February Column now out

Column for Shropshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire & Wye Valley Life now available. Herefordshire is the one featured http://j.mp/fnm9Hr

It’s Friday again!

Huge thank you to Heart of England Fine Foods for inviting me to be a judge for Herefordshire and Worcestershire’s tastiest sausage competition. There were 7 of us in all, including a couple of ladies from Farm Stay, Andy Link from Riverside Inn at Aymestrey and Neil Chambers from the Handmade Scotch Egg Company. We had 49 bangers to judge so with all the pieces we ate put together means we probably had 9 full size ones each! Having done a smaller competition last year, I knew not to wear freshly washed jeans and to keep a napkin handy to one side for those that weren’t quite as tasty as the others. Next week sees the final in Birmingham which I’m hosting and not chomping, although if I’m honest, last time it took me a good 4 months before I ate another sausage. I’ve just booked tickets to see funny man Milton Jones in May and it’s Telford we’ll head due to closer venues being booked. It’s a nice venue Oakengates, as long as everyone wears slippers as it can get a bit noisy when folks either go to the bar or to use the facilities. At home, the animals are coping with the change in weather with a trip to get more hay in the morning. I knew the price would go up, but at an average of £100 per tonne it’s very expensive. At least having the sheep with the cows means there is no waste as they don’t half tidy up, it’s like having 3 woolly ‘Henry’s’ without the plug!

Only have red wine at weekends

This month has just flown by, which is unusual for January. Not sure I like this unseasonable warm weather that’s accompanying it though, the field with the cows and sheep in it is looking a bit sorry for itself and it’s only a matter of time until I end up horizontal with me separated from at least one welly, and I promise it’s nothing to do with alcohol as I’m avoiding the stuff in the week. Away from the smallholding, I put my headphones back on for Sunshine Radio in Herefordshire & Monmouthshire the other day which was fun. Ian who does the afternoons was poorly and I was able to cover so found myself back on the airwaves and turns out I can still do it. Over the next couple of weeks I’m judging the tastiest sausage in Herefordshire & Worcestershire for Heart of England Fine Foods and then I’m hosting the Grand Final in Birmingham. Last year it was a good 4 months before I could even face another banger and I imagine it will be the same again this time. Soon be the RSPB garden birdwatch, pity it wasn’t the other day when a pal of mine had a Buzzard fly through a window into her lounge, now that written on the form I’d love to see and she’s only drinking red wine at the weekend too.

January column for Herefordshire Life

Dear Marks and Spencer, if this doesn’t qualify for a sponsorship deal I don’t know what does. If you throw in a few bottles of your Royal Jelly Bubble Bath I’m all yours! http://j.mp/eORRkB

Our bed now faces South!

Happy New Year, although please don’t ask me what day it is as I always struggle between Christmas and when life begins to return to normal, although judging what I’ve been up to today anyone would think it was spring as I suddenly had an urge to move furniture, tidy draws and decide that we need to build a wall to divide our lounge! No wonder I’m still on the chocolate.