Autumn at Strickley

We've had our camera down by the pond for the past week. James brought it back up today and the when I looked at the SD card there were 105 10 second videos. Looking through them, I found 4 with anything more than moving grass. I think we need to reconsider the position.

 

Looking at the published video, I must apologise for the quality - it looks much better on my PC!

Gone!

The tiny little workshop is no more - some delicate and precise taps with a hammer and a few less delicate, (but just as precise) nudges with the digger, have given us this -

 

 

Strickley's latest project

Never ones to hang about taking it easy by just running a dairy farm, we have another project on the go. At the beginning of the year we built a small handwashing and toilet block for our school visits. If we are lucky with the weather most of the activities can take place outside. But sometimes we want to extend the season, and some activities are better suited to taking place indoors. We have been using a cleaned out pen (though the front is rather open to the elements), but that's no good when it's occupied. So we applied for planning permission to turn a workshop/store into a small classroom (if you search you'll find the plans on the SLDC website). Now that planning has been granted we're ready to go. The builder is coming to start the stripping and demolition tomorrow, so we have been busy removing years of "stuff" and finding homes for it. It's just across the yard so there's no excuse for me not to take loads of photos. Here's a few "before" ones, and you can probably expect to be inundated.

 

 

In another life . . .

. . . I was driven through forests, down rough tracks, over bleak hills in a small grey car. We usually finished intact, but just occassionally some parts had to be replaced. We're clearing out our old workshop/store prior to it's transformation to a small but perfectly formed classroom (more of that in coming posts), and trying to be ruthless. It's the third time in the past 20/30 years that we've moved some of this stuff, and some also came from Over Bleaze when we moved here 16 years ago. One less than useful item hung on our garage wall, and subsequently on this workshop wall. Maybe it's time to let it die a natural death with the heap of scrap.

I've got a few picures of it it action (though they're pre-digital and need finding and scanning), so here's a couple. Note - it's always the navigator's side that gets damaged (but never the naviagtor).

 

Here Today. .

. .  and gone tomorrow (or here Saturday and gone by tomorrow).

A few Movements Off happening at Strickley  -

On Saturday we sold 4 cows and heifers to another Organic farm in Staffordshire.
This morning we sold a young breeding bull to a farm in North Cumbria
And tomorrow eleven cows and heifers, aged between 2 and 12 years are making their final journey

A few photos

These were taken by our friends who were staying with us. Luckily it was a rare sunny day and they were able to wander round the pond and wood, though attracting quite a bit of interest from our youngstock.

 

 

 

Rushing around this morning. . .

New tyre fitted on Discovery.
Defender washed off and taken to garage for fixing.
Paperwork almost complete for cows to be sold tomorrow.
Supper almost made - just to put in oven and/or assemble.
Fires cleaned out and lit.
Dust moved and round and disguised with a quick spray of polish.
Lamps lit to hide dusty corners.
Checked guest bedroom (one of).

Almost dinnertime - no preparation (ham and cheese).

And then, it's relax with longtime friends before an early supper and we whizz down to the Brewery Arts Centre for Fay Hield and The Hurricane Party. Maybe followed by a few nightcaps.