Used Omlet outdoor rabbit run Width 2.2m Height 2.05m Length 3.1m vgc.

[Egluntyne]

You really should write that book!

[Lesley]

You really should write that book!

 

I couldn't bear to see it in the remaindered shop for 29p

[Helly Welly]

Well print enough for us then, i bet Omlet would sell it in their shop!!!

[Egluntyne]

It might become an international best seller, with 'A' list hollywood types fighting for the chance to play you!

[Helly Welly]

Hugh Laurie could play Carl!!!

[Egluntyne]

Nowhere near good looking enough!

[henriette]

Hurry up and get on with the book and I can set up a "book signing" while you are over here in September

[Lesley]

...and I could be played by Jo Brand - or Dawn French

 

Most of you know that we moved into this smallholding 4 years ago - we inherited a nearly new house and 8 acres of....erm.....field with no fencing apart from the perimeter fence and hedgerow and derelict outbuildings complete with years of accumulated rubbish. Because we'd stretched ourselves financially we had to tidy it all up, and provide fences, slowly. Everything had been dropped wherever it had been used, feed bags, baler twine, sweet wrappers, mugs, wood, metal, concrete....we've had 10 skips and could fill another 10. The big barn was nearly new but the infil sides were bodged wood and corrugated metal sheet.....in fact, we inherited a lot of corrugated metal sheet of varying colours..... We've planted around 200 trees for future fuel and planted two new small orchards.

 

On Sunday we had a major, 11 hour non-stop, tidy up so I thought I'd share some photos.......

 

We've done up these outbuildings, the room on the left is 'The Brewery' , middle is the Freezer Room - both rooms were knee deep in rubbish and mummified cat remains - and right is the portakabin which was where the previous owners made sausages for the farm shop.....we use it as a garden shed....and it is cleaner now The cats are fed under the overhang and hide under the portakabin.

 

The wood barn - Vic (Reeves ) the tractor now fits in here.

 

A new back was added to the right hand side of this barn making it safer to keep the trailers in. The two pallets now have all the animal feed on as we had a bulk delivery today.

 

The lawned area was rubble and rubish - it is still rubble but we raked out the worst of it and seeded it a few weeks ago.....

 

Gratuitous photo of Tali and a cat....

 

The original orchard.....1 greengage, 1 Victoria plum and 1 cherry.... beehives behind the old pallet fence to the right...

 

New orchard and beehives.....

 

 

Sheep....

 

Polygreenhouse and lottie plot....

 

The stone wall was already here but the lawn area was just a builders yard.....

 

Kitchen garden and fruit cage in the background....none of the grey gravel was here....just rubble..

 

 

 

 

More raised beds to the side of the house - Brewery outbuilding in the background...

 

Side of the house.....

 

 

Sorry......seem to have got carried away

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Not carried away, just bringing us up to speed...and wow that's amazing

 

Congratulations on all your hard work Lesley and Carl...with all your other little & not-so helpers

 

Sha x

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Fabulous, fascinating photos . It all looks absolutely amazing .

[WitchHazel]

Wow, Lesley! What an incredible amount of work it must have been. Just setting up a smallholding and getting it running in that time would be an achievement, but to do all that and sort out the hosue and land is amazing.

 

It all looks truly,truly lovely.

[henriette]

Really fantastic Lesley! You both must have worked so very hard. I appreciate how awful it is when you inherit loads of rubbish - we did that on our little small holding in the uk. Well done Incidentally, how many hours do you have in your day - I only have 24

[chick wiggle]

Wow! amazing how much hard work you have put into it. It now looks stunning and yes im sure i am not the only one who is so jealous. Well done, it really does look gorgeous!

[The Dogmother]

You have worked so hard on it Lesley - I have seen it go from a mess of rubble and smouldering mattresses when you'd only just moved in. I remember the outhouses being knee-deep in dried poultry poo and the rubble all over the land. It's now a tribute to your hard work and looks lovely.

[chickencam]

Great photos , you are justifiably proud of what you have achieved, and we are just a bit

[ubereglu]

Well Done! That looks wonderful and I am now deeply jealous! The place truly looks like home now and fabulous.

[Lesley]

You have worked so hard on it Lesley - I have seen it go from a mess of rubble and smouldering mattresses when you'd only just moved in. I remember the outhouses being knee-deep in dried poultry poo and the rubble all over the land. It's now a tribute to your hard work and looks lovely.

...and the barn which stinks! - it still smells, I don't know what's died in there but we'll never be rid of the smell.

 

Henriette - just 24 hours, that is why the outside is cleaner and tidier than the inside atm

 

Thank you - it makes it all worthwhile to see it like this.This is the first year I've been able to sit and look at it.

 

.........and as you are, none of you would feel at our mortgage! .........must go and do the lottery.....wanders off to find a £1.........

[The Dogmother]

Oh yes, the barn with a hex; I am convinced that it's a spell, not a smell. Who knows what died in there, there were plenty of other nasty finds around the farm

[Helly Welly]

I can't believe how tidy it all is, it looks positively idyllic. It looks like you've had a whole army working on it, you should be very proud.

[craftyhunnypie]

Wow Lesley - extreme very well done to you - what a woman!

I aspire to be your clone, as I think we are soon to embark on a similar journey.

A true inspiration to us all!

 

Emma.x

[Lesley]

Thank you - I didn't do it all myself though Carl works so hard on the farm as well as putting in full-time hours on his day job and my grown up son has done a lot of work for us over the last year.

 

Is a move imminent Emma?

[craftyhunnypie]

Yes Lesley. Father in laws house going on the market soon, followed by our own house ( once we have had a decent clear out of accumalated junk - he he. Scary & exciting at the same time.

 

Emma.x

[TheGirlsMum]

Fantastic

 

We have just secured 2.8 acres with stabling. We are learning quickly about land care and you are a great role model.

[Lesley]

Fingers crossed Emma and well done TGM - I'll look forward to reading your tales soon........

 

I'm no role model today - The peas have done me in

 

My plan for the day was....go to pick the peas while Carl picked fruit, tie-in tomatoes and cucumbers, vacuum and wash the floors, have a shower and process fruit and peas........

 

I tied in the tomatoes first and my back went half way through - I stood around for a while and it eased so I carried on, carefully. I managed more tomatoes, picked salad stuff and planted out L&J's sunflowers.........all was well until I decided to pick the peas before coming back in.....my back went into spasm big time

 

I managed to shuffle back to the house and I've taken all the painkillers I can find and used my ice gel stuff. Carl has had to help me to the loo and I'm stuck here in smelly clothes - kitchen full of fruit........

 

 

I'm very annoyed with myself - so frustrating

[The Dogmother]

Oh, how annoying Lesley, I hope that it eases.