The Cottage Smallholder

     So back from a refreshing break and thought I™d throw my head into this task set before me. I guess I™d better introduce myself a little more first. I was born in Welsh countryside, of a mining / farming family. My grandfather had a 75 acre hill farm adjacent to my Great Grandmothers farm which was approx 130 acres. Both of which raised sheep as the main stay but also held a small dairy herd of approx 15- 20. And then the usual goat, chickens the odd pig and so on.

    At an early age and due to father™s career in armed forces I moved to the bright lights of the city of Portsmouth, and would be many years before my permanent return.  Fondest childhood memories are of holidays back home where we could barely cast our bags through the door of the old village shop owned by the grandparents and run up the mountain to the farms¦ the distinctive odour of the milking sheds and fields the sound of the brook babbling away in the background¦ a heady sensory over load and today sets off nostalgic daydreams of days gone by and teenage camping trips fresh eggs and bacon in the pan, tickling trout in the brook and long dreamy days in the field.

    As a teenager began to work the fields on farms in Hampshire; flower picking in the freezing days of early march, potato picking, stone picking. Working in the sheds packing produce for market, the back breaking work of fruit picking- all to easy to have your  ˜5 a day™ then lol. And always my favourite time was hay baling, dusty¦ hard work, back breaking on times, palms full of blisters but such a joy and accomplishment and wholesomely satisfying when

completed.

And so on¦.. this helped me pay my way through college and my career as a sports therapist  ˜ cough™ yes I know a complete tangent lol. And several years of high security and body guard, marriage, a child etc and a small illness and fortunately only a brief health scare which caused us to make the full decision to sell up and move back home and begin the plans and dreams of down sizing that I had talked late into the night over the occasional glass of home made wine ; p with my wife, spinning honey soaked romantic ideals of ˜The good life™  healthy living, space to breath and raise beautiful children¦ muck and muscle and women with Laura Ashley dresses¦™ love peace and bananas baby™. He he he.

The career taking a turn and continuing with the coaching but working in Police jails paid its toll and has struck us ever forward to a

few years ago¦¦.