Eve when 56 of our friends gathered in the Hopper Lane Hotel to bring in the New Year. Daphne Denise and I prepared the food and we charged everyone £10 to come along and all the surplus money is being donated to The Yorkshire Air Ambulance, £410 in total.
All in all a busy but very enjoyable month. Think I need abit of a rest before another one like that though!!!

Horse Racing in Fewston !!!

2011-11-30T14:03:00.004Z

Saturday night saw the locals gathering in Fewston Hall for a night of Horse Racing.
Kevin Wilson was MC for the evening. 6 races were to be run each race with 6 horses. The horses were all auctioned off by local auctioneer Ian Smith from Wharfedale Farmers Auction Mart before the race and then you could place your bets. £1 a go !!!
Denise and I were asked to spin the wheels for one race, its a simple game, whatever colour the wheel stops at and whatever number, that horse on the table moves forward. There were a couple of 'move back 3 spaces' on the board and I think everyone landed on them at some point. Chris had a couple of winners, I had one winner and received the princely sum of £2.50 !! I'll spend it wisely!!
At the half way point a Pie and pea supper was served and at the end of the evening its fair to say it was a fun evening and a great way of raising funds for the village Hall.
All in all about £900 was raised towards the hall refurbishments. I think its a night which may be repeated next year!!

International Wool Textile Organisation Visit

2011-11-21T14:43:00.005Z

Last week we had the pleasure of hosting a farm visit for a delegation of members of the International Wool Textile Organisation, the China Wool Textile Association and the Australian Wool Testing Authority.
They were all in the UK to attend a conference in London and had then travelled north to visit the Wool Warehouses in Bradford to learn more about what happens to wool once it leaves our farms. Then they came here to see where to raw product begins.
We talked about what we do on the farm ehre with the sheep, the different breeds and the 'farming year.
We got Jill to do a sheepdog demo and then we went up the land to meet the cows and then onto the moor to show where some of the sheep live.
When they left us I was presented with an absolutely beautiful chinese silk scarf, a prcelain memory stick decorated in chinese writing and a '100 mile rug'. The rug is made from wool which has grown and been processed in North Yorkshire which means it has traveled only 100 miles in its life. Its beautiful!!
The delegates (top picture R to L) are Ms.PENG Yanli- President China Wool Textile Association, John Lambert- Consultant to International Wool Textile Organisation, Mr. Robert Wang – China Project Manager- Australian Wool Testing Authority, Chris Ryder, Elisabath van Delden – Secretary General International Wool Textile Organisation, Priyanka Kapoor- Marketing- International Wool Textile Organisation, Ms.SHUQIN Zhang – Assistant to President China Wool Textile Association

Farm Stay AGM and Bradley Burn Farm Shop!!

2011-11-17T13:59:00.004Z

After our big night out on Monday it was soon 6am and I was up and off to the Farm Stay UK AGM which this year was held at Slaley Hall near Hexham in Northumberland. Unfortunately Ive not been to the last couple of AGM's so it was a great chance to catch up with the many friends I made around the UK during my time on the Farm Stay Board of Directors. We had a lot of laughs, an awful lot of food and I wouldnt have missed it for anything.
After a fab breakfast yesterday morning I set off for home. I headed over the moors into Weardale and went along to Wolsingham to visit Bradley Burn Farm Shop. This is the brainchild of the Stephenson family and is run by Christopher and his wife Jill. Christophers Mum Judith was on the Board of FS UK with me and we sat in their wonderful restaurant ,within the shop, and talked for ages. We started off with coffee but were still talking at lunchtime so we had really tasty homemade soup and the most delicious cheese scones Ive ever had!!
If you ever find yourself in Weardale go and have a look in the shop. Its packed with local and regional food and theres a big map on the wall with pins in denoting each of their suppliers locations. They even had Mackenzies of Blubberhouses Bacon!!

Deliciously Yorkshire Awards

2011-11-17T13:07:00.006Z

On the 14th November Chris and I, with our friends Richard and Denise, went along to Rudding Park Hotel to the Deliciously Yorkshire Awards.
DY are the regional food group responsible for promoting Yorkshire Food.
The dinner was a feast of delights all sourced from the shortlisted finalists. We started with Champagne and canapes of Moss Valley smoked pork, Ramans Kitchen beetroot relish on Shepherds Purse Cheese, Yorkshire Crisps and Blacker Hall Pork Fettle and Basil Sausages. Yum!
We sat down to a dinner of 'Whitby Seafish' smoked salmon served with 'WS Bentleys' Micro salad and 'Yorskhire Organic Millers' spelt bread.
The main course was Roast 'Swillinton Organic' Chicken with 'Monks Folly' Potatoes and 'Parkers Veg' root vegetables.
The trio of desserts were 'Birchfield Dairies' Rice Pudding with Mercers Strawberry Conserve, Yorvale Lemon Meringue Icecream and 'Burtree Puddings' Golden Syrup Pudding.
Those who had any room left then enjoyed a trio of Shepherds Purse Cheeses. I had to pass at this stage as I had seen on the menu the coffee still to come with 'Sciolti' Chocolates and 'Miniature Bakers' wonderful Chocolate crisps and Snaps.
After the dinner Nigel Barden of Radio 2 and Nick Stafford of Hambleton Ales began the presentation of the awards.
Chris and I were shortlisted in the category 'Best Yorkshire Breakfast' and were absolutely chuffed to be announced as the winners!!! We had to go up on to the stage for the award and all I could think was' please dont trip, please dont trip!!' We were presented with our award by Nigel Pulling, Chief Executive of Yorkshire Agricultural Society who were the sponsors of our category.
So now we have a lovely plaque to put on display and great memories of an amazing evening!
(and in case you are wondering I didnt trip!!!)

Sheep scanning already!!

2011-11-07T18:38:00.006Z

It doesnt seem like 5 minutes since we were scanning sheep last winter in the snow and the freezing cold. I usually do this job with at least 2 jumpers on, plus a vest, tights, ski socks jeans overall, coat and gloves its a wonder I can move really!!! Yesterday couldnt have been more different. It was a gloriously sunny warm autumnal day as John Barnes scanned the first 130 ewes.
These Mule ewes , and a few Blue Faced Leicesters, are due in the first couple of weeks of February (Chris decided it would be a good idea to have some early lambs!!!)
The scan went well and with 70 having twins and thirty odd having triplets it looks like it could be a busy week or so!
The local cows must have thought they were missing something as they all had to come and watch over the wall. So nosey!!

Woodland Management

2011-10-01T14:08:00.008+01:00

At the moment its hot and sunny here and for 1 October, most unusual. Bess and I are still doing lots of walks locally and at the moment there are lots of changes going on in the woods.
Yorkshire Water are currently undertaking a Management plan of the woodlands round here and slowly are restoring them to Ancient Woodland areas.
The non native species of tree, mostly pine, are being taken out. Replanting will them take place with the predominant tree species being Sessile Oak. Any trees already in the woods that are native to UK will be left to naturalise.
It should look really good when its regrown, not sure ill still be around to see it though!
In the meantime it looks like the Orcs from Lord of the Rings have just crashed through!!!

Barn restoration 2

2011-09-18T17:51:00.006+01:00

Theres been much activity this last week as the preparations for the barn restoration take shape. Thursday was a brilliantly sunny day and a great time for tackling the shrubbery which has grown up over the last 20 years.
Dad came along and armed with loppers and a chainsaw he and Chris cut everything down. We loaded it all into the tractor bucket and it got taken away. Then as we were in full flow we cleaned out the small out houses near the house. The main barn is just about clear and three skips later I think it s a job well done. Very therapeutic too!! The only thing is it all looks rather bare now!

Emmerdale

2011-09-17T17:08:00.006+01:00

Weve had a great afternoon out today. Chris and I went with some friends for a tour of the film set of Emmerdale.
Its a purpose built village on the Harewood Estate and not open to the public. We know the man who sources many of the props for the soap and he showed us round. Nigel is responsible for getting onto set any animals you might see, farm props, vehicles and so much more.
Its surprisingly small and compact in the village and looks so much bigger on the TV.
We went into Paddy Kirks house! They actually film in here and it was tiny. The living room especially so. We wandered round the vet practise and back out. We went into the cafe and The Woolpack but these are just used for storage, make up, wardrobe etc and the internal scenes are filmed in studios in Leeds. We wandered into Pollards B&B but have to say I didnt pick up any tips!!!
It was a really interesting afternoon and a new family coming into the soap were just filming their first scenes. Look out for a battered old green camper Van. I cant say any more than that!!!

Barn restoration - Part One

2011-08-31T10:10:00.000+01:00

After about 3 years of ups and downs its finally looking like our Barn restoration project may be going ahead. A meeting a week or so ago saw the builders about to be instructed and it was all systems go.
Chris and I have a lot of work to do clearing out the sheds and finding somewhere to store all the 'junk' thats accummulated. Well Chris says its his toolshed workshop but really alot of it is junk!!Why do we keep all this stuff?
I have lots of plants and shrubbery to remove so that the building can be repointed, Im getting Dad down to help me with all that but goodness knows where everything is going to go.
The ugly bulk hopper for cattle feed has also had to be removed and that was yesterdays task. Chris's cousin Stephen and his son James came to take it away to their farm.
I couldnt resist taking some pics and wondering if I should label them Danger Men at Work!!

Walking the dog

2011-08-22T09:19:00.001+01:00

The recent spell of decent weather, along with aquiring Bess, has meant lots of long walks. This time of year its wonderful to be out and about and especially up on the moor.
The Heather is in full flower and looking beautiful and the views on a clear day are endless. Bess bounds around like a puppy with seemingly endless amounts of energy. Really cant say the same for me but I do enjoy it!!!

The top picture here is taken looking over Thruscross reservoir, and the bottom picture is looking down the Washburn Valley towards the farm which is too far away for you to quite make out.

Our newest family member - Bess

2011-08-03T16:15:00.001+01:00

With great excitement I set off on Monday to collect my new best friend, and here she is!! This is Bess, shes 3 years old and just the best dog ever!!
I had considered getting a puppy but didnt think I would cope very well with poop and chewing and general madness until it was trained. This dog has been working as a gun dog at Cuckavalda Gundogs and has been expertley trained by Jack Peckitt.
Weve been out for walks and she stays at heel, she loves to dive into the River and have a swim around and she knows shes not allowed in the kitchen. We always leave the door open from the hall so she can see us but I just have to ask her to 'stay there' and she does!!! Its brilliant.
This afternoon she had a bath and a good brush and shes looking good!
Right now shes watching Friends with my niece Rachel!!

Moorland Flowers

2011-07-25T16:49:00.001+01:00

Now im into blogging I seem to be taking my camera everywhere with me and a couple of days ago I went with Chris up to the Moor to see the cows. Its fair to say everything is in full bloom but one thing we noticed in abundance was the little pink flowers, its just a carpet of pink in places.
However neither of us knew what the little flowers were so I sent the photo to Marion at FWAG/Nidderdale AONB and asked what it was and she has told me its Wild Thyme.
Before the farm went into the Environmental scheme, Higher Level Stewardship, we used to run more sheep on the moor than we do now. Now the head count is much less we are noting more and more of nature bursting back to life.
Thyme is a low growing plant up to 2 cm tall with creeping stems up to 10 cm long, with oval evergreen leaves 3–8 mm long.
The strongly scented flowers very in colour from lilac, pink-purple, magenta, or a rare white, and has a scent ranging from heavily herbal to lightly lemon, depending on the plant.
Its really beautiful to see it all !!

Pheasant chicks

2011-07-25T11:22:00.001+01:00

How cute are these latest additions to the farm?? Hatched only 24 hours ago they are Pheasant chicks.
They were hatched, and are being lovingly looked after, by one of our Light Sussex hens who was feeling broody. She is a very protective mother and keeps them close all the time, sometimes you just cant see them as they are tucked up right into all her feathers.
At present they are in a run in one of the barns but will soon move outside. They will stay in the run, nice and safe for a while yet.

Great Yorkshire Show - The Wilsons of Blubberhouses

2011-07-15T10:32:00.001+01:00

This week the Great Yorkshire Show took place in Harrogate. Its a
fantastic show, held over 3 days, and this year attracted amazingly large crowds.
The special guests on Wednesday were Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.
My friend Daphne, Hearts and Flowers Florists, was commisioned to do a presentation bouquet for the Duchess, Yorkshire White Roses of course, and buttonholes. Quite an honour.

Daphnes husband Kevin, and son James, were busy in the sheep lines showing both Mule lambs and Dalesbred sheep. Chris helped Kevin with his lambs but unfortunately they didnt get placed.
However a very different story in the Dalesbred lines as Kevin won the Championship with his homebred Gimmer Shearling (a female sheep born last year, sheared once!). A tremendous acheivment, well done Kevin!!
James spent his afternoon in the Sheep Shearing competition. James is an accomplished shearer, has even spent winters in New Zealand shearing, and this year, not for the first time, he won the competition. Well done James. We are just hoping his prices arent going up on the strength of this!!
All in all a tremendous day for the Wilson family. I always knew I had talented friends, but now it seems they are famous too as all this got a mention in yesterdays Yorkshire Post!!

Hay baling!

2011-07-03T16:06:00.000+01:00

Aside from the shearing its also Hay baling day. The weather has been so good the grass has dried very quickly. Chris has turned it three times and today we once again called on the services of our good friend David Pennock and his tractor and baler.
As we drove into the field to see how he was getting on it smelt absolutely fantastic, theres just nothing to beat the smell of new good day.
Tonight Chris will put the bales onto the trailer and take them and stack them in the barn ready for winter.
Hmm now theres a thought..winter. Best not to persue those thoughts right now I think .....

Christy Harker - What a star!!

2011-07-03T15:58:00.000+01:00

Today has been so hot, almost tropical, and it was the day that the shearers came to town once more.
They have done most of the sheep on the farm at Fewston a couple of weeks ago but today there were 350 waiting for them here at Scaife Hall. I did go round and say Hello and take some pics but then hastily retreated back to my housework and ironing, which for once was preferable!!
The second picture shows some of the lambs which have been seperated from their mothers for the day to ease handling of the ewes. Theres an awful lot of shouting going on but they will soon be reunited.
Christy has done a fabulous job wrapping all the fleeces into the wool sheets and now they are ready to be sent away to the Wool marketing Board depot in Bradford.
Thanks Christy, you did a fab job!!

Schiefelbusch Farm Visit

2011-06-24T11:57:00.000+01:00

Our last visit before leaving Germany was to Sciefelbusch, a family run farm, home of Albert and Helga Trimborn.
What an enterprising place this was. They diversified 25 years ago and began a farm shop which over the years has expanded to include a cafe which they started 3 years ago.
The food they produce is sold through the shop and served in the cafe and they are very much into the ethos of local food and they now employ 15 people.
We had a meal in the cafe before we left which was supposed to be a simple supper but turned out to be a feast of Chicken and Asparagus soup with crusty bread followed by cakes and waffles served with whipped cream and there were bowls of Cherries and the sweetest strawberries I have ever had. They even smelled of strawberry as opposed to the tastless ones we seem to get in the supermarkets!!!
They had a herd of dairy cows, they produce beef, veal and Pork, 6000 hens for eggs, 1200 geese, (they were so cute!), they grow crops such as Asparagus, strawberries and flowers and the farm is open to visitors with play areas for children and a large Maize maze. There are also 4 self catering cottages.
Very hard working people and their farm is a great place to visit if you are ever in the area www.bauerngut-schiefelbusch.de

Germany Trip

2011-06-24T11:45:00.000+01:00

This week has been lovely. We took a few days off and travelled to the Rhine Region in Germany. We go every year with a group of local farmers, to different areas either into Europe or in the UK, usually for about 3 days, and we have a great time.
We started our trip with an evening flight from Leeds to Dusseldorf, where we stayed over night. On Tuesday we headed to Cologne where we had a city sightseeing tour, including the madnificent Cathedral, followed by a vist to the Lindt Chocolate Museum. Oh the smell of chocolate was divine!! There were samples of course and the usual shop where we managed to spend some money!!
After this we had lunch and then headed down into the Rhine Valley for a visit to the Lambrich Vineyard where we tasted 4 of their 23 varieties of wine.
Our coach then took us to Wiesbaden, a beautiful spa town, where we stayed for two nights. We had several visits in the area, to Open museums, shopping, a Rhine river cruise and a farm visit. The people , the food and the hotel we all wonderful but then we had to head back to Leeds last night and back home to a huge pile of Mail, email and phone messages. Reality soon kicks in!! This morning its back to business as usual and getting ready for my next B&B guests!!

Rod Stewart!

2011-06-04T10:34:00.000+01:00

Oooooooo allow me to indulge myself.
Last night I saw Rod Stewart! Wow!. Ive always wanted to go and see one of his concerts so when friends rang and said would we like to go there was no hesitation. Chris grumbled a bit about him being old, but I pointed out so was he but I still look at him !!!!
A group of us went to Elland Road (home of Leeds Utd Football club) and after being seriously ripped off over a very mediocre burger and a beer we then had two hours of Rod.
Our seats were a way back but you could see him but I decided that before we left I just had to see the whites of his eyes. So off i went right to the front, and ooooo there he was. Eyes twinkling, looking lovely.
Thats it I wont say any more.
I had a fab time !!!!

Washburn Valley Show

2011-06-03T14:44:00.001+01:00

Over the last few months Chris and I, along with a small committee, have been working on an Exhibition all about The Washburn Valley Show, Butter Making, and sheep sales which used to be held at The Sun Inn and The Hopper Lane. The sales were big events attracting buyers from many miles away as well as locals.
The Washburn Valley Show ran from 1906 to 1973. It was started by a small group of local farmers, who called themselves The Washburn Valley Tenant Farmers Association who got together and in 5 weeks planned the first ever show. It was attended by 800 people which when you consider the means of transport that would be available in 1906 it was a considerable number.
The show moved around 6 sites in the locality and was a tremendously popular event. Sadly as with lots of things it ended in 1973 due to lack of funds.
For the exhibition we were loaned all kinds of memorabilia from car stickers, catalogues, scrap books full of press cuttings and even the original Minutes book. We have had a great time looking at all the nostalgia , its been really interesting.
All the items are on display for all to see every weekend during June and July so go along and have a cup of tea, or lunch and see our exhibition at the same time!.
As a thank you to all we held a preview day on Thursday and invited all those who had helped, or loaned things etc and during the afternoon we served tea and scones and in the evening the second part which involved wine and nibbles!!
It was a long day but really enjoyable, although I was glad to get my shoes off at the end of the evening!!

Belted Galloway Sale, Thirsk.

2011-05-21T16:50:00.001+01:00

Today Ive been let out, on my own, with the Landrover and trailer and a blank cheque to buy cattle. Brilliant!! Its never happened before !
Well I say on my own, I did take my friend Denise with me.
We went to Thirsk Auction to the Belted Galloway Cattle sale. Chris and I had perused the catalogue and decided on a few that sounded ok on paper, mostly heifers which have never calved before.
There was a cow for sale with the most adorable little bull calf, only a month old, and I really wanted to buy her. However I decided to drop out of the bidding at £1150 and it made £1175, shame really.
However later in the sale there were a couple of heifers that I liked and these I did buy. You cant go all that way towing a trailer and come back with it empty!!
So the photos arent very good but here are todays purchases Crystal Clove from Cumbria and Maybeck Aimie from Whitby.
When we got back we put them in the field with some other youngstock, we cant put them with the cows as the bull is in there and we dont want them to become acquainted just yet! In the field already were 3 heifers and our one male calf, Arnold, who didnt seem in the least bit impressed that he has to share with even more girls!!! ( just in case you wonder why hes not interested, and Ill whisper....hes been castrated!!)
So for a first off buying trip it seems that my farmer is happy and I may even be let out on my own again!!

New Arrivals May 19th

2011-05-19T19:27:00.001+01:00

Its been a busy old day today for additions to the Ryder family farm!!
Our first excitement was the birth of our first Belted Galloway calf. Chris went up the fields this morning and there it was safely arrived.
A little heifer calf which I have called May. Its sooo cute and tonight when we went up to take pics its so sprightly and she and her Mother wandered away up the hill, her little legs wobbling along but going at a fair pace all the same. Luckily Chris got it tagged this morning before it got to know how fast it could run!!
Our last Mule Hogg lambed at lunchtime so we have our last lamb of the season. It looked so so small compared to those born last month and even back up to the end of Feb, they seem so big now!
And the last arrivals were some Holstein heifers which are here for summer hols. I call them Club 18-30 holiday makers as they all end up going home pregnant from here, thanks to the AI Man. Say no more!!.
All in all a very lovely day of new creatures here at Scaife Hall Farm!

My Very Happy Birthday!!

2011-05-18T11:01:00.000+01:00

I had a lovely day yesterday celebrating my birthday. The postie came with cards, and I had several visitors which was really nice. In the evening we ventured over to Burnsall, with our great friends Richard and Denise, for dinner in The Red Lion.
Its a fab place situated right on the side of the River Wharfe and its a perfect place for sitting out on a lovely summer evening. Sadly last night there was heavy drizzle but we sat very comfortably in the snug.
I started my dinner with a Bruschetta of courgette, buffalo mozzarella, Cumbrian ham & pesto which was divine and followed this with Red Lion fish pie and spring cabbage, absolutely scrummy. In fact I'm drooling just writing this !!!.
Chris had Pate and a steak which he said was the best in a long time, Richard had Home cured Gravalax of salmon, lemon & rocket followed by Venison loin, caramelized pear & celeriac mash which looked lovely. Denise also had the Bruschetta and Chicken, leek & mushroom pie with spring cabbage.
We were offered a dessert menu but felt this would be just a step too far so we settled on coffee.
All in all it was the perfect end to a lovely day . The Red Lion was very atmospheric, clean, comfortable, the staff were friendly and very efficient and the food gets a 10/10 from us all.
We will definately be going back !
Check out their website and if you are coming here to stay its worth a short car ride to go and enjoy great food. www.redlion.co.uk
(Thank you to Katy at The Red Lion for providing me with the photos, much appreciated. The food pic shows Duck Confit.)

Little Pigs !!!

2011-05-14T13:16:00.001+01:00

On thursday I called to see a friend, Liz, who is just setting up a B&B at Embsay and whilst there she asked if I would like to see her new piglets. Of course there was no hesitation and here they are. 7 little Kune Kune piglets 4 days old. They are absolutely gorgeous. I could have just sat in the straw and cuddled them all. Its such a shame they have to grow up really!!!

An Evening at Duncombe Park

2011-05-14T13:04:00.001+01:00

We had a wonderful evening at Duncombe Park this week. The event was organised by land agents Strutt and Parker for the benefit of ARC Addington and it gave Ian (of ARC) a chance to invite supporters of the fund and to be able to thank everyone for all their fundraising and support.
The beautiful house is one of Yorkshire’s foremost historic houses and estates. The house is closed to the public from 2011, but the spectacular gardens are open to visitors, as is the parkland. Its a beautiful and historic landscape on the edge of the market town of Helmsley, a gateway to the North Yorkshire Moors National Park.
We had champagne all evening, well some did but guess who was driving and didnt!! And the canapes were out of this world. And there were so many the waiters just kept going round and round, and then when you thought there couldnt possibly be anymore they came round with dessert canapes! Melt in the mouth delights!!. Slimming World here I come......

A weekend away!

2011-05-11T14:18:00.001+01:00

Chris and I have been away! We went off this last weekend for two nights in the Yorkshire Dales with Chris's cousin Stephen and his wife Janet. Many years ago the Ryder family lived in Coverdale, with Chris's grandparents then moving down to live near Semerwater, Bainbridge for a few years before moving again down into this part of the world.
So we decided to stay nearby and do a bit of sightseeing and family history research. I think we should have done more research into accommodation before we went as the place we had booked turned out to be possibly the filthiest place there is!!!
So we had checked in and then just as quickly we checked out again as there was no way we were going to stay there!!!. We moved on and booked into a hotel in Askrigg called The White Rose Hotel, which was absolutely wonderful, and all in all we had a really great weekend away.
This is why we checked out.......

Party Week !!

2011-05-02T17:53:00.000+01:00

Its seems to have been an incredibly busy week of parties this last week!! Coupled with being very busy with B&B I feel quite worn out now!!
We started with Debbies 50th last Monday and on friday we had a street party to celebrate the Royal Wedding (not actually in the street, at our friends house, but everyone at the party lives nearby so to call it a street party was near enough).
Then last night we celebrated our friend Jills 50th with a surprise party at The Hopper. It was a lovely evening with food and dancing and Jill surrounded by family and friends.
The cake was fabulous. I asked a friend (Lisa Preston of Pickersgill Manor Farm) if she could do me a novelty cake for Jill. Jill is a farmer and so animals had to be included and also a keen Domino player so animals playing dominoes seemed an obvious choice. Well Lisa certainly didnt disappoint! I was delighted when I saw it, the detail was tremendous. The spots of the doms all matched up and the dry stone wall round the edge was perfect! Thank you Lisa!

Debbies Birthday!

2011-04-26T08:52:00.000+01:00

Last night a group of us gathered at The Queens Head Kettlesing to celebrate, albeit two days early, the 50th Birthday of our friend Debbie. You will have seen Debbie on this Blog as part of the Hopper Lane Dominoes Team!.
We all had a fabulous meal and of course the compulsory cake, candle and singing Happy Birthday to You!!
So Happy Birthday to you Debbie for thursday, hope you have a lovely time with your family!

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T16:05:00.000+01:00

Happy Easter! The weather has been amazing this last week or so, for the time of year, but last night we finally got some rain. That combined with the warm sunshine again today has the trees just bursting into life. I love the colours of the spring, so fresh and green.
Ive just been out with the washing and saw the newly weaned Belties sitting out front so I went to say Hello. They didnt say Hello back but never mind! They looked to be enjoying the sunshine,

Harrogate Spring Flower Show

2011-04-18T14:59:00.000+01:00

Over the last four days Harrogate Flower Show has been taking place down at the Yorkshire Show Ground. If you've never been and you like all things gardening this is the place to be. It does get very busy but there are lots of places to have a sit down and catch your breath. And its not just gardening, theres lots of food and craft stalls, something for everyone.
At the Spring show I love to go and have a look at all the flower arranging. There are some absolutely stunning displays, a tremendous amount of work goes into it all, its quite amazing.
Yesterday was no exception and I went with my very talented friend, and Floral genius, Daphne who has a florists shop called Hearts and Flowers on Otley Road in Harrogate.
Daphne had entered the class called A Magical Landscape and it was all about Alnwick Castle. The design Daphne did was her interpretation of the cascading waterfall.
The waterfall is a tumbling mass of water with spellbinding displays. The Grand Cascade is the largest water feature of its kind in the country and every minute, 7260 gallons of water tumble down a series of 21 weirs .
I think Daphnes interpretation portrays this very well indeed!!

TB Testing Part Two!

2011-04-18T14:55:00.000+01:00

Its been a hectic old day today. I started off with a full house for Breakfast, then the vet was coming back to check the cattle, all 6 guests checked out and Ive 6 checking in tonight. Its now 3pm and Ive only just finished cleaning so Im really pleased none of the new guests arrived early!!
Anyway the visit from the Vet went very well. We thought that as the cows had been through the crush on friday they might not be keen on going through again. However they all wandered through calmly, Martin the vet checked them all and the conclusion was that all is well. None of the cattle have TB. Hurray, a great result!

TB Testing the Belties

2011-04-16T13:32:00.001+01:00

As we reintroduced cattle to the farm last year we have had to have a routine TB test done on them.
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is an infectious disease of cattle. It is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis), which can also infect and cause TB in deer, goats, pigs, camelids (llamas and alpacas), dogs and cats, as well as many other mammals but doesnt affect Horses and Sheep luckily.
We thought the cattle might have been a bit frisky as they aren't used to being inside and handled. However they turned out to be very ameanable and came through the crush really well. Thomas showed his dominance and was first off the mark to show his ladies how its done!!
This test has to be carried out by a vet who begins by measuring the thickness of the skin in the neck on the animal, this is recorded next to their eartag number and details
Then they have two small injections of tuberculin and after 72 hours the vet will return. All the cattle will have to come back through the crush so he can feel their necks for any lumps. Any lumps found will be measured and if they are over 4mls larger than the recorded measurements they are deemed to be a reactor. Any cattle in the UK found to have TB have to go for slaughter and incinerated as the meat in unfit for human consumption.
Really hoping he doesnt find any lumps on Monday!

21 Years of B&B!!

2011-04-13T16:45:00.000+01:00

Well this is an exciting milestone day here at Scaife Hall Farm as we celebrate 21 years of welcoming guests to our home.
We opened our doors on Friday 13th April 1990, unlucky for some I guess, but this has actually turned out to be a good move!
It seems such a long time ago, although Chris tells me Im good for at least another 30, I cant imagine that and certainly wont be going at the pace we are now. I might have to be more seasonal I think and get some help in with bed changing!!!.
Its certainly been a very interesting and varied 21 years. We have met people from all over the world and all walks of life from the Mongolian Horse Farmer to the Jonny Depp lookalike who was here for a party next door!! Adrian Boswell from Bread came to stay as did one of the experts from Antiques Roadshow, an International Cricket Umpire and a Director of the South African Cricket Board to name but a few.
Ive been a member of Farm Stay UK for nearly 20 years and have made a great deal of friends around the UK, largely due to the honour of being UK Chairman for 3 years, and Thank them for all their help and support which is invaluable.
Through this I went to Buckingham Palace and met the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh and also courtesy of Visit Britain I went to Milan for three days to do a presentation to the media about Holidaying in the Uk, all wonderful experiences.
I would thank Barclays but theyve had plenty back in return for their help!!
So Thank you to all our visitors and friends who have helped our business to grow and we look forward to welcoming many more in the years to come.

Washburn Heritage Centre Visit

2011-04-04T09:33:00.001+01:00

Yesterday afternoon we hosted a group of visitors who came to see us via the Washburn Heritage Centre. There were about 20 people in all who came to see the sheep and lambs. Luckily one ewe produced on cue and they all got to see a Live birth, well two actually as she had twins!!
We have, at the moment lots of pet lambs, so there was an opportunity for lots of cuddles.
This little girl, Arwen, got on so well with her lamb it went to sleep in her arms! Soo cute!
After seeing the lambs the pigs were next on the list. Chris let them out into the yard and they ran round grunting and squealing, as did the children, well maybe the children were not grunting but they all seemed to be enjoying the fun!!

Hopper Lane Dominos Champions!!

2011-03-29T14:30:00.001+01:00

Last night at Pateley Bridge Memorial Hall the finals night of the Nidderdale Domino League took place. The Hopper Lane Hotel, Blubberhouses, team, led by Capt Chris Ryder were victorious in winning the overall league and taking the cup. I sent my camera along to capture some live action but it looks like serious stuff!!
Sadly on the night none of the team won any individual prizes except in the raffle. However a good night was had by all, Im told!!

Otley V Wharfedale at Rugby!

2011-03-19T20:06:00.000Z

We had a really good afternoon out today. Our Accountants Hollings, Crowe and Storr of Otley were sponsoring Otley Rugby Club in their local derby with Wharfedale. Theres always a lot of interest in this derby and it was a good game well attended.
We started by having lunch in the clubhouse with Derek and Penny (accountants) and various other clients of theirs and then going out to watch the match.
Its funny how some people in the crowd get very excited and there was lots of shouting, cheering and jeering (especially at the ref!!) People kept asking him if he was blind but there was no guide dog around so I suspect he wasnt!! He must be thick skinned though!!!!!!
The game started very slowly and I was standing there thinking about all the things I could be doing at home but then it livened up and both teams started scoring. Otley kept the upper hand throughout and in the end had a fabulous victory of 31 - 14. The bottom picture shows an Otley player about to take the last kick of the day which was a successful conversion.
All in all a good afternoon as it turned out. And the sun shone, it was a beautiful day!

YAA and ARC Addington Cheque Presentation

2011-03-16T13:43:00.001Z

This picture, taken by our PR Man Robin Moule of Moule Media Skipton, shows the Farm Stay Ladies Lindsey Hitchen, Rosemary Hyslop, Christine Clarkson, Jayne Ryder and myself along with Lee Davidson and Tony Doveston of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Ian Bell of ARC Addington as we presented the cheque from the breakfast.

After our extremely intersting and informative visit we 'Ladies who Lunch' went across the road to Murgatroyds Fish and Chip Shop for lunch. Well it was a cold day and we needed to keep warm somehow!!

Yorkshire Air Ambulance

2011-03-15T15:30:00.000Z

This morning 5 of the Farm Stay ladies who were involved with the Charity breakfast went along to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance Station at Leeds Airport. The purpose of the visit was to present the team with their cheque of the money raised at the Breakfast event.
We were joined by Ian Bell of ARC Addington who also received his cheque
We met the YAA team and had a really interesting tour, led by Lee Davidson, Chief Paramedic. We saw how the calls come in and how they are handled and what decisions are taken regarding whether or not the helicopter is deployed. We had a look in the Helicopter, which cost a whopping 2.4 million pounds!!
We also met the BBC team who are based there to film 'Helicopter Heroes' which covers every aspect of life at the station, even the paramedics wear a small camera so viewers get a real close up of their work
We saw the editing suite and learned how the programme is put together
In some ways we were very fortunate as there was very thick fog and the Helicopters were grounded today, otherwise they could have been out on a mission. There were no flights leaving or arriving at the airport this morning!!

The Independents 50 Best B&B's

2011-03-13T14:09:00.000Z

We are absolutely thrilled and delighted to be listed in The Independents 2011 50 Best B&B's. There are only 3 listed for Yorkshire, Yorebridge House, Hellifield Peel, Scaife Hall Farm and the rest spread around the UK.
I was looking on Twitter yesterday morning and someone mentioned the list so I had a look on The Independent website to see who was there,, certainly never expecting to find us, and there we were!! I spent much of the day, after discovering this, grinning like a Cheshire Cat!!

BFL Ewe with busy times ahead!!

2011-03-08T21:45:00.000Z

This ewe has been carefully watched for some time now as she was scanned to have 4 lambs. Its a Blue Faced Leicester Ewe that has lived here for some time, these are her 6th crop of lambs but never yet has she produced a tup (male) lamb so that the bloodline can continue.
I was beginning to worry that she would lamb when I was here on my own and that something would go wrong!!.
However at teatime today she didn't dissapoint and safely delivered 4 big healthy lambs, 3 of which are male!! She looks a lot more comfortable now!

A very busy Mum !

2011-03-07T09:39:00.000Z

Yesterday afternoon this ewe surprised us all by giving birth to Quads. The ewe was scanned to have three lambs so when the third was born I though that was it.
I went back to get her out of the large pen, to put her in a small pen with her babies and the fourth one was just being born!
All strong lambs, although one was very small, they had a clean up , some milk and then slept it off!

The new residents of the Sty!

2011-03-03T20:01:00.000Z

So now the building is all washed out and clean, time for new residents, and here they are!! very cute I think!!.
We went down to meet Farmer Chris, as he is known to his visitors, at Hesketh Farm Park, Bolton Abbey and we came home with these four. They are by a Pietrain Boar called Arnold, but I didnt ask their mothers name so can't tell you that one.
They really are very funny to watch, quite characters, and only 9 weeks old. They spent the first 15 mins just investigating the shed and then they discovered the big pile of straw I had put in for their bed and they had a great root about in there, chattering away to each other all the time. However if you sneak up on then they just immediately stop talking and stand perfectly still like a game of musical statues. One I have discovered just loves having its back scratched so I may not get any work done now!!!

The new Pig Sty!

2011-03-03T19:53:00.001Z

As the new pigs were due to arrive any day we had a set to yesterday and pressure washed the old stable as this seemed to be a good building to put the pigs in, and all the rest are full of sheep!
I made a start but the pressure washer is so 'pressured' it almost knocked me off my feet. It blasted the old white wash off the walls and there were bits everywhere, I was a filthy as the floor!
So Chris took over, shame of it was he had only just put clean overalls on, so more washing. We looked a right sight by the time we had finished but once it was all clean and dry I think it looks really well. Pigs will certainly be different resident to the Shire horses that would have occupied these stalls many years ago.

Lambing Time

2011-02-27T15:32:00.000Z

Well its that time of year now when all thought turn to lambing time. Everything else is on hold, well sort of anyway! All the sheep that are due to lamb first have been inside for a couple of weeks or so now and some are looking ready to pop, especially the sheep due to have 3 or 4 lambs.
Its been a very slow start over the last week but today is busy. Ive just nipped in to check emails and phone messages whilst waiting for two ewes to give birth to their second lambs.
Then hopefully when I go back out they will have had them and I can pen them up to bond.
These two lambs were born a couple of hours ago. They now have full tummies and are resting up!

Decorating

2011-02-24T21:12:00.001Z

Today is a day I was beginning to think would never happen. Finally I finished the decorating!! This is my little helper of this week, my niece Rachel who is on half term holidays, she wouldnt look at the camera, but was brilliant at emulsioning walls for me even though she had never done it before.
Tomorrow the new dining room carpet is being fitted and we can then put everything back together, hang pictures and curtains and we will be ready for restarting with guests on Monday.
Dads coming to plant trays of primulas and daffodils so hopefully things should look brighter outside
All done just in time!!

A Visit to Ripley Castle

2011-02-24T12:02:00.000Z

Yesterday the Yorkshire members of Farm Stay were invited to take a tour of Ripley Castle near Harrogate. We all met up in the Boars Head where we had coffee and homemade biscuits and a quick tour of some of the hotel rooms and the Bistro by the manager. Afterwards we went with our tour guide Margaret and went round the castle finishing in the Tudor tower, which apparently is haunted by the late Lady Alicia Ingleby. There was a definate chill in the room and Maggie reported a definate standing up of the hairs on the back of her neck!!
We followed this with a wonderful lunch in the Castle and the chance to tour the gardens. Unfortunately it was raining so we just heading for the lovely shops in the courtyard.
A big thank you must go to Alison Crawford for inviting us and for her very kind and generous hospitality.
It was a lovely opportunity to meet up with great friends, in the picture below Caroline Barker -Cundall Lodge B&B, Maggie Johnson - MAllard grange B&B, Rosemary Hyslop - Layhead Farm Cotts, Fay Grace - Life Hill Farm B&B, and me. The picture was taken by Katrina Gray - the Wold Cottage B&B.
This was probably the last leisurely day I will have for a while as we have now started lambing, but thats for a future blog!!

Bentham Sheep Sale

2011-02-23T20:16:00.000Z

Last night Chris offered our niece Rachel and i a night out, food included.
Ooooooo we thought, that sounds good.
As the day went on the night was, it seems, ajoined to an evening sheep sale at Bentham Auction Mart.
We did sooooo try and get out of it, we made wonderful excuses to stay home, but it looked like our efforts may cause offence so as always you go with the flow dont you!!!!
So at Bentham we met up wiith our Cheshire friends John and Rachael Gate, and we had a really pleasant evening.
We had Gourmet tea ( everything with chips, peas and serious condensation running down the walls!!! Huge mugs of tea and bread and butter included) in the mart Cafe and then we watched the sale.
It was an annual sale of Individual Breeding sheep including Dalesbred, Swaledale, Blue Faced Leicester, Teeswater, Zwartbles and Herdwicks.
Our friends bought 4 Herdwicks which now go off to a charmed life in Cheshire, far away from the Lakes Hills and we came away having only bought our tea.
Although Chris tried hard to buy some sheep he kept dropping out of the bidding, no good at all!!! Cant help thinking that if I had been beside him giving a nudge and a 'get on' he might have bought something! In our household I am renound for being a bad influence at Auctions!!!!! However all in all not a bad evening!!

ARC Addington

2011-01-29T13:11:00.001Z

Ian Bell, the ARC fund director, came up from Warwickshire to help out at the Breakfast this week. Ian come up last year but I didnt manage to get a picture of him in his apron! I wasnt going to miss the opportunity again, and thought I would put it on here for all to see!!
Whilst Ian was up he spent time after his breakfast duties visiting families and patrons of the fund in the area. ARC Addington do a fantastic job helping farming families with rural housing and emergency help when disaster strikes like flooding, or in 2001 Foot and Mouth Disease.
The REAL Food and Farming project Ive been involved with over the last 4 years have also been fundraising for ARC and the latest donation of £900 was presented to Ian at the breakfast.
This year the charity celebrate their tenth anniversary and more information about them can be found on their website www.arc-addington.org.uk

Farmhouse Breakfst - St Georges Court

2011-01-29T12:52:00.000Z

L to R Ian Bell - ARC Addington, Andy Woodward - CEO Farm Stay UK, Gary Verity- CEO Welcome to Yorkshire, David Wilkins - Yorks Air Ambulance

This week has been Farmhouse Breakfast Week. A national campaign run by the Home Grown Cereals Authoirty. Last year we held a 3 day charity fundraiser here at Scaife Hall Farm and Lindsey of St Georges Court offered to do the same thing again this year at her home St Georges Court Grantley.
The chosen charities for this year were the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and The ARC Addington Fund. Representatives from both came to help the Farm Stay members serve over 200 breakfasts. The food was all be sourced from Yorkshire producers and they were extremely generous with much of it donated or sold to us at cost.
All in all it was a great way to raise money and awareness for charity, to raise the profile of St Georges Court and Farm Stay properties and support Yorkshire food producers.
At the end of 3 days we all had very sore feet, were very tired but we had lots of laughs and great fun!

Washburn Heritage Centre

2011-01-13T08:38:00.000Z

Last night was a rather momentous occasion in the Washburn Valley. The newly built Washburn Heritage Centre was finally able to open its doors and hold its first event.
The hard working committee have been busy for 6 years now pulling together funding which included a Lottery Grant and theres been endless great parties and fund raising events. We were told theres the inevitable snagging list but it was hard to tell to the untrained eye.
Its absolutely beautiful and the centre links into the church very sympathetically and means now that there are far more opportunities for events within the Church itself. The tea room facilities will be a very welcome stop for the many walkers and visitors into the area and a footpath has been installed from the centre down through the woods to join up with the reservoir side path.
Last nights talk, Life and Death in Fewston, was by the Oesteoarchaeologists who had to excavate the graveyard to make room for the construction. It was very fascinating insight into the lives and deaths of past Fewston residents. There much more research to do before the skeletons are reburied but looking at the capacity crowd its clear to see theres an awful lot of interest in the present valley residents. Theres much more information on the new website www.washburnvalley.org.
(Thank you to Clive Robinson for the photos)

Happy New Year

2011-01-13T08:36:00.000Z

Happy New Year to one and all!! Its taken me a while to get round to this but better late than never I guess.
Now its a round of decorating all the guest rooms and spring cleaning ( a bit early I know) and generally getting ready before we start lambing in a months time.
I'd better go get my paint brushes out and get on!

Christmas Day in Blubberhouses

2010-12-26T10:06:00.001Z

Christmas Day was bright and sunny here and as dinner wasn't until 5pm we decided to go for a walk up the valley and through the woods. An icy breeze was blowing but the sky was so blue. As we walked through the field a pair of Red Kites put on a wonderful display swooping and whistling as they went. I took some photos but they havent come out clear enough to put on here.
The River Washburn was frozen over in many places and the duck pond in the woods looked solid , we didnt attempt to check the ice ourselves but some ridiculous people had and you could see footprints in the snow whhich had settled on the ice. Quite why anyone would risk doing this I dont know!!

Hearts and Flowers, Harrogate

2010-12-21T22:33:00.000Z

A week ago my last guests of 2010 checked out. I decided that after a really busy year I would give myself some well earned time off!!! However my time off is only time off from B&B as Im spending a couple of weeks helping in a florists in Harrogate. Hearts and Flowers belongs to my good friend Daphne and as its such a busy time for her right now Ive offered my services as a work experience person.
So here I am every morning now getting togged up with , dare I tell you, vests and t shirts, jumpers, tights,woolly socks etc etc I can hardly move!!. But..its soooo cold in the shop. We cant have heating on because its not good for the flowers so you really do have to keep moving to stay warm. The last couple of mornings Ive got into the car to find the temp -11 degrees!! Brrrr! Its ok though as all the customers are really jolly and preparing for Christmas, quite when Im going to have time to do that Im not sure!!

Sheep Scanning 2

2010-12-04T10:34:00.001Z

Lots of people ask me about sheep scanning so I took some pics so you can see how it works. The sheep are all in the building and they are funnelled up the race. I usually keep the pen full at the back. The images show my Dad sending the sheep along towards John. As they are scanned, depending on the result, Chris puts a coloured mark on then.
After scanning they will be sorted into lots so that all those having twins are together, triplets are together etc and Chris can feed them accordingly. In late January those having triplets will come inside as they need extra care and attention. There are also some sheep scanned to have 4 lambs! So watch this space in March!!
The sheep we have just scanned are all Mules and will lamb first starting late February. After Christmas we will scan all the Swaledale sheep as they will lamb later starting towards the end of March

Sheep scanning !

2010-12-04T10:17:00.000Z

Its the time of year now when all the sheep should be in lamb. So that we know whats what we bring in John Barnes the Sheep Scanning Man! John scans thousands of sheep through the winter and covers an extensive area travelling to all parts of Yorkshire, Northumberland, Cumbria, Derbyshire and even down to Nottinghamshire.
Its very testing for him right now with the weather being so bad and having to set off very early in the morning to keep to his schedule. The Image shows John scanning a sheep which looks at him in amazement when he says she having triplets!!!

This is her scan but dont ask me how you tell whats there !!

Mackenzies Smokehouse

2010-12-02T16:08:00.000Z

I think Im going stir crazy!! All this snow means my car hasnt moved now for 4 days, which is unheard of!!.This afternoon though the sun came out and I decided I would go for a walk.
I set off through the land and went to see the cattle on the edge of the moor who were all busy eating the silage Chris had taken for them. I then wandered up the hill towards the road, in some areas this proved to be a mistake as the snow was above the tops of my wellies!!.
When I got to the road I went to Mackenzies Smokehouse. Their shop is just wonderful and the choice and quality of food is exceptional. Its great to have it as a local store.
I bought some of their home cured Bacon for breakfast tomorrow and some eggs as Ive promised Chris Yorkshire Puddings for tea, along with Roast Beef from our own farm, and as our hens are on a winter go slow I didnt want to have to go back on my word.
The shop is all dressed for Christmas and looking really good and mouth watering. Im meeting friends there for lunch in the Restaurant next thursday and can't wait.
On the way back I met one of Mackenzies neighbours!! This Highland cow was trying to get a drink of water!

Miserable Weather

2010-12-02T16:04:00.000Z

The first of December. What can I say? Totally miserable. The animals are getting fed up with it all now, as is the farmer and according to the weather forecasters theres more to come!! This is the view from my office window. Lovely .....

Snow

2010-11-29T12:55:00.000Z

After heavy snowfall last night Blubberhouses was looking stunning today in the warm sunshine and with a fabulous blue sky. I decided to go for a walk up the land and take some pictures. I think the sheep probably thought I was mad. The cows seemed totally unconcerned !! Chris has a busy time ahead of him now getting hay and silage out to all the sheep.

How to keep warm! Not....

2010-11-27T14:55:00.001Z

Last night we had some snow showers, the scenery this morning was beautiful. The day has been bitterly cold but with the most brilliant of blue skies and sunshine. As Ive got a busy weekend with guests Ive been busy outside chopping logs and filling coal buckets for the fires and whilst out there I could hear voices. At first I thought it was the people here taking part in the Sheep dog trial but I then realised it was coming from the direction of the river. So I went for a walk with my camera and there , with the River Washburn in full spate, were the canoeists!! Can you just imagine how cold the water must be?? I though it was bad enough for those watching the dogs but at least they can sit in their vehicles with flasks of hot tea and packed lunches!!
However I decided of all of them I was probably the warmest having been walking but then I came back inside to the roaring fires and my own brew of hot tea. Lovely.

Honey from busy bees!!

2010-11-21T13:08:00.000Z

One of the Beekeepers who bring their hives onto Hanging Moor, Peter Gudgoen, arrived yesterday afternoon bearing gifts. Peter came to pay his 'pot rent' which basically means that we get paid in pots of honey which is great.
This picture shows Heather Honey on the left which Peter had great success with at the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show winning First prize in his class. So any guests now having Honey on their porridge or toast arent just having any old Honey, its Prize winning Honey too!!.
Another of our regular Beekepers, Janice, also had great success at Harrogate this Autumn with her Honey from our Moor winning 'Best in Show' and we also have some of that too. So this is fantastic news for them both, and for you if you come and try some !

My new Pigs!

2010-11-20T13:35:00.000Z

Ive wanted some pigs for ages, Chris has taken a bit of persuading but today was the day!! We set off this morning to Craven Cattle Mart at Skipton as we/I had seen some weaners advertised. We got there just in time and although there was a penful of pigs I was able to pick the Gilts (females) out of them and managed to get all 3. So here they are now living next door to my hens at Scaife Hall farm! Happy days!!

These pigs are a cross breed and have a Middle White Mother and a Pietrain father. The Pietrain is a breed originating in Belgium and known for its high yields of lean meat.
The Middle White is a rare but distinctive breed and has been described as a "beautifully ugly" pig . Japan has paid tribute to the breed by erecting a monument to the Middle White "for its outstanding eating qualities"and it is still popular in that country.

These little pigs were born on August Bank Holiday at Hesketh Farm Park, Bolton Abbey so are very used to being with and near people so they seem quiet and relaxed. Ive been and bought them some food, they've had dinner, theres a large bed of straw to sleep in, what more could they want? Except perhaps some table manners but as they seem to want to stand in their food I dont think this is something they are going to learn any time soon!! What a life !

A Beautiful Autumn morning

2010-11-07T13:26:00.000Z

This morning was absolutely glorious. Whilst waiting to cook breakfast for my guests I couldnt resist nipping outside and taking some pictures. Im not sure they really show the beautiful colours in the trees around us right now but the Autumn colours this year are amazing. The sun was just coming up over neighbour Kevins fields and its a 'good to be alive' day!!

Now Im supposed to be catching up on office work but as I hate doing accounts I keep finding other things to do.....like writing this blog!!! However must get back to it...... or maybe theres some ironing I could be doing......

Out to lunch at Middlethorpe Hall !!

2010-11-05T09:25:00.000Z

Yesterday I had a day off and I went to Middlethorpe Hall Hotel and Spa just outside York to meet friends for lunch. I met up with two fellow Farm Stay members, Katrina from The Wold Cottage on the Yorkshire Wolds and Anna Lupton of Carr House Farm Ampleforth.
I hadnt been there before but I have to say its a beautiful place. Middlethorpe Hall is a William III country house set in 20 acres of its own gardens and parkland. Built in 1699, it was once the home of the famous diarist, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu.
The house is decorated with antiques and fine pictures and the gardens and parkland have been restored and include ha ha's, a white garden, a walled garden, a small lake and some beautiful specimen trees.
The panelled dining room that we sat in overlooked the gardens . The food looked like a picture on a plate and tasted wonderful. I started with a Chicken and Mushroom terrine with pickled girolles ( had to ask what they were, small mushrooms in case you didnt know either!!) and toasted Brioche, and then a main course of Baked Chicken breast on a bed of lentils with baby onions. I wasnt going to have dessert but then couldnt resist the home made ice cream!! A lovely young man from Cannes was our waiter and the whole time we sat there, which was quite a long time, too much talking I suppose, was very relaxed. Middlethorpe Hall has been awarded two Rosettes by the AA, and much deserved.
We said we should do this more often and we proposed to meet in the spring before we get busy again with B&B and so that I can escape the lambing sheds for a while!! Not sure what Chris will think to that one!! All in all a good day

Another day, another sheep dog trial

2010-10-23T13:53:00.000+01:00

Today saw us hosting another sheep dog trial for the Yorkshire Sheepdog Society. A cold and gloomy day didnt stop the competitiors arriving and waiting to run their dogs. Todays trial was a Nursery Trial which means young,or novice, dogs can have a go.
Chris decided to have a go with Jill our sheepdog. After a good outrun there was a slight wobble when she missed a fetch gate, she then got the three sheep through the drive gates and then managed to get them into the final pen. Chris was really pleased with her performance. Other runners seemed to be equally having equal amounts of good and bad fortune.
At the presentation the winner was announced as Chris Ryder!!! and Jill of course. Chris and Jill have never won a trial before, in fact they have only had a go 4 times so hes a very happy chappy tonight. Extra biscuits for Jill at teatime I think!!
The top picture shows Chris having received his prize card and winnings and the second picture shows Chris and Jill with Bobby Clarkson of Bondcroft Farm Embsay, a renowned sheepdog breeder and handler, whos bitch Fern is Jills Mother.
There was some teasing about how Chris could take me out tonight for a meal with the winnings but as its £6 Im not sure we will get far.Its definately not a sport that will propel anyone into footballer style wages any time soon!!!

New Kid on the block!!

2010-09-16T12:24:00.000+01:00

The latest arrival to the Scaife Hall Farm family arrived on Sunday. This is Thomas, so called after the chap we bought him off!! Hes a Belted Galloway and is now with his 'ladies' and settling in well. At present hes not registered with the Society but the paperwork is being processed along with his hair samples for DNA testing.A bull can only be registered in the Herd book if it has no other white than the belt.

The origin of the white belt is unknown, but generally its presumed to come from cross breeding with Dutch Belted cattle. The Dun and Belted Galloway Association was formed in Scotland in 1921, and in 1951 the name of the organization was changed to the Belted Galloway Society and dun cattle were no longer registered. It also keeps and records pedigrees for Belted Galloways and oversees the registration of White and Red Galloways. Currently in the UK there is a thriving breeding programme overseen and guided by the Belted Galloway Cattle Society.

Betty says Hello!!!

Hay Making

2010-09-02T09:31:00.000+01:00

After a couple of glorious days of sunshine, and no rain, the grass Chris cut at the weekend was ready to bale yesterday afternoon. Les Wilson came along with his tractor and baler to help out. The tractor is a Fordson Major which was built in 1945. In 1966 it was put into a shed and never moved until Les bought it in 2008. It had flat tyres and needed new spark plugs but once this was done the engine fired up and it was driven out and back to life. The Massey Harris baler was built in the 1950s. In those days there wasnt anything on a tractor, PTO shaft, to drive machinery and so the baler has its own engine and is self propelled. It baled in excess of 200 bales yesterday and amazingly it didnt throw one loose bale out.
David Pennock came along with the big baler and made everything look easy and I still think his way is the best as the bales are moved by tractor!!!. The small bales Les did all had to be moved by hand, by Chris and I last night, and stacked into the barn.
David sat on the old tractor but I doubt he will be contemplating getting one for himself any time soon!!

Kilnsey Show

2010-09-01T17:59:00.001+01:00

Yesterday was the annual Kilnsey Show. Set in the heart of the Yorkshre Dales, in the most picturesque setting, the crowds flocked in and enjoyed the best weather Kilnsey Show has has in years!! The last two shows have certainly resembled Glastonbury on a bad day !!!
The area of the show I was involved with was the REAL Village and our aims over the last 4 years have been to promote the importance of the rural hill farming communities and businesses there in and to promote local food. We had a marquee with over 33 stall selling the very best of Yorkshire Food courtesy of the Northern Dales Farmers Market. A second marquee promoted all kind of rural businesses from Petties Paws Kennels at Fewston to Yorkshire Water and we also once again supported a charity called ARC Addington, who we did the breakfast event for earlier this year.
A third marquee houses the cookery theatre and 5 demonstrations took place through the day featuring local chefs using food from the farmers market. They were from Coniston Hall Hotel, The Angel at Hetton, Rudding Park, The Bull at Broughton and Grassington House Hotel. The smells in there were absolutely wonderful and made your mouth water!!
The fourth marquee was the childrens area. This one buzzed all day with children making collages, colouring, decorating biscuits and making bread with award winning chef Andrew Wood. Andrew is based at York University and must be the most patient man I know. He educates and enthuses all the children and every session he did, which is about every 45 minutes, was fully booked from 9.30am to 5.3pm.
Chris Heseltine from Hesketh Farm Park at Bolton Abbey brought along guinea pigs and they spent the whole day being stroked by the children, they too were extremely patient and went home very tired!!
All in all it was a very long day but very rewarding and it goes without saying that after being there for for 12 hours we came home absolutely shattered!!

Mule Sheep Society

2010-08-29T14:23:00.000+01:00

Its taken a while to get round to doing this post. Lifes been really busy of late, which is good, but theres not a lot of time left for blogging!!
Last Sunday the Skipton branch of the Mule Sheep Association held an open day at the home of Ken and Lynne Throup. The sun shone down,it was a beauitiful day up on Silsden Moor and Kens sheep were a credit to him, as were his spotlessly clean buildings courtesy of Lynne and the pressure washer ( we wives have our uses!!). There was a good turn out of Mule sheep breeders there and over numerous cups of tea and mountains of cake the world was put to rights. Theres much anticipation of the forth coming lamb sales as trade is very buoyant at the moment, long may it continue!!!
The pictures show a pen of Mule Gimmer ( female) lambs . one of several classes put out to judge. Even I had a go!!. There were classes for 4 lambs, 4pens of 4 lambs, Mule ewes, Swaledale ewes and fat lambs. Incredibly I managed 50 out of 50 in the fat lamb class and ended up with an overall score of 221 points. It was way short of the winner but I was quite pleased! The top picture is Mr David Brown from Agglethorpe who acted as Master Judge for the event and Jeff Throup Chairman of the Skipton branch.
Today Chris has mown grass to make some hay, the forecast is good and hopefully it will bale in a few days.

Busy Bees on Hanging Moor

2010-08-20T18:00:00.001+01:00

Well the honey for your morning toast has to start somewhere!! I went up onto Hanging Moor today to get some pictures of the heather which is now the most beautiful shade of purple. Once on top of the moor the view for miles around was the purple heather. The Beekeepers who bring their bees onto the moor for the summer have all placed their hives some time ago and the bees were busy working. The picture of some of the hives has a slight blur but there was a rain spot on the Land Rover window and there was no way I was going to get out or open the window!!!. The bees just surrounded the vehicle, i dont know if they thought it was a large blue flower!!
Hives placed on the heather have to be in a place chosen with care often in a gully, or sheltered valley.The beekeepers have to make sure the spot will not flood as there have been occasions when hives have been partly submerged and even washed away after torrential downpours on the moorland tops. Shelter is of the utmost importance and the bees should be able to fly out up the hill and come down hill loaded.
I have read articles that state Heather honey is the 'Rolls Royce of honey' and 'rather special stuff'!! Oh and another interesting fact is that the bees who do all the work are the females, the boys (drones) just laze around apparently!! Eating honey!! Ill leave it at that I think !

Glorious Weather for a change!!

2010-08-16T15:47:00.000+01:00

Last week I thought summer had passed us by with grey skies and cold blustery weather and on thursday the most torrential rain downpour Ive seen in a while. Sadly on the wednesday the forecast on TV was good so lots of farmers got busy cutting grass to try and make some hay and then the day after the foecast changed again!!
However yesterday was glorious, hot and sunny and absolutely great for the committee of Ripley Show.
Chris set off early as his task for the day was to be the judge in the sheep section for 'Any other native breed'. This comprised of classes with a mix of breeds in them as opposed to the normal one breed in a class. He judged Herwicks, Poll Dorsets, Hampshire Downs, Oxford Downs, Manx Lachtan and Leicester and Lincoln Longwools. Quite a variety to his day!!
I went along at lunchtime having serviced all my rooms and we had a lovely afternoon, catching up with friends and watching the various attractions.
All in all a good day!

2010-07-23T09:26:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was a long long day! Chris and I started out very early as he had to go and round sheep up for the Sheep Dog trail that we were hosting. Chris set the course up the day before so once the sheep were in the holding pen they were ready. Competitors came from all over the region and over 40 dogs ran through the day. The picture shows Chloe Cropper, the youngest competitor of the day, from Lancashire just about to pen her sheep. The entry fees for the day are to be put towards the World Trial 2011 which is to be held at The Lowther Estate in Cumbria on September 15 - 18th.
I had a mad day of guests checking out and others checking in, rooms to service and on top of that the catering for the event. Luckily my very good friend Denise came to help out and was busy making sandwiches whilst I did the cleaning. If she hadnt come down I darent think how my day would have been!! We served all sorts of sandwiches and home made cakes and tasty Weegmans of Otley Pork pies, which always go down well!!

We packed up our Cafe about 5pm and then once the clearing up was done we ventured out to the Mill 67 Bistro, as they have just started a Thursday evening carvery which as always was wonderful and after a very long and tiring day it absolutely hit the spot!!

Intrepid Cyclists

2010-07-18T10:32:00.000+01:00

Last nights guests are two to be admired. This is Howard and Phil who arrived on their bikes having cycled all the way from Bridlington. Their very sensible wives arrived by car having had a paddle in the sea in Brid followed by a visit to Beverley and then onto Blubberhouses.
The idea was to continue today to Blackpool on the bikes but due to a knee injury this idea has been shelved and instead now a visit to Harrogate and lunch in Bettys!! Very wise!

I preferred yesterday!!

2010-07-10T17:26:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I had a wonderful time, once all the cleaning was done, and I went to see my friend Gill Lishman at Castley - www.Castleytreatments.co.uk - and had the most relaxing facial Ive ever had. So much so I almost nodded off.
What a contrast today was!! The shearers were back in town. This time Brad and James were joined by Steven Robinson, who has a sheep shearing and sheep showering busines, and its his trailer thats being used. Wonderful Amanda Douthwaite came to help and to wrap the wool. I was trying to keep a very low profile but ended up helping to push the sheep up the race as Chris had to go and rescue a sheep that had got itself stuck in some fencing. Quite why sheep do this I have no idea! There just didnt seem to be a chance to escape after that! Then Amanda had to go so as you can see I ended up being Chief Wrapper. Oh but it smells!! and the flies and the bug things that pester you are just awful.Well I think so anyway. These chaps just seem to get on with it. I managed to stay cheery but was so glad when the last sheep came through and we could stitch up the wool sacks.
We had a few walkers through this afternoon , some came close to have a look as they had never seen shearing before and were amazed how quick these chaps do the job and how quietly they go about it, slowly turning the sheep as they move the shears around the body,, no pulling or fuss. I think they make it look so easy, although I know its not.!!
So thats it for this year for the shearing, a job well done. All sheared, all packed and its ready to take away to Bradford to the Wool Board.

Farmer Chris

2010-07-04T16:06:00.000+01:00

As an addition to the last Baling post..... This is hubby Chris, who I inadvertently failed to give a mention to!!Stacking bales.... and the stack half complete.

As the day has gone on the weather has got worse. Its quite cold and very windy. I have trellis in the garden with Roses and Clematis on in full flower and thats been ripped off the house wall from its top fixings. Its not completely gone and can be refixed but I hadnt realise just how strong the wind was. Good job I didnt peg the washing out, that could have been halfway up the Washburn valley!! The local cricketers have picked today to have a working party session in preparation for next Sundays Annual Duck Derby Event, sooooooo not a good day to be on the cricket pitch. The rain is now lashing down.
Anyway Ive done my jobs and I cant go out into the garden, and its Sunday afternoon I may as well go and watch Come Dine with Me. I think the voiceover man on there is just brilliant!!

Baling

2010-07-04T09:19:00.000+01:00

Yesterday more Big boys toys arrived as the silage was ready to bale. The weather has been perfect, warm and sunny with a breeze to dry out the grass. Tim has turned the grass in the morning and then Stuart arrived to 'row it up' into tidy lines ready for the baler. The top picture was taken out of the cab of the baling tractor, as I got in to have a chat with David ,and Stuart called over the CB to make sure I got his good side!! I havent actually seen this chap close up so Im not sure if I achieved this or not!!

David baled the silage into big round bales and then its wrapped into black plastic and stacked ready for the cows and sheep in winter, which we dont want to think about for some time yet!! Today the forecast is for a gloomy day with rain so its a good job done that its all safe.

Silage Time

2010-07-02T17:39:00.000+01:00

This is my kind of silage making!! Get the chaps in with their big boys toys and let the machinery do the work. We used to make a lot of hay into little bales and as theres only Chris and I it was back breaking work. Now we give our friend David a ring, who gives his friend Tim a ring, and they come along and see to it!! Its wonderful. They will be ready for a pint in the Hopper tonight!!
This afternoon they have both been mowing the grass on the other holding we have at Fewston, tomorrow morning they will turn it and then either late tomorrow or Sunday it will be baled and wrapped. After this Chris will make a stack and it will sit and wait for winter.
All was going well today until David hit a stone with the mower and its completely sheared off the blade!! He wasnt too happy when I saw him at half past three but new parts are arriving in the morning and he'll be on his way again. It could have been worse I guess!

Independant Travel Witers

2010-06-29T13:39:00.001+01:00

About a month ago a Travel writer from The Independant came to stay with a local man called John Sparshatt. John has created a new long distance walk called The Six Dales Trail and it sets off from Otley and finishes in Middleham. The writer, Rhiannon Batten, published her article on Saturday 26th June to coincide with the launch of the walk by Janet Street Porter in Otley.

You can see the article using the following link

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/uk/yorkshire-striding-ahead-in-the-six-dales-2010641.html

Sheep Shearing in Blubberhouses

2010-06-20T17:55:00.000+01:00

What a wonderful day it must be for a sheep when the shearers hit town!! The weather has varied quite a bit this week but generally its been warm, too warm to carry a fleece of wool on your back!!
The shearers are James Wilson on the right who farms with his Dad Kevin next door to us and the chap on the left is Brad Rogers all the way from sunny New Zealand. Brad has just spent two months shearing in Italy and is now here for the rest of the summer shearing before going home later in the year to start the shearing season there. Its hard work but they obviously like it! I think it pays well!. James has been to NZ for the last 3 winters shearing too.
I very much dislike this job and will find any excuse not to be involved. I used to wrap and pack all the wool for Chris but now my excuse is Im too busy, or Im waiting for guests to arrive , too old, too tired etc etc. Just anything really!!!
Brad and James make it all look so easy and can shear about 40 sheep an hour each, the wool comes off in a complete fleece and then its rolled up and packed into a large bag called a wool sheet. Chris does this now and it makes him move abit just trying to keep up with the shearers, especially if theres a third man with them which there often is !! But then he is considerably, dare I say it, older than them!!
Once the shearing is finished all the bags will be taken to the Wool Board depot in Bradford to be sorted and graded.

Another hot day!

2010-06-17T16:04:00.000+01:00

This is brilliant! Two hot days in a row, has summer finally arrived? Probably not but the cows are enjoying it anyway. They look very relaxed with nothing to do. The sheep are not enjoying it quite so much as its the time of year when the fleeces are heavy and they are ready to be shorn. We have the shearers, James and New Zealander Brad coming along on Sunday to make a start, so for that we need this good weather to stick around as you can't shear sheep when they are wet.
The hens dont venture out quite as much when its hot, they dont like the heat, but then again they dont much care for the cold either, or snow, or wind or rain!!

Yesterday was a lovely day. I took a trip up to Clapham to see some friends John and Di who have just moved there from Kent to open a B&B. Its the most idyllic setting with amazing views which go on forever. And its so peaceful, not a sound except the birds singing and the occasional sheep calling to its lamb.I think they will do very well there, I hope so anyway. Its been a big life changing move for them but they've practised cooking the eggs (poached were particularly terrifying), theres homemade bread and yogurt and they are just waiting for the phone to start ringing!!. www.crooklandsclapham.co.uk. We sat in the garden and had tea and cakes, I could have sat there for ever but duty called and I headed back to Blubberhouses, but it wasnt all bad because we went to The Hopper for a meal with some friends which was really nice. All in all a very good day!

The Inspector Calls

2010-06-07T11:05:00.000+01:00

I recently had the Visit England Inspector to stay with me, always a joy when they hand their card over when paying to tell you who they really are!! Then you panic to try and remember if youve said anything wrong!!
Everything it seems is fine and I was delighted to retain my Four Stars and the Gold Award and even more pleased to be given one of the new Breakfast Awards.
Ive just spent ages trying to put the logo on my website but had to admit defeat and stop wasting time by asking Al at Mullins in Kendal to put it on for me. Stupid thing was I forgot to attach it to the email for him to be able to do this!! Maybe I should go back to bed!

On a sad note the Chickens we were trying to hatch didnt make it, I dont know why they couldnt hatch but Chris thinks they were too dry, so next time we do this we have to get more humidity to them. Shame really as I was looking forward to having some chicks around. Elsie has returned to her friends in the main chicken shed and is resuming normal activities and seems unperturbed by the whole business.

Walking in Fewston

2010-06-02T22:05:00.000+01:00

Day two in Blog land!!Today has been gloriously sunny here in Blubberhouses, well in most places in the UK I think but as Ive only been here, and most of the day has been in either the Laundry or the office I cant comment!!
My friend Daphne rescued me at 4pm and we went for a lovely walk, going from here along the land behind the Hopper Lane Hotel, crossing the A59, and then going down towards Fewston Reservoir. We passed through the woods, the Bluebells are beautiful at the moment, and then we passed through a gap in the wall and the picture is the view that greeted us. It was spectacular. We then walked the path back along the waters edge and back home. Absolutely exhausting in the heat but it was great to be out there and smell the countryside.

The first thing I did when I got back was to check on Elsie, one of our hens, who has been sitting on some eggs for three weeks now. Im keeping everything crossed for them to hatch out tomorrow. Shes sitting on 7 eggs now as one got broken but we dont know when. So Ill keep you posted and let you know how they get on, all being well it should be tomorrow

Farmhouse Breakfast Week 2010

2010-06-01T16:37:00.000+01:00

In January 2010 we hosted a three day Farmhouse Breakfast Week event in aid of The ARC -Addington Fund. Over the three days, with the help of great friends and fellow Farm Stay members, 164 people were served Farmhouse Breakfasts . Local food producers were so generous and much of the food we served was donated to us.

We are very grateful to Barclays Bank for lending us David Jones and for all their support.

In April we presented a cheque to ARC Addington for £4462.

The national charity helps maintain the economic and social fabric of UK farming communities, notably through its Strategic Rural Housing Scheme, which provides housing for farmers and their families who have to leave their farm and cannot find anywhere suitable to live.

Farm Stay Guide Cover

2010-06-01T16:36:00.000+01:00

Farm Stay UK

We are delighted to be chosen as the cover shot for the 2010 edition of Farm Stay UK (with a print run in the region of 100,000) a nationwide network of farm accommodation providers. Farm Stay's members open their homes to provide top quality B&B with superb, traditional farmhouse breakfasts, self-catering holidays offering an unforgettable experience and caravan and campsites equipped to the highest standards.

Blog Land

2010-06-01T11:23:00.000+01:00

Well this is a first! The land of Blog! Never quite thought I would be doing this but decided to give it a whirl, and as its pouring with rain and I cant do anything in the garden or dry the washing its a good excuse for a sit down and to contemplate my thoughts! Having said that Ive still got all my rooms to clean, its been a very busy weekend, so I probably should have the hoover revved up by now.
And then theres yet another trolley dash round the supermarket before the next guests arrive...Hey Ho!