My Dad's New Crazy Idea

My dad, as I am sure many of you out there can sympathise with, is one of those Dads who pretty much every week comes up with a new outlandish idea to solve an on going problem or tackle a big DIY project. The example my family always use to highlight this is the bird table he once built. It currently sits on a 45 degree angle and hangs off the garden fence by a few screws and a bit of rusty bracket but as my Dad says, at least it has a perch for the birds to sit on!

This always causes much amusement whenever it is brought up over meal times and things like that, but it really does typify our Dad's imagination. Another thing about my Dad is that he is a farmer. Well actually he just likes to pretend he is a farmer, really he sells fertilisers to farmers and stuff like that, and keeps a pair of wellies in his boot at all times. That kind of a farmer. However, a couple of years ago my sister suddenly decided that she wanted some chickens. So my family did the most rash thing they have ever done in their lives. We decided to get chickens.

We spent a few weekends building chicken runs (which I designed, just thought I should point that out. Why my parents trusted me to design and build a chicken run, heaven only knows) and getting everything ready for the arrival of 4 new members of the family. With me and my sister solemnly promising to look after them, and then of course not looking after them, my Dad has sort of started a farm in our garden. we now have 12 chickens, numerous vegetables growing in random corners of the garden and a greenhouse, as well as I believe 2 grape vines, with the intentions that one day they may grow enough grapes for us to actually make some wine from (it's never going to happen).

Now Farmer Dad is on the hunt for some more stuff to put in his farm... trouble is he has sort of ran out of space in the garden. Naturally he has turned to the family smallholding in the Yorkshire Dales, where we now spend our weekends and holidays... And any other free time we have...

One of the fields that belongs to my Great Uncle, sits behind 3 lovely holiday cottages which as you may or may not be aware we are currently in the stages of "doing up" slowly but surely, to the extent where we just spent our family summer holiday fitting a new kitchen. And painting windows. Standard.

Anyway this field has 3 problems: Long grass, nettles and rabbits. A lot of rabbits. Think Wallace and Gromit and then some. My Dad's solution to these problems... wait for it... Get some sheep. That is right. My Dad would like to get a to quote "small flock of sheep" (apparently they don't like being on their own, ya know, because they are highly sensitive creatures) to keep the grass down and expose the rabbits so that they all "bugger off." And these are to be kept in a field 130 miles away. Actually 131 to be exact. 

The thing is though, I may mock my Dads crazy ideas, but they are ingenious, I have to give him that. So you never know, in a year's time I could be writing a post to you from the lovely dales of Yorkshire surrounds by thousands of sheep.

The trouble with this whole thing is, is that all I will be able to sing on the journey up there is "It's Shaun the Sheep, It's Shaun the Sheep" And I don't think there is any more to that theme tune so I could be a long drive up the A1/M1/AM1/(A)(M)1/North Road Thingy...

Thanks for reading!

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The Yorkshire Rose

As some of you may know, I am from Yorkshire. Well actually when I say I am from Yorkshire  I am really lying a little bit. I don't really know where I am from, however I do know that my family are from Yorkshire. Is that enough to be a Yorkshireman? I am going to say yes.

And the reason for this is I find myself picking up all the little phrases and sayings and philosophies. Things like "that'll do" is something which I have now become more and more in touch with, pretty much applying it to anything and everything.

Alongside this the usual "You don't get nothing for nothing" has become a big part of my way of thinking, which is not all together a bad thing. Basically it has stopped me spending so much money on stuff that I don't really need!

Not only these things though, but having spent a large amount of time driving up and down the M1 in my Yorkshire born-and-bred morris minor, I have had a lot of time to reflect that I actually prefer the northern end of that road to the southern. Not only are the Yorkshire dales really quite a nice place to be, but also I really enjoy the way of life. Things sort of happen when they need to happen, and wandering around the farm up there is a really inspiring and relaxing thing to do, whether it be making tile cutters out of washing machine motors, getting tractors from 1951 to start again, or cutting down trees so we can actually get these tractors out of the barn that once covered them from the rain, is something I really enjoy.

And for that reason, Yorkshire feels like where I come from. And so I am going to say it is where I come from.

Thanks for reading!

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Those Lads Holidays.

Every year, there is an influx of young visitors to those Mediterranean resorts like Zante, Malia, Malaga and Ibiza, and this year, it was the turn of my peers to jet off to Greece, get drunk for 7 days, then fly home with the most horrendous hangover!

I have just met up with a friend who has been out there. He is not the type to get overly excited about things, so when I asked him how it was, his response was: "Well, it's a bit tiring going out every night isn't it?" which just about sums up my attitude to this type of holiday.

I have no issues with people who do, but I am not the type for clubbing. I am the kind of guy who likes to be in bed by 10.30, and likes going camping at the weekends, spends all of his spare time fixing my car and writing pointless stuff on the internet. To do that, you definitely have to be a special type of person!

So naturally, a whole week of this, would just be ridiculous. So, between me and my friends I have come up with a little plan that I hope will sort all these issues out. Instead of getting on a rubber band airlines plane to Cyprus, we will be getting in our little cars, and heading up the M1, following the signs for "The North." A crazy idea I know, but we have chosen to go and have a good old lads holiday in sunny yorkshire. And if you are an Ale drinker you will have heard of Theakston's, and if you are an Ale boffin you will also know that a Theakston's brother makes a beer called Black Sheep, both breweries are located within 10 miles, as well as Wensleydale Brewery and many other lovely beers, brewed in and around Wensleydale with the lovely soft water that the marshes provide.

We will be camping in a field, with nothing but a few matches (and a ton of lighter fluid but don't tell anyone, that would be cheating), a few tents and some sleeping bags, for just under a week. This is something that we will really enjoy, I can tell you that, and something that we would much rather be doing that going over the water to Ayia Napa or something like that!

I will make sure I keep you posted on how we get on!

What makes me laugh is even as I write this blog, Holst came on shuffle on my iTunes. I really am a sad old man before my time.

Thanks for reading,

Please follow me on twitter: @peachy146