Watty's Awakening

Cherryfudge

Good on you, CC - don't let That Pig think he's won!

@Watty1, I'm glad you've found something that gives you insight and also that you were able to be kind to yourself. If you can take the work pressure off yourself a little, it may help.

Watty1

Cherryfudge said:

He dropped off FB though a bit of a search and I found someone who might be him. The whole thing showed what a wonderful community we have here on MSE.

We really do.   It might be an anon forum but the sense of 'community' is just wonderful and the shared wisdom and support so meaningful.  It really is a delight

I am all to aware of the awful buildings and to be sure one thing that worries me about leaving my little corner of the UK is finding trades but to be fair it is hard enough finding them here actually

Watty1

Cherryfudge said:

Watty1 said:

Not even that blog post has put me off Lamb Paddock, but, the VNM is not for budging. I will however investigate how to pop into the auction on line - you know - "just in case" and all that

If you're on FB, have a look at the North Yorkshire Weather Updates before committing to anything - the Dales can have some note-worthy extremes. Mind you, I expect Exmoor can as well.

And just how much did VNM send you to warn me about the weather?

It is a consideration, I am in the South East and it is warm and sunny here, a delight that may not extend to the more remote parts of the UK.   However, even that can have  a down side..  The warm sunny and very dry year this year has had a serious impact on grass and hay.

Yesterday I ordered my next lot of hay and the price per round bale has gone from £50 to £70 which is quite a jump.  I was expecting a jump given the weather. I took the horses off one field to rest it to give me winter grazing and the grass has simply not grown. I do not have winter grazing so will need to feed twice as much hay. 

Financially I can manage but as I went to bed last night I did sent out good thoughts for all those that must be looking at their fields and budgets and struggling. There will I think be a substantial welfare issue this year

The farmer I buy from asked if I wanted to "shop around" before committing to a delivery and I said no, simply because if it is a hard winter I will need hay and loyalty counts then.  In past years he has never hiked the price to me when hay starts to run short, and I know he has quoted much higher to people who just call to see if "he has any left".    He appreciated the honesty.  Plus, he owed me a credit for knocking down my wall so I used that to buy the hay.   We had a lovely chat, he was telling me about a 45 acre field he baled and got 45 bales off, whereas in past years he might have expected 8 to 10 times that.  

I'm going to work out how often I get through hay and start to put aside an amount each month for it. I've never done that before, but, with the lack of winter grazing here I have already started to put hay in the field.  

carolbee

I too am in South East, near Margate in fact, and currently looking to move westwards near family. I follow the weather there and it’s definitely wetter. However the draw, apart from family, is the huge amount of building work on farmland here is quite awful and there’s a lot more open space at our planned relocation spot. 

We don’t need to buy hay etc but I’m sure it’s a rea worry for horse owners 

Cherryfudge

I grew up in the northwest and can confirm that it's wetter 't'other side a'Pennines' by quite a long way. I've also lived in the south east for about five years and noticed it's drier, warmer but shorter days in summer. Mind you, most of that time I was in London so the city shelters you from natural weather to some extent.

Watty1 said:
And just how much did VNM send you to warn me about the weather?

Now that would be telling.

The other aspect is that I've been in the Council's emergencies and resilience department and seen the display of photos of disasters they've dealt with over the years: at sea, at Hillsborough and during the Dales floods. I also know that as many folk are heading home on a winter's evening, there's a whole fleet of gritters trundling out of town to try to keep the main roads open. As there are five and half thousand miles of roads in North Yorkshire, side roads don't get gritted and it definitely affects working patterns for those who live outside towns. I don't remember exactly where Lamb Paddock is: it could be into Lancashire, but the high Pennine conditions don't respect county boundaries all that well.

And as for hay... when we had our holiday down in Bath, I noticed it's drier than here, completely parched, possibly because it's been hotter. Here; the grass has started to grow again, though of course that won't make hay. It does sound like a hard winter for farmers and everyone who needs a good supply of hay.

Bargainhunter30

I can confirm that Yorkshire can not be classed as sunny and warm 😂 although I wasn't there this summer to witness the impact of global warming!

Cherryfudge

Bargainhunter30 said:

I can confirm that Yorkshire can not be classed as sunny and warm 😂 although I wasn't there this summer to witness the impact of global warming!

This year it's definitely been warm and sunny - and the first place to declare a water shortage!

badmemory

It has been warm & sunny here too.  I don't remember a summer like it & my heating has been interesting to watch.  I do not turn it off or down even at night, ever.  The most I have ever had is 2 months without it coming on & this year I have gone 4 months.  I live about 40miles SW of Skipton, so not exactly the sunny south.

Watty1

@carolbee   I totally understand your comments about the amount of building work in this little corner. I think one day it might just snap off and sink into sea under the weight.   It is partly for that reason I want to move as I think if we stay here in Kent, we will just be in the same position in a few years time.
@badmemory see Skipton area has been warm, you have been without heating -and to be honest that is irrelevant really as Lamb Paddock doesn't actually have real heating anyway (remember it doesn't actually have a complete roof so I think heating bills are a way down the line )
@Cherryfudge  I accept I will not get gritters!  Way to off the main roads for that.  I have been snowed in here in Kent so  it will be just the same only more isolated and for longer.  I will need a large freezer and to start stashing food.   The first few years we moved here to this cottage I did that, round about mid October I would start cooking and make easy foods like chilli and stew and soups and have bags of potatoes in the barn.   With a full freezer I thought we would be fine.  I'll just need a larger one as I can expect to be snowed in for some time there!

On a more serious note, there is me planning how I would cope when I can barely muster the energy to cook much at the moment.  I have however done a meal plan and ordered food from it, plus a bit for stores.

Watty1

I can confirm crumble at chez Watty was attempted and a disaster.  Feeling smug at my beautifully rubbed in mix,  I removed a pot from the cupboard and stirred through the "sugar" as I was adding it to the crumble I thought it looked "gritty" and yes, dear friends, it was salt.

Blech.

Second go - I made another one but I didn't put in enough fat and the crumble topping was not exactly crumble. I am planning on just stewing the apples now and we can some with custard over winter. 

I am so over the idea of crumble