The curlews have been heard early last week, apparently, (I saw one up at Elpha Green this afternoon) and these lambs emerged probably just over the weekend, from about the 1st of March, so such spring signs tell us that…
Year: 2019
Chitting potatoes . . . and a link to the past
We use the ‘no-dig’ protocol to grow our award-winning potatoes (High Forest Show 2017) on a southern exposure in Sparty Lea. It’s taken us some time to figure out how best to grow any vegetables at all up here, but…
Parking, just as we like it
There are no white lines. There’s no designated ‘disabled spaces’. Vehicles come and go, seemingly unerringly finding a place for themselves, or waiting patiently until a space is vacated. Or they twirl around and around, on rare occasions (typically weddings…
Tranquility, but not just yet please
My brother emails me from the Near North, Ontario, just below Lake Nipissing where the northern half of the province begins, to wonder if the recent diary entries are not some sort of metaphor for my current state of health…
Detour of delight
Considering the speed with which they’re clearing the remains of the roadside trees at Redwell Corner, I can’t quite believe that the notified ‘4 week closing’ can be correct. After less than 1 week it’s looking pretty much gone! Meanwhile,…
The burning heather
Without taking any sides (environmental, conservational, pro- or anti-shooting) on the traditional practice of burning swathes of heather on the grouse moors around the valleys, the diary entry today notes the annual fires and smoke, and considers a few viewpoints….
The charity shop . . . Crafty Allsorts
I’ll be honest, I had to think a bit when I saw someone on Allendale area notices asking about the opening hours of the charity shop. I’d never thought of Crafty Allsorts as a charity shop. But it is, of…
Allendale Pre-School
We all feel wonderful, great, in this amazing balmy weather, as London records temperatures of higher than 21ºC and daffodils even on the fellsides of Sparty Lea erupt in the sunshine. But, on the other hand, it’s terrifying, isn’t it?!…
The Fire & Rescue Service: retained professionals
I guess it’s almost every little boy’s dream (and some girls’ too, no doubt about it) to grow up to be a fire-fighter one day. So I asked our cheerful Retained Fire Service crew, or at least the 7 who…
49 years, still going strong . . .
Now back in the premises at Scotch Hall where he started the Allendale Motor Company business in 1970, Mick Robson has a busy day ahead, taking care of two Land Rovers from the estate, but he kindly obliges me with…