Comments for Locks Park Farm

Comment on storms, samhain and the survival of the hedgerow tree… by Jo@LittleFfarm Dairy

Jo@LittleFfarm Dairy — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:51:35 +0000

Our farm is a bit of an anomaly in that in places we have no hedgerow trees, whatsoever; & yet in others, they grow in profusion & make up a significant proportion of each hedge. You don’t generally see that many hedgerow trees in this part of Wales other than along the roadside; the majority also tend to be laburnum. Whilst it’s stunning in the Spring to dive through tunnels of bright golden flowers, I always worry about livestock in the fields where these trees grow, as they’re highly poisonous Thankfully there are no laburnums here at Ffarm Fach!

And we do try to atone for our sins with eleven acres of mixed deciduous ancient woodland – a feast of flora & fauna which as I glance out of the window whilst typing, is a stunning display of copper, bronze & gold as the morning sun bathes the valley…..

Comment on flail cutting hedges is…GOOD? by Jo@LittleFfarm Dairy

Jo@LittleFfarm Dairy — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:35:56 +0000

On our farm the hedges for this year’s rotation, were flailed this week; we leave things as late as possible but once the weather sets in it simply has to be done (February is simply not an option here in Wild West, Wet n’Woolly Wales, alas as the fields are mostly sloping & once the ground is sodden it’s not possible to get a tractor on it). But so long as the operator knows his/her job, the lie of the land, & has the skill to angle the hedge correctly, said field boundaries do not suffer from the experience.

We have certain hedgerows we’d prefer to stagger for lengthier periods but have no option other than a biannual cut; as to leave them any longer through overcast, wet summers & ‘Indian Summer’ frantic haymaking in September when the dew mists the grass & the days grow cooler & shorter by the moment – a particularly tall hedgerow costs us dear in terms of sacrificed valuable fodder as the shadows cast by the hedges mean that the sun has neither the strength nor time, to dry it sufficiently for baling.

Literally centuries of careful management have thankfully ensured that our wonderfully bristling, ancient field hedges are tall, thick & richly diverse in plant (ergo animal & insect) species: this year we’ve enjoyed a bountiful glut of literally every foraged food other than hazelnuts (most odd) of which the only green pair I spotted, were swiftly snaffled by greedy goats!

And whilst the smaller fields mean lower yields in terms of hay owing to the aforementioned problems, I’d far rather have these wonderful species-rich hedgerows, than turn our precious farm into the travesty that so many production-orientated farms have become. Whatever happened to Quality over Quantity??

Anyway I like you Paula, am grateful for properly-practised flail mowing: our farm & her occupants are – literally – all the better, for it.

Comment on bad, bad hair day by Norm

Norm — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:12:32 +0000

No chance!!

It took seven (7) years for one of your readers to get one! Guess how long you are going to have to wait!

(Em reader, please NO!)

Comment on bad, bad hair day by paula

paula — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:41:13 +0000

It was being filmed/taped for a Fawlty Towers remake! Well, it must have been. Yes? (Unfortunately, though, no one cuts hair in the family other than me…maybe that’s the clue?)

Comment on bad, bad hair day by paula

paula — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:33:24 +0000

In their defence – I think it was a wee bit of a dramatic situation…maybe! Sal’s fab and wouldn’t change her for the world – she unleashes my inner rock-chic! Maybe I should encourage this £10 voucher thingy? The whole episode was surreal but hilarious, in a mental-masochistic kind of way.

Comment on bad, bad hair day by paula

paula — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:28:00 +0000

I SO agree about mirrors…they never used to be like that! But I think we’ve got to have a photo now…all this whitish-grey has got us intrigued!

Comment on bad, bad hair day by paula

paula — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:25:20 +0000

I know…slightly worrying. Haven’t had the nerve to ring them up to check it WAS them…shall do. Will take pics of the end (dramatic?) result!

Comment on bad, bad hair day by paula

paula — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:22:56 +0000

Generally it’s a two minute call – so total confusion made worse by compounded convoluted confusion!

Comment on bad, bad hair day by heidi

heidi — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:05:22 +0000

Oh dear! My sister in-law does my hair, and she does a great job too. It’s a good thing I like her, and she likes me! Even though she has her own salon,I used to go to another salon to try and maintain some autonomy after I got married. However I got fed up paying my egotistical and cranky hairdresser Guy to complain to me about his truly long suffering, sweetheart of a wife the entire time he styled my hair. I met her, she was sweet, and oh so long suffering.
He cut hair well, but not well enough to put up with. So off I went to my sister in-laws salon.
Free, fun,and good is way better than expensive, cranky and good.

I hope your hair is gorgeous when things get sorted out!

Comment on bad, bad hair day by Jane

Jane — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:15:20 +0000

You need to change your hairdresser! I’ve got my hairdressers well trained now. I’ve been going to the same one, same girl for the last 9 years. They know I only go every 5 months or so… they know I look a wreck when I arrive, I need a total makeover, and I walk out feeling 10 ft high and swishing my hair from side to side. I always ring the day before… I nearly always get an appointment the next day. Bless em…. they don’t really make a penny out of me but they are so caring. They even sent me a £10 off discount card when I didn’t go for over 6 mths and send me a £10 discount and a card on my birthday… It’s also the only place I ever get to read Hello magazine and chat like a complete shallow girlie and have my hair massaged by a 18 yr old gay guy… I raise my glass to hairdressers everywhere!