December 2010 Archives

Hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year....

Apologies if postings are a little sparse over the next few days. Rachel and I will both be recovering from an excess of turkey and mince pies.

This guy's incredible. The bond he has with the horses - not to mention his agility and athleticism - is amazing. Meet the Great Lorenzo.

According to newspaper reports, the 'Pembrokeshire panther' has struck again....

I'm beginning to think about Christmas lunch. And it's making me hungry.

I was slightly alarmed by the talk of turkey rustling (do you rustle turkeys - or should it be called 'flapping') in The Telegraph, and slightly worried by the huge number of calories in a typical Christmas lunch - but neither will prevent me tucking into one of my favourite meals of the year.

I see the Food Standards Agency has even issued some turkey cooking tips...

One of the best aspects of being involved with the Farmers Weekly Photography Competition is seeing the many and varied pet photos.

Many are working animals - but there's always a high cute quota, as well.

In adddition to the winner and commended pictures in this category, I've also picked my favourite 10 other cat and dog pictures. They show our favourite farmyard pets doing what they do best: hunting, sleeping, even driving a digger...

Farmers Weekly is today announcing the winners and commended entries in its 2010 Photography Competition. You can see them all here. 

Farmers know better than most about the link between humans and horses and dogs.

It's certainly something that's captured the imagination of Tim Flach - who's come up with a unique photographic perspective on man's best friend.

I visited his exhibition in London yesterday and adored the pictures, which feature canines in varied settings around the world - looking variously cute, fierce, funny and downright weird.

More TV news. The BBC is about to launch a new comedy, Accidental Farmer.

A 60-minute pilot will air on December 21 and it'll star Ashley Jensen, who's been in Extras and Ugly Betty.

She plays Erin, a high-powered, London-based ad executive who has it all - until she discovers her boyfriend has cheated on her. 

She wreaks revenge by abusing his credit card buying, among other things, a run-down farm in Yorkshire.

Erin decides to try to make a go of it. Little does she realise she'd be sharing a bed with an octogenarian sitting tenant, fending off an inebriated handyman, being shouted at by a horsey neighbour, embarrassing herself in front of the dishy vet - not to mention living with a piglet.

Hard to tell from the advanced publicity what the show is going to be like. Sounds like it's got shades of the truly terrible Green Green Grass, but I'll reserve judgement...

After my post yesterday about Don't Tell the Bride, here's a bit more TV talk.

I've just been told that Matt Baker, who's in the running to win Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday, is a farmer's son. 

Bet he hasn't been practising the Viennese waltz out in the County Durham fields.

It's official - farmers hate shopping more than anyone else.

A survey by Viking Direct shows that farmers hate the Christmas shopping experience far more than any other profession.

The armed forces and those in banking and finance are close behind - whereas scientists and travel agents are the least likely to dodge a strip round the shops in search of festive gifts.

The study also suggested that teachers are the biggest penny-pinchers (surprisingly) that teenagers hate the whole experience (not so surprising) and that people in sales and marketing are the most thoughtful and generous (very surprising!)

First off, I feel obliged to point out that I didn't watch this. I watch some TV that my colleagues dub 'rubbish', but I haven't been watching the latest series of Don't Tell The Bride.

My colleague, Rachel, has though and was amused to see a farmer - Nathan from Kidderminster - feature in the latest episode.

Apparently, the best man booked him in for a manicure ahead of the big day, but his hands were so dirty he ended up having to have them bleached.

You can still catch the show on iPlayer.

Do you want the good news or the bad news?

I'll start with the bad - this Sunday will be your last chance to see the now infamous Yeo Valley advert on TV.

I'm sure loads of people will be sad to see it go, but to mark the occasion the people behind the ad have given Sunday's version an extra-special festive twist (that's the good news).

FW has put in a few phone calls to find out exactly what this mysterious twist will be, but frustratingly their lips are sealed. I think "sworn to secrecy" was the exact phrase they used.

A spokesman for Yeo Valley was, however, happy to tell us that "it's a bit of fun, and we hope all those people who've contacted us to say they love the campaign, like it."

The 40-second ad will be airing as a special one-off in the first ad break of the live X-Factor final, so I'm afraid you'll have to wait until then to find out what the Yeo Valley lot have got up their sleeves.

And if you're anything like me, you'll be considerably more excited about what happens in the ad, than what happens in the X-Factor final.

Step aside Yeo Valley, a dairy in Doddington is hoping to make its very own assault on the Christmas charts with a farm-themed song.



Produced by pop svengali Simon Cow (see what they did there?) the single and accompanying video is launched today on YouTube and is also available to download from www.doddingtonicecream.co.uk. Each download costs £1, with all proceeds going to Cancer Research.

Who knew dairy farms were such a hot bed of musical talent? Must be something in the milk.

Mike Raw's emailed me, asking for helping tracking down some Newcastle University students from the 1970s.

Mike sent over a picture taken in 1974, showing a big group of Agrics outside a pub (now there's a surprise) and he's keen to get in touch with as many of them as possible.

You can look at the picture here.

If you're in it, or recognise anyone who is, why not drop Mike an email.

This stunning picture, taken by Jim Wilson on Rannoch Moor in Glencoe, is just one of those shortlisted in the Farmers Weekly Photography Competition 2010. See the newly announced shortlist here. The winners will be announced on December 17. 

I don't want you to think this is smutty blog. It's not like that at all. We've just had a run of semi-clothed and naked people.

First it was the Essex ladies risking frostbite, then it was the Faringdon Young Farmers risking rope burn. 

Today it's those good sports at Newcastle Agricultural Society, who have braved the freezing Northumberland weather and stripped off to produce a rustic 'n rural calendar.

They're raising money for Headway, a charity which supports people with brain injuries.

They chose the organisation because one of their friends, Simon Hales - who was halfway through his time at Newcastle University studying Agriculture - had a serious accident. Now, a year into his recovery, Simon is living in a specialist residential brain rehabilitation centre in Northamptonshire and recovering well.

Laura White, a fellow third-year Agric and co-organiser (plus photographer) of the calendar described the shoots as "nippy, to say the least".

Simon's good progress is, say the calendar stars, "a testament to his own determination and the fantastic support both he and the family have received from the hospitals and Headway".

You may even remember seeing Simon on TV in a Channel 4 documentary, My New Brain, earlier this year.

Calendars are £6 each or two for £10, with packing and postage at £1.50 each. They'll be available from December 9. Get hold of a calendar by emailing Anna.

If, for any reason, you want to see any of these pictures blown up (as it were) simply click on them.

It's not just the brave ladies of Essex who are stripping off - Faringdon Young Farmers have been at it, too.

Happy couple Julie and Eric Boston-Derry were the talk of the town (well, the village) when they arrived for their wedding at Gentleshaw Church in Staffordshire a John Deere 7930. 

"We are both from farming stock so it seemed to be the best form of transport," says Julie. "It also meant there was no chance that the snow would stop us from tying the knot!

"The reaction was amazing - from the moment we left the house, people were waving, beeping horns and clapping, although I needed a little help to get the rather big dress in the cab.

"It was a very proud day for my sister who gave me away in honour of my father, Edward Boston, who was killed in a farming accident when I was younger."

Who says farm models are for kids?

It's big business, with many adults passionate about modern and vintage farm models.

An American man has finished his potato-athon.

Chris Voigt of the Washington State Potato Commission has eaten exclusively potatoes for the two months, finishing the epic spud spree yesterday.

He embarked on the meal regime in a bid to disprove claims that potatoes were unhealthy.

Chris has lost a stone and a half in weight, but appears to have suffered no ill health and has even seen his cholesterol level improve.

"Physically I feel great," commented Chris, who weighed 14 stone when he began the diet at the beginning of October.

He finished the feat planning a belated Thanksgiving turkey supper. And, yes, you guessed it - it was with roast potatoes.