February 2008 Archives

Some people get all the fun assignments.

So, James scooped the honours on MasterChef last night. A worthy winner, I reckon, although Emily's someone to watch - it seems inconceivable that she won't be a very famous chef in a few years' time. It was compulsive viewing - roll on the next series...

Anyone remember the band Blur? Well fans might be interested to hear that one of their members, Alex James, is now writing a column in The Independent about country life.

Can't help but feel this blog is turning into Have I Got News For You - but seeing as we've been talking about obscure mags, here's another poultry-related one a colleague of mine drew my attention to.

I'm sure it's fascinating. If you're interested in poultry. And understand French. Neither, sadly, of which I do.

A couple of dates for your diary.

First, don't forget tonight's the final of MasterChef. My money's on James (even if that nice Mr Torode wouldn't give me any insider info).

I should have kept my mouth shut.

If I thought Camping and Caravanning was bad, now this. Guess what came into the office this morning? A magazine about chickens. In Dutch.

I know they say farming's a dangerous job - but this takes it to new levels.

Water voles can sleep a little more easily.

It's already an offence to disturb their habitat - but from April 6 it will become an offence to kill or injure one.

There's been a lot in the news this week about the global seed vault that's been set up in the Arctic Circle. Well here are some photos of it.

If you haven't heard about the Save our Bacon campaign, here are some details - including the Stand By Your Ham song released by a group of pig farmers. They're not exactly U2, but you can't fault them for trying.

Not every day you get contacted by Richard Curtis, is it.

Well I haven't exactly, technically, been contacted by him - but that's the way I'm telling it.

Farmers Weekly's agony uncle Farmer Frank has been at it again. He’s been dispensing more of his no-nonsense (OK, not entirely nonsensical) rural remedies on matters of health, of the heart and of hard cash. Fans of the straight-talking therapist can see what he’s got to say below. Those who are easily offended should look away now.

Have a good look at this bird. Have a really good look.

According to The Independent, it's likely to become the first British bird to become extinct since 1840.

Is this someone's idea of a joke? Well?

I've made my views on caravans perfectly clear in the past. And now this - a copy of Camping and Caravanning arrived in the post for me today.

You know I told you I had lunch the other day with the bloke off MasterChef.

Well here's why.

If you want to read a few additional nuggets of info and gossip about John, scroll down.

Funny, how you remember some places all your life.

After the huge cane toads and dinosaur-eating frogs, this lot seem altogether mollycoddled: toads that can’t even cross the road by themselves.

Huskies have already been put to use on a mush trail in North Yorks - now someone in the Dales has decided to use hair from them for clothing.

It's no fun being a rabbit these days.

You spend most of your time avoiding myxomatosis, only to come home and find someone's blown hell out of your house. The short video clip at the bottom of the story is well worth a watch. The thing lets off quite a bang!

How do you like your news: serious and fact-filled or slightly more sensationalised?

Because, seeing as we’ve been on the subject of non-native species, the varying treatments this story has received has made me laugh.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been at the NFU Centenary Conference this week.

You can read what the PM had to say here, or follow other news from the event on the Food For Thought blog.

You know Scottish wildcats are back in the news today. Well I think I've spotted one. In Surrey. No, seriously.

Cane toads might think they're tough - but they've got nothing on these frogs. They eat dinosaurs for breakfast.

Bored with counting birds and moles?

You could always try wildcats.

So, this month is all set to be the sunniest February on record. Well there's a surprise.

While we're on the subject of films, I watched Cloverfield last night and there was a trailer for a scary rural movie - a comedy-horror called The Cottage which features a psychopathic farmer. I'm sure we've all met one or two of those..

The countryside can be pretty spooky at times – and one filmmaker has decided to turn this to his advantage.

Had lunch today with John Torode (sorry, can't resist a bit of name dropping) at his Smiths of Smithfield restaurant.

Only one major faux pas. I ordered the wild mushroom risotto which was probably a mistake seeing as the guy's so famous for his beef. He immediately wanted to know if I was a vegetarian!

Jeremy Clarkson may have slagged them off - but Land Rovers still have a staunch following. My pal David has just had one on test for a week - here's what he made of it.

Now I like wildlife. But there is a limit. I mean, £60,000 to move four newts. Come off it...

Next you'll be telling me there are people out there who put coats on chickens!

Naked chalk giants are obviously in.

Cerne Abbas, famous for its 180ft hillside carving, has been named the most desirable village in Britain, according to estate agents Savills.

What a great idea this is - a scheme which sees rural churches and post offices working together to protect village services.

Below is a sneak preview of an article Tessa Gates has written for next week's Farmers Weekly about the subject.

Farmers have come up with some imaginative ideas over the years to raise awareness of problems in the indutry. The latest is a song by pig farmers. Great idea - but I doubt it's going to be troubling the Number 1 spot.

Wow, how exciting. I’ve just been given the opportunity to go and interview John Torode from Masterchef.

I went into journalism because I wanted to change the world. When I did my training, I had visions of breaking important news stories, chasing world exclusives, mingling with the great and good.

Fair to say I never anticipated this: sitting at my desk with four colleagues at six o'clock on Wednesday discussing a stuffed squirrel.

Another of my pet subjects: the way kids aren’t allowed to do the things that kids should be allowed to do these days.

I know I sound like a right old git here – but it’s true. Yes, there are lots of good reasons why parents might mollycoddle kids but when I was a young I’d disappear for whole days out into the countryside.

Others are also aware of this lack of connection kids have with the natural environment and Country Living magazine has launched the ‘Bring Back the Nature Table’ campaign, designed to reconnect children with nature by encouraging UK schools to set up nature tables.

... and while we're on the subject of rural services, we've been contacted by a lady called Ailsa in the village of Childrey in Oxfordshire.

They're working hard to ensure the survival of their post office, and there are details on the village website. Good luck with it.

Talking of booze, this sounds like a splendid idea - and one that could provide a much-needed boost for village pubs: CAMRA's Community Pub Week. It kicks off this weekend.

We've featured big bullocks (I was doubly careful of my spelling there), cattle in cars and now a photo of what's claimed to be the biggest bullock ever, Two Ton Tony.

I've got nothing against the DEFRA secretary Hilary Benn. At least, I certainly didn't have.

It's not just shops and post offices that are at risk in rural areas - libraries are, too, according to the Lib Dems.

Talking of the Lib Dems and village services, rural pubs might have found their takings down, too, since their ex-leader Charles Kennedy quit the booze!

A few years back, incidentally, I spent a day travelling round rural west Kent with one of the County Council's mobile libraries. The article I wrote about my experience is below.

First a white robin then a white sparrow – whatever next, a white deer?

Well yes, actually.

Another unlikely consequence of the warm weather - tortoises coming out of hibernation early.

Still, it's not exactly as if they're going to make a break for it or anything (not like the trout and salmon).

The unseasonably mild weather over the weekend prompted the usual raft of stories in the media about people doing spring or summer-like activities in February. This is one of the few that warrants a second glance, though: a guy practising what, apparently, is set to become a popular new sport: horse-surfing.

Bearing in mind, I'm not fond of water and I hate horses, I think I'll give this one a miss.

You find cats in the funniest places.

First it was the one on the man's shoulder at a farm sale and now this one, also snapped by reader Tessa, catching a few Zzzzs in a church on The Isle of Wight.

Forget all the other veg, now there's been an audacious bid by the tomato to shake off the shakles of the 'humble' tag.

You can't knock this lot for trying. And I'm sure it's supposed to be funny - but there's something a bit uncomfortable about this video.

He breakfast on specially-prepared sardines on toast, works out with a personal trainer, relaxes by his swimming pool, then has a massage and manicure.

This picture is amazing. A cormorant swallowing a footlong pike. Whole.

We've discussed Land Rovers before. People, it seems, either love 'em or loathe 'em.

Motormouth Jeremy Clarkson is in the latter category. The Land Rover Defender 90 Td5 features on his list of 25 worst cars.

Here's another odd tradition.

You know I mentioned how tight the security was at the House of Lords yesterday.

This is all we need.

As if there isn't enough rat-related stuff around, I learn today is the first day of the Chinese New Year. And, guess what, it's the year of the rat!

OK, I know I bang on about my cats – but ultimately I know (I hope) that they’re animals.

Not sure the same could be said of this woman.

I’ve just got back from the House of Lords where the four national winners in the Best Rural Retailer competition have been announced - here are details of these four inspirational businesses.

You can also check out the BRR site for details of all the regional winners and commended entries - and if you want to know five things I've learnt today during my trip to the smoke, see below.

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I like this picture.

With a lot of village schools facing the threat of closure, some people are saying such small schools simply aren’t worth saving.

I disagree - and so was heartened by the recent demonstrations against possible closures. I still remember my village primary school – it was like a extended family and a great environment in which to learn. Have I just got my rose-tinted spectacles on here?

Country people despairing of finding love can take hope from a survey conducted by NFU Mutual – as long as they are aged 45 or over.

Nature is confused by the weather, apparently. It's not the only one: I'm hoping to go walking on the North Downs this weekend - and haven't a clue whether I'll need a hat and scarf or T-shirt and shorts!

One pancake event that won't be happening this year....

Depending who you listen to, Pancake Day (which is today) is either thriving or dying as a tradition.

Who says wax jackets are solely the preserve of the huntin' shootin' and fishin' fraternity? They're set to become the latest must-have fashion accessory after a raft of celebrities have been spotted sporting them, according to one newspaper.

Like poetry? Interested in cows?

Then check out this post on the fascinating Round The Water Trough blog which is written by my friend Hannah Velten.

She's got to give a talk at Cambridge University (no pressure, then!) and is after some comments on three cow poems.

I've eulogised about Somerset before. It's a county I adore.

Seems like Nicholas Cage (an actor I'm not a big fan of) is similarly smitten with the place.

I seem to keep coming back to sausages.

There was the sausage poem, the Great Hampshire Sausage, Pie and Ready Meal Competition and now news reaches me of a sausage video.

Let it never be said that Field Day doesn't have an educational dimension.

Us non-Welsh speakers discovered recently what the word 'cwcth' means and, continuing in a similar theme, I've now learnt what ‘Gwdihŵ’ means.

This is unfortunate timing.

It's only five days until the results of the Best Rural Retailer competition are announced.

Well done to Oscar for winning the Slimmer of the year competition. Oscar, incidentally, is a dog.