Thursday 8 July 2010

An Apparition...

...I beheld today, in the form of a man. Wearing an old fashioned looking tweedy three piece suit, walking along the pavement as I drove past, close cut beard, thick dark hair. He was Alan Bates as Gabriel Oak in Far From the Madding Crowd.



He was beautiful. And seeing such beauty made my day and made my ovaries ping a little!

Sunday 4 July 2010

Stock Judging

Went to my brothers farm today as he was hosting his local Ayrshire Breeders Club in a stock judging event.
Basically, the farmer presents two or three classes of six cows/heifers and a guest master judge places them in order of merit. Everybody else judges them and those closest to the master judges placings win. There are mens, womens and junior categories.

Here is Sandyford Clover who was the breed champion at Cheshire Show last week.


These are some of  the views they enjoy from their home...


As children, we eagerly looked forward to stock judging events. They were usually held in the summer on four consecutive Friday evenings. It was a chance to try and win a few shillings and best of all there was always a reet good spread afterwards!



It was nostalgic for me today because it must be at least thirty years since I last had a go at stock judging. And yes there was a reet good spread. But best of all, I came joint first in the ladies judging!!! I was astounded, just going to show what a great stockman my father was and he taught us well.