Page 2 Rurul Life Welcome


ASSUMING you are reading this on either Wednesday or Thursday of the week


' ofpublication,w'c arc between 24 and 48 hours away from the start of Spring!-;: , It seems like it has been a particularly long winter this year, perhaps because • it has been by tunis either, veiy cold (and snowy) or just very, very wtt.~'--:v^ ^


■ . ■ ^ " > '


^ :


seasons are on the change .• from newborn Iambs to ; daffs coming out on the A6.


But evei-yvvherc you look now there are signs that the , *


a lamb. I’m not quite sure what it is doing this year!


M r tliink it’s mentioned a.few times by our, various;


columnists in this month’s edition, but Spring reaily is; a great time of year.


; It is a time to celebrate Mother Nature in all hen glory and in this month’s edition we have plenty of s articles that do exactly that. ; , I would personally recommend a visit to Myer-' .’


, The feature on Little Town Daily gives another insight into another popular c / local attraction, while the birdwatching walkon page 15 gives you another great- excuse to get out and about and make the best of your,Rural Life.' - ;/r I hope you ei\joy this edition


Contents College opens for lambs


^ Tractor auction could produce as gold rush


& '% It’s a family affair at Little Town ...............,.


' ....... Humble column


, '' The soap star of Sedbergh Your Spring pictures


Rural Life Gardening with Chris Taylor of Barton Grange ‘


• w j- Books to go wild for sets a little help from on high Life on the hedge


1 Rural l i fe Property Alfresco dining at The Bam (advertisement feature) Watch the w a ^ g birds of Pilling Sands


' ' - Time to step out into Spring (advertisement feature) '


Editorial Ricliaid Machin, Editor Tel; 01995 605910. Email: ricliard.machin@lep.co.uk Advertising


Louise Heiishaw, Advertising Manager (Garstang and Longridsel Tel:,01772 S38050. Email: louise.lienshaw@lep.co.iik


Neil d ’Biien (Cainfoitli and Behthan^ Tel: 01524833111. Email: neil.obrien@lmnews.co.uk Sharon Hamilton (Clitheroe)


. ’ . '


,.V:V: Tel: 01200422324. Eniail: Sharon.hamilton@eastlanGsne\vs.co.uk '' Newspaper Sales/Distribution


’


Mark Morkin, Newspaper Sales Manager Tel: 01524 834015 / 01772 554528. Email: mark.niorkin(5ilmnews co.uk


Polypipe


R i c h a r d M a c b in Editor


: scougli College’s Lee Farm for one of tlieir popular :-; lambing weekends (see story on page.3), while the; i photographs sent in by our readers and our own plio- :


_ tograpliers make a wonderful gallery on page 8. - ' r*


a r c h is supposed to come in like a lion and go out like


: We have (so far) had drizzle; sleet; snow; a howling gale with torrential rain and now the last couple of days have been frosty and bright. This is all very confusing for the well-being of my lambs, cold and frosty is just perfect for the young lambs but, if it turns wet and windy during the night and they are a little frail they will suffer. So, some of the three’s must think they are ‘doing the Hokey Kokey’ they are in and out so much. When the sheep and


lambs go out into the field that is when you find out what fencing needs to be done. A fence that was fine last year suddenly turns out to need a major repair, how does one know? Usually it is the police control room call­ ing to say they have had a re­ port o f lambs on the road, are they ours? Even if they aren’t ours we generally . know who’s they are. As ever, by the time we


reach the reported breakout zone they have put them­ selves back in the field and it is a case of hunt the escape hatch! You think it is just a


March, 20nQ


bit o f . sheep netting


: needed g; for one


hole, but by the time you have finished you have had- to completely renew 20 yards of fence because you’ve come across other holes that are just lamb size. Believe me, they find them all! ■ Now that my lambing is al­ most finished, unlike the up­ land farmers with very large flocks who are just thinking about starting, my thoughts turn to the spring work. The land is now drying nicely and we can get all the muck and slurry out before the grass really begins to grow. lam also keeping a close eye on certain fields as I think they are nearly ready to roll. Tire ground has to be just


right to roll, too damp and you end up with half a field stuck round your roller and suddenly it is too heavy to pull. Too dry and nothing happens, the roller just bumps and jumps from lump to lump. Unfortunately, that is what happened to some areas last year. It was so wet last winter that when the ’ land did dry out there wasn’t enough time to get into every comer before it got


too hard. Those areas are the first priority this year. - Some neighbours who have a house against one o f my fields wanted to plant a hedge at the front to match


the field hedges around the house. Tlieyaskedmyad-


vice and I told them where to get the thorns and when they


. arrived I planted them for


them. Last week I was invit­ ed over to see how well their ‘twigs’ were shooting, lam


pleased to say they looked very strong and healthy - it


would have been very em­ barrassing had they not taken, my reputation would have been in tatters. Great things Hawthorn hedges, when well established they


are totally stock-proof, a good wind-break, they don’t fall down like panel fences


- and they support all sorts of birds and wild-life


In the kitchen, I am de­ lighted to report that the old


jam pan is off its hook again and the new marmalade has made an appearance. This year we have St Clement’s, whisky orange and plain or­ ange, I did mention there was no orange and ginger (another favourite) and was sharply told I should have made sure there was some crystallised ginger available if I was that keen.


.


- I see in a number of pa­ pers and magazines that Marmalade is the new‘in’ food, there are write-ups everywhere about this won­ derful substance (toast is just not the same without it) and a search instigated for the very best - easy, it can be found in my kitchen cup­ board!


We stock Polypipe the leading UK rnanufacturer of above and below ground


: drainage products and plastic piurhbing ds well as


______ underfloor heating systems.


pur extensive range also consists of Timber, MDB Plywood, Weyroc Flooring, Plasterboard, Blocks,


Velux, Bricks, Sand, Cement, Gravel, Roof Tiles, Hand & Po\ver ToolSi Plumbing Components and Fittings. And Much Much More. V ; -


Die winner


ofthe Januaiy ‘Where’s


wenyr competHion,


Caroline; Quinn of Botton4e- Sands, is presented withher prize by John Carr at JC Counby, Forton.


the green welly hidden somewhere in the magazine.


0 J


L^tmonth’swinncrofapairofwclliesis /t- year-old Isobd Armstrong, of Hazelhurst Drive,


ti1o..n................... .. ‘


. ,, .


Garstang, who correctly identified that the welly was located on page 14 of the February edition ot RuralLifc.:


‘Where’s Welly?’ is back again this month and ^ as ever the idea is simple-just have a look _


,


through this month’s Rural Life and spot the little green welly that will be tucked away somewhere - it could beinanarticle,onanadvertoronapic-


ture, so look carefully!; ; • - ■ Onceyou’veidentifiedwherethewellyis,sim-,„ ■ ; .


' ply fill in the coupon on this page telling us which ., , page the welly appears on, along with your name,


■ address and a contact telephone number.. ; ; We will draw the winner from the correct an-


I swers, with the lucky individual receiving a pair ol


lNCE again we’ve had loads of en- tries for our popular fun competi--, ‘Where’s Welly?’, a test to find /


NUt imu luaua W.-


Season’s bleatings


College farm holds second lambing weekend f.;:;; , y


Tk iTYERSCOUGHCol- I Y / | lege’s Lee Farm will


J .V Aagain be open to the public this coming Saturday and Sunday for the second of its popular Lambing Week­ ends. ■.


..... Following on from the tremen­


dous success of last year’s events, Myerscough College is holding two open weekends in March for the spring lambing season. The first was held last week­


end, but the second will be this coming weekend, March 21 and


'22;


Visitors can get the chance to in association wth


■ ■


watch lambs being born, hold them and learn about how they are looked after at Myerscough College’s Lee Farm in Bilsbor- row.


Activities There will also be children’s


arts and craft activities taking place in the barn on each day. Katy Pallas, Myerscough Col­


lege’s Schools’ Manager, com­ mented; “These weekends are al­ ways popular and provide a fun


day out for all the family. “The children love to see the


lambs and, as always, there will be plenty of activities for them to do.


where's


Name........ Surname.. Address....


“The weekends are normal


working days for the farm so it is a great chance to see the daily shepherd duties and learn about


farm life.” The farm is open on Satun l:i\


and Sunday from 10.30am until


3.30pm (Last entry at 3pm). Admission is just £2.50 pei


adult and £1 per child including refreshments (under fives free). For further information about


the Lambing Weekends at Lee Farm please call 01995 642222,


e-mail enquiries@myerscough.ac.uk or visit www.myerscough.ac.uk.


ENTRY w e l j y ? COUPON T H E ^ / Scorton, Garstang, Near Preston


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I-------------------------------------------- super new ‘Muckboot’ wellies, courteq; of our, sponsor, JC Country, of Forton, near Garstang.,,


1 S e n E r i^ td "where’s Welly?’, Rural Life,r Garslang Courier, 7 Pringle Court, Park Hill


; Road, Garstang, PR3ILN. Closing date for en-1 tries is April 6. Usual Courier/News, Lancaster. Guardian and Clitheroe Advertiser competition,


rules apply. and special o«em. By supplying^


RESTAURANT • TEA ROOMS • GUEST ACCOMMODATION


We are a f ^ i ly ruii resraurant MQ ;


- ■ • bar with guest accoininodation,;:;; "proud o f our 37,year history, o f usiiig ,, ^


; ■■:i“only local produce for home-made’[s:;; . ‘.T - s 'e traditional English dishes.


situated in S C O R T O N Newborn lambs at lastyeaFs event


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