Well, finally managed to find time to update the blog - the months roll by so quickly!
Weatherwise we have had a truly dreadful summer, with only a few decent hot days and endless days of drizzle and torrential rain.. My garden has been decimated by snails and slugs the size of mice; what we need is a return of the Mistle Thrush and more Hedgehogs to control the explosion in their numbers.
The farmers have been finding it really difficult to grow and harvest their crops this year due to the heavy rainfall and the fields are like quagmires.
Fortunately because we are an Organic Dairy farm, the majority of our land is pasture for the cattle and the grass has grown really well . We have finished 2 cuts of silage and it is all safely stored ready for the winter months.
The arable crops however have been a headache. They have managed to harvest one field of spring barley at the weekend, due to a couple of really hot, sunny days, but the other field is not ready and we are back to rain and showers. The maize crop is struggling to grow at all and desperately needs some sustained sunshine and heat to fill out the cobs. Everyone is hoping the Jet Stream will move up to it's normal position soon and we can have a few decent weeks - better later than never.
The "Olympic Boost" has had rather the opposite effect on the B&B business and we have been quieter this August, than we usually are at this time. At least this has meant that I have been able to watch lots of the Olympic events and have been absolutely mesmerised by the performance of Team GB. I also would like to congratulate the BBC on fantastic coverage of the Games and helping to unite the country and give us something special to talk about.
The cancellation of Badminton Horse Trials and then Gatcombe was a real blow to the local economy. However, the Womad festival at Charlton actually enjoyed good weather and was praised by all who went. The nearby village of Lacock has also managed to put on a Scarecrow Trail and a Beer Festival, which were well attended.
The Bristol Balloon Fiesta was a big success this year and the weather was kind, allowing a Nightglow and several mass ascents.
The August Bank Holiday will soon be here and we hope there will be an influx of visitors to Wiltshire over that weekend. Details of "Whats On" can be found on the VisitWilthsire site.
The city of Bath also have some exciting events in the coming weeks. The Paralympic Flame will be celebrated and a Rio Procession will parade through the city . Details on VisitBath.com
Bring on the "Indian Summer"!
Footnote: We have found some Bath Asparagus growing in one of our fields. Apparantly it was brought to this area by the Romans almost 2000 years ago and is the forerunner of the European varieties we see today. It is quite rare and only appears around Bath and Cirencester in small areas, so it is quite a find!
Roy and small friend.
