It may be a little early to talk about Christmassy things in the shop, although I have noticed that we already have brandy soaked Christmas cakes in decorative tins and a good selection of special biscuits and sweets in beautiful packaging that would make lovely gifts. We will also be taking orders for our ever popular Christmas turkeys and geese soon.
Instead I thought I would share a recipe for a really delicious warming soup which is perfect for this time of year. All the ingredients are available at the shop of course!
Curried sweet …
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Archives for 2018
Payhembury Provisions News – November
Paul’s Nature Notes from November
The robins at both ends of our garden have become very tame indeed, doubtless seeing me as a source of constant food. I have to be extremely careful when releasing moths from the traps, as they haunt my footsteps. One false move on my part and they pounce on some poor unsuspecting moth.
In early November the nights were freezing but we had lovely sunny days and I enjoyed the high pitched squeaks of the Long-tailed Tits all around me – quite unmistakeable once you get your ear in. We do not feed the birds at all in the summer months, but …
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Yellingham Farm in November
Firstly, I must correct a typing error of mine from last months’ article. I stated that we leave our rams in for 3 heat cycles – not on your nelly! 2 heat cycles is long enough otherwise I could be lambing for ever.
The rams time is nearly up and their job done for another year. We will take them out this week and put all the in lamb ewes back together. The rams will spend some time back together in a small pen before letting them back out in the field. Even though they live together for most of the year in harmony, after being split up and …
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December Message from Rev David
Imagine for a moment you’re a Roman citizen in AD 320 or so. All your life, you’ve merrily celebrated on December 25th the feast of the birthday of Sol Invictus – the ‘Invincible Sun’ and patron deity of the emperor. Now, though, Emperor Constantine has rebranded it the Feast of the Nativity, for his new upstart deity Jesus Christ, the true sun god so he claims. You are irate. How dare he trample over our festival? OK, so he’s the emperor; he can do what he wants.
You share your grievances over a jug of beer with a Germanic pagan a few years …
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Parish Paper- December 2018
To read or save this issue please click 2018 12 Parish Paper. …
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November Message from Rev David
One of those blue historical plaques, increasingly common on old buildings, humorous-ly says ‘Jacob von Hogflume 1864-1909, inventor of time travel, lived here in 2189’. If only we could travel forward or back in history. What would we tell the future, or the past?
November 2018, 100 years on from the end of the Great War. What would we tell those celebrating the end of those tragic four years? What would they be keen to tell us?
November is a month of remembrances. ‘Remember, remember, the fifth of November,’ and all that. Not that on the …
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Yellingham Farm in October
Last month I talked of the imminent process of putting the rams in. Well the job is done and the boys seem to be relishing their task. The rams were certainly ready to work as they started to smell distinctly “rammy” – a smell I cannot really describe other than quite vile! Their top lips were curling up and heads very much poised as they could certainly smell that ewes close by were coming into season. Getting the rams and the ewes in good condition prior to mating is so important – fit but not fat.
Before putting the rams in with the ewes, …
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Paul’s Nature Notes from October
It was just a case of unintended consequences when earlier this year I invested in a bat detector, but did not get around to using it until very recently. This is a small hand-held device, which converts the non-audible ultrasonic calls bats make into a series of clicks, each unique to the particular species. Unfortunately, there is some overlap between the different frequencies and I do not yet have the expertise to separate them with certainty. Now, I am used to seeing the odd bat or two and have been aware for a long time that there were at …
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Parish Paper – November 2018
To read or save this issue please click 2018 11 Parish Paper. …
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Yellingham Farm in September
September is such a positive, exciting month for us here at Yellingham. The weather continues to be good – hence the B and B is still thriving, but importantly for us it is the start of a new sheep year. This year’s lambs are not fattening as quick as we would like due to the continuing lack of rain and hence grass growth – hard feed and hay are still very much on the menu for them all. But for the ewes and rams, it is a time of selection, culling and the purchase of new rams. For some sheep farmers, this task is well underway or even done and …
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