I think we now have Little Egrets breeding in England. Certainly I saw one in the days before they bred here. Never seen a Hoopoe and probably never will now I live in these northern climes. But I am visiting England next week. I expect to see people sat in rockers on their stoops playing banjoes an...

And they’re great for softening aubergines before you flush them down the toilet!

I think most of the old things can still be found if you search even though they’ve been eclipsed by new technology. But two years ago I invested in a pressure cooker. When I was a lad every household had one. As a way of cooking second grade meat with minimal use of power they were good. Sure the s...

Kermit better watch out too.

Really! It’s Pimms, Ambre Solaire and budgie smugglers here.
Well, OK, it’s still and sunny. Makes looking after the critters a pleasure rather than something you put off until after lunch in the hope the weather will improve. Never does.

They also say they’re intelligent animals too. They have an old buoy hanging from the ceiling for their amusement. Nevertheless they seem to delight in throwing their food and water containers about. Very house trained though, always pooing in the same corner of the barn in which they over winter. T...

Never kept pigs and never wanted too. But this last four days I’ve been tending a neighbours pigs while he’s away in England. He doesn’t breed them or eat them. He keeps them as ploughs to rotationally graze, dig and fertilise his land. They are friendly enough but when I appear to feed them it’s co...

Every year since Moses was a child I’ve started saving eggs on March 7th for incubation on March 21st. This year only about a third of my hens are in lay. They’ve been flubenvetted, treated for any possible ecto parasites and appear to be in excellent health and in the last month all have developed ...

Well that’s funny because every morning at dawn there are a pair of ravens walking up and down the apex of my roof pecking at it. It sounds like they’re wearing hobnail boots. But they never return during the day, it’s only at dawn. I put it down to a personal vendetta though you’d think they’d be g...

Haute couture for me. Lacoste, Pierre Cardin, Galiano, non! My tailor of choice is Dickies. Overalls, body warmers, work shirts etc. Remember when clothes were made for warmth, durability and cost? Like you bigjim, fleecy hats, sun caps, an alpaca beanie (knitted by a neighbour). Boots, wellies and ...