Yew Tree

2010-10-18T04:43:00.000-07:00

A photo of the kitchen area from Nov last year

2010-10-18T04:37:00.000-07:00

One of our two resident owls last winter ona fence post

2010-10-18T04:34:00.000-07:00

A photo of the extension taken earlier this year before the roof and windows were done

2010-10-18T04:10:00.000-07:00

LouLou and Thomas

2010-10-18T04:09:00.000-07:00

Nelly and Sammy Jo

2010-10-18T04:06:00.000-07:00

Lulu and Hadleigh in the top field

2010-10-18T03:52:00.000-07:00

Putting the ridge tiles on the farmhouse roof

2010-10-18T03:48:00.000-07:00

Just goes to prove that nightfall is no excuse for not working. Look at Johnny's lovely cheeky little smile - he so loves working for me.

2010-10-18T03:44:00.000-07:00

I don't know which was scarier - being on the roof or having to wear a gay builder's belt.......

2010-10-18T03:41:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like slating the roof in the rain.

2010-10-18T03:35:00.000-07:00

Beginning to concrete the kitchen floor

2009-10-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

The snug.

2009-10-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

Ems tries to talk Teddy down from the scaffolding.

2009-10-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

Much excitement in the caravan this week with the arrival of our front door. With Tont's lovely steps to the left.

2009-10-25T13:24:00.000-07:00

And the kitchen under construction.

2009-10-25T13:22:00.000-07:00

The ground floor extension begins to take shape.

2009-10-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

The oak frame.

2009-10-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

The crane lifting the oak frame pieces into place.

2009-10-25T13:13:00.000-07:00

The fireplace in the old farmhouse being repaired.

2009-10-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

The completed wall and understairs cupboard - all we need now are some stairs!

2009-10-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

The scaffolding in place ready for the oak frame to go up.

2009-10-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

An October sunset at Yew Tree

2009-10-13T12:17:00.001-07:00

Poor little Johnny!

Late one evening after one shandy too many he stubbed his little toe on a stool and fell to the floor sobbing pitifully. When I'd wiped away his tears and picked him up for a cuddle I eventually managed to settle him down with his blanky.

2009-10-13T12:14:00.000-07:00

Santa came early this year and only just missed the chimney!

2009-10-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

The goat shelter

2009-07-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

2009-07-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

The under stairs cupboard wall being constructed

2009-07-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

And the view from the other side of the doorway

2009-07-30T14:05:00.000-07:00

The new doorway from the kitchen into the snug being constructed.

2009-06-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

Inside the polytunnel.

2009-06-23T12:22:00.000-07:00

The patio area outside the polytunnel.

2009-06-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

Teddy champions the rights of gay builders everywhere - how cute is he?

2009-04-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

It soon became clear why the Polish labourers came so cheap!

2009-04-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

Johnny came straight from his other job as a member of a Village People tribute band.

2009-04-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

You can't be a real gypsy without a horse. This is Melissa's friend Hadly who's come to stay for a few days.

2009-04-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

A daffodil in the garden

2009-04-08T04:55:00.000-07:00

The chickens sunbathing on the hay. With the new gate to the goat shelter behind.

2009-04-08T04:31:00.000-07:00

Johnny putting up the oak edging around one of the upstairs windows - a ten minute job normally if Johnny didn't keep stopping every few minutes to ask if his bum looked too big ("Of course not" I said - yes, I lied)

2009-04-08T04:22:00.000-07:00

The new steps going up the vegetable patch

2009-04-08T02:49:00.000-07:00

Flossie, Meg, Bubble & Squeak in the top field in the snow

2009-04-08T02:46:00.000-07:00

The roof elf comes to visit Yew Tree.

2008-11-11T06:39:00.000-08:00

Early morning at Yew Tree

2008-10-06T13:57:00.000-07:00

Meggie & Flossie decide to see what chicken food really tastes like.

2008-10-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

The new woodburner which was put in last saturday.

2008-08-12T06:02:00.000-07:00

The new arrivals - Cleo is our female goat - her babies are Bilbo and Daisy. We brought them down from Cumbria in the back of a van. Daisy is the brains of the outfit - climbing on her mothers back to reach the trees and scaling walls ten times the size of her. Poor Bilbo was at the back of the queue for brains and keeps getting left behind by his Mum and Daisy and crying pitifully to be picked up and taken to them.

2008-08-12T05:58:00.000-07:00

Bilbo and Daisy check out Johnny's handiwork.

2008-06-08T05:30:00.000-07:00

Teddy's not sure what to make of the new arrivals. They're not sure what to make of Teddy either.

2008-06-08T05:29:00.000-07:00

Our very first egg!!

2008-06-08T05:22:00.000-07:00

Our new girls - 12 ex battery hens. A couple are in quite a good condition but most have large bald areas and no feathers on their wings. We collected them yesterday and have had ten eggs already.

2008-06-05T02:55:00.000-07:00

Meg after being sheared for the very first time.

2008-06-05T02:32:00.000-07:00

The veg patch!

2008-05-31T15:24:00.000-07:00

They were eventually tempted out with a handful of food and the promise of a weekend in London with Sean!

2008-05-31T15:22:00.000-07:00

Today I put up the chicken coop in readiness for the 12 ex battery hens we'll be collecting next Saturday. Bubble and Squeak popped in to give it the once over.

2008-05-06T14:21:00.000-07:00

2008-05-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

Isn't she
gorgeous?

2008-05-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

We have some new additions to the family. Bubble and Squeak - two three week old lambs who have agreed (after some intense negotiations) to keep the grass down to a reasonable level.

2008-03-13T14:43:00.000-07:00

A poorly Melissa being looked after by Cassie and Lily.

2008-03-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

Johnny tends to get a bit grumpy when we run out of fluffy coffee.

2008-03-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

Some of the plasterboard in place upstairs.

2008-03-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

Today we said "Bonjour" to a delivery of oak floorboards from France. Well worth the wait.

2008-03-07T04:06:00.000-08:00

Not the best picture - but this is the new Yew Tree sign which now hangs off the tree at the top of the drive.

2008-02-16T12:23:00.000-08:00

Another fantastic photo by Melissa from below Yew Tree looking towards the hills.

2008-02-16T12:19:00.000-08:00

A picture taken by Melissa from the field below Yew Tree.

2008-02-11T10:34:00.000-08:00

Mind you the transformation from Johnny to Joanne didn't come easy.

2008-02-10T08:15:00.000-08:00

Sometimes Johnny likes to be called Joanne. Not sure the wig's his colour though.

2008-02-10T08:13:00.000-08:00

He came, He saw but only Johnny knew the location of his conkers.

2008-02-10T08:08:00.000-08:00

The new floor upstairs in the bedroom and Johnny's coat!

2008-02-10T08:06:00.000-08:00

This is a view from the top field towards Snowdonia.

2008-02-10T08:04:00.000-08:00

Farmer Sean wonders where all the sheep are hiding.

2008-01-15T05:43:00.000-08:00

A view to the front.

2008-01-15T05:40:00.000-08:00

Another view of the buildings from the top field.

2008-01-15T05:15:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you try to catch a beam on your nose - actually, between you and me this is really the result of a slight disagreement with the builder. Total overreaction in my view - I merely said "I've seen one legged snails work faster than you" and "It's not just TV that adds a couple of stone to your backside." Oh and I might have commented on his uncanny likeness to Barbara Windsor (he's only 4ft 3) - and the fact that when he sings even the sheep put their feet in their ears - apart from that I didn't say a word!

2008-01-15T05:05:00.000-08:00

The builder and the plumber having another disagreement!

2008-01-15T05:03:00.000-08:00

Work in progress!

2008-01-15T05:01:00.000-08:00

Teddy's not afraid to tell the world he likes sequins and pink!!

2008-01-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

The pups (Teddy, Ginger & Cassie) asleep in the caravan.

2008-01-15T04:53:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken from the top field looking down over the house and caravans.

2008-01-15T04:50:00.000-08:00

Emma-Leigh up the drive!

2008-01-15T04:43:00.000-08:00

Melissa up a tree!

2008-01-14T12:50:00.000-08:00

The lengths we have to go to in order to keep warm. Somewhere under the blanket of puppies is Melissa......

2008-01-14T12:48:00.000-08:00

A snowy day in early December - taken from the caravan window.

2007-12-21T07:18:00.000-08:00

Hmm....... we're not so sure about the new plumber!!

The Gugywagon

2007-11-08T11:38:00.000-08:00

This is the official weekend residence of the infamous "Gugster". Previously a general layabout he's now pretending to be our builder!! Evidence of his presence include empty Penguin wrappers, books about Jack The Ripper and a three legged pussy cat purring happily. We interviewed several people for this key role but settled on Guges for five reasons:

1. He was cheap.

2. He pretends to know what he's doing.

3. He keeps the kids entertained with his world famous hunchback impressions.

4. He agreed to call me boss even though he's my older brother.

5. It's great fun poking him with a sharp stick. Especially when he's asleep.

2007-11-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

A view down the valley in front of the house on a sunny, Sunday November morning with the mist clearing.

2007-11-06T11:56:00.000-08:00

This is one of our fields. We have 7 acres in all - mainly in two paddocks behind the house and alongside the drive. We also have some land in front of the farm buildings too.

2007-11-06T11:53:00.000-08:00

And this is the view from the caravan window - and Pixie!

2007-11-06T11:52:00.000-08:00

2007-11-06T11:50:00.000-08:00

This is our caravan which we're living in whilst we renovate the farm buildings to make our new home.