It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!

As you can imagine Libby and I have been very busy recently getting the cottages ready for the arrival of the guests who will be spending Christmas and New Year with us.  The cottages are certainly looking festive with their decorated trees and twinkling fairy lights.  Libby and our second daughter, Katherine collected fir, holly and ivy from the woods and along with some bay from the farmhouse garden made table arrangements for each cottage.  Peter has ensured the woodbaskets are full and the fires are laid, each just waiting for a match.

To ensure our guests festivities start with a swing I have made the mince pies and Libby has made the Wassail Cup, a kind of mulled cider (apparently mulled wine is SO last year!) which is delicious.  I have asked Libby for the recipe to share with you so you can each have a taste of Christmas at Poltarrow...

6 teaspoons of brown sugar

6 eating apples, cored

100ml of water

2 litres of cider

1 orange studded with cloves

1 inch of cinnamon stick

6 allspice berries

1 wine glass of cooking brandy

1 wine glass of sherry

Heat the oven to 170c. Place the apples on a baking tray, put a teaspoon of sugar in the hole left by the core of each and pour the water into the tray.  Cook for 20 minutes or so, until the apples are soft but not fallen.

Meanwhile, place the cider, cloved orange, cinnamon stick and allspice in a large pan.

Bring to a simmer and allow to bubble gently for 20 minutes.

Taste to check the spices have infused to your taste. If not, leave to simmer a little longer. Add the apples along with their cooking juice, the brandy, and the sherry. Simmer for another five minutes, then ladle into glasses.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Farm Friends - Timmy's new winter coat

With the recent fresh feeling in the air, Peter commented that it was time he fitted Timmy out with a new coat for winter. Coats for horses and ponies, known as rugs, come in lots of sizes - a reasonable guess would be that Timmy is a 'S' rather than 'XL' but to ensure that Peter bought the perfect fit he desided to measure Timmy.

 

Peter showing off the tool needed for the job.

Peter measured from the base of Timmy's mane to his tail.

Timmy's clearly had enough of measuring - he's off!

A quick trip to the local agricultural merchant and voila.

Cosy and snug and ready for the first frosts.

A good roll in the wet grass and Timmy's coat will soon be looking like his friends!

Days Out - Heligan Harvest

At the weekend our daughter Katherine was visited by her old university friends, they took advantage of the beautiful weather (if a little blowy) on Sunday and visited the Lost Gardens of Heligan to take a look at the harvest display.  The display is next door to the tearooms so people are able to visit the display and then sample the produce by tasting the delicious butternut squash soup.

The wonderful display this year is in the shape of a birthday cake to celebrate that it is 21 years since the gardens were redicovered and woken from their slumber by Tim Smit and John Nelson.

 

They also went into the gardens as it had been some time since Katherine's friend Mags had visited them and she was keen to not only show her husband Peter but also see how they had changed since her first visit over 8 years ago.  First stop was the kitchen gardens - a chance to see where the produce for the display had come from.

 

Plenty still left to be harvested.

The colours of these beets are so vibrant.

Mags and Peter studying the names of the vegetables.

The kitchen garden looks very neat and tidy.

These agapanthus have been put inside the greenhouse, presumably to protect them over winter

Perhaps my favourite area at Heligan - the Italian Garden.

This is taken in the Jungle area - Gunnera or Giant Rhubarb is another favourite of mine.

The Mud Maid by local artist Sue Hill and her brother Pete.

They also made the Giant's Head; both were designed to enhance the woodland experience,
following the fashion of Victorian ornamentation.

My daughet Katherine and her husband Spencer.

Days Out - October and November

The days are getting shorter, the nights are pulling in and the crowds have gone so why not come and spend a few restful days away in one of the delightful cottages here at Poltarrow.

Take a leisurely lunch at some of Cornwall’s great restaurants.

Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen at Watergate Bay has a 3 course “Totally Cornish” menu for just £19.95 or Rick Steins Seafood Restaurant, Padstow is offering a “Seaside Lunch” at £37 for 3 courses. 

From a little amble to a jolly ramble Cornwall has it all. The River Fal Walking Festival has a series of spectacular guided and self guided walks.  Dramatic cliff path walks, sheltered woodland trails or spend some time marvelling at the autumnal colours that Cornwall’s gardens have to offer at this time of year. 

The Lost gardens of Heligan hold their annual harvest display 21st Oct-30th Oct (10am-5pm). The fruits of their productive year all safely gathered in and all beautifully presented -an experience for all the senses. 

Eden is getting ready for Halloween on the 22nd Oct with pumpkin carving, wand making, potion mixing and with the arrival of the skating rink all the family are sure to have some fun. 

 

Cornwall’s only major Film Festival held at Newquay’s Lighthouse Cinema is just around the corner, offering an inspiring selection of Cornish, British and International screenings, plus workshops, talks and special events for all ages. (4th-6th Nov) 

If you enjoy the theatre then head to The Hall for Cornwall. Its extensive Autumn/Winter programme has a wealth of entertainment for all tastes and ages. 

The 16th November heralds the Christmas season with The City Of Lights parade in Truro. A dazzling procession of withy and tissue lanterns fill the streets. This years theme is wildlife – who knows where the artists imagination will take them this year. 

Talking of Wildlife how about experiencing “Plucking, Prestige and Pie” at Pendennis Castle (18th Nov). Tudor food was all about showing off your wealth and how better than to display the produce of your estate. Enjoy a 3 hour interactive session that will teach you all about game and you’ll go home with your own raised pie!

Or why not start your Christmas shopping early this year. With boutique shops, markets, great art and craft galleries in St.Ives, Fowey, Falmouth and Truro you’re sure to find that unique Christmas gift. Then return to your cosy cottage, stoke up your log fire, pour yourself a glass of wine and relax!

Autumn Days

With the unseasonably warm weather we have been experiencing recently last minute guests means I have have had little time to think about Autumn.  However it was with great dismay that I heard this morning that the world conker championship, due to be held today, has had to be cancelled because of high winds.  This got me thinking about our own avenue of horse chestnut trees so I walked down the drive to see how the conker harvest was faring.

It may have been like summer last weekend but a few blustery days this week have dislodged the leaves. A rummage amongst the leaves unearthed the shiny, brown conkers - I put a few in my pocket.

These are the cattle that Peter bought in the spring, they have spent the summer eating the lush grass  but as winter draws near and the grass stops growing Peter will make plans for them to go to market where another farmer will buy them to over-winter inside feeding them corn or silage.

As I walked back to the farmhouse I spotted some other classic Autumn colours...in the courtyard....

 ....on Stag cottage....

  

.....and in the garden.

Once back in the farmhouse I used the collected conkers for some Autumn decorating in the dining room....

 ...and the sitting room.

There seems to be plenty still going on in Cornwall during October especially as we build up to Halloween.  The Eden Project is repeating it's successful "HalloEden" with the skating rink back in situe along with pumpkin carving, wand making and potion mixing.  Whilst at Pendennis Castle you can discover some spooky secrets and ghastly tales as you take on their ghostly Halloween family fun trail although Libby is talking about taking Mark on the spooky special, adult only Halloween ghost tour during the evening!

Farm Friends - Pet's corner welcomes new arrivals

Those of you who have been reading from the start will have heard of Barry; he comes to the farm on Fridays to help Peter.  Barry has a habit of turning up with things he thinks we might need: bathroom taps, a hoe, a length of chain are just some of the items that have arrived at the farm.  Recently though his offering was a lot more fluffier than usual......

Introducing Button....



...and his mate, Beau

 

Pip.....

...and his friend, Peppa

Button, Beau, Pip and Peppa came complete with a large hutch and run, food bowls and drinker.  Unfortunately we are not sure of the sex of any of them so we had to make a bit of a guess when naming them.  Peter and Barry have taken a piece of field near the play area and created an enclosure where children can enter and make friends.
 

Just don't forget the lettuce!

Jobs at Poltarrow - Making hay while the sun shines.

The grass has been ready to cut for a while, Peter has been watching the weather forecast closely to see when there is to be a spell of dry, sunny weather.  As a backup he also checks his trusty barometer which lives in the hallway of the farmhouse - all predict sunshine so the grass has been cut.

The field is cut and the grass is left to dry in the sun for a few days

An 'island' of nettles, thistles and docks are left for wildlife

The haybob is used to turn the hay, aiding the drying out process

The baler bales the hay which then fall into the sleigh behind

When full the sleigh is then emptied leaving behind stacks of hay

Here's where the hard work comes in the stacks are then put onto a trailer

Peter, Spencer and Barry move from stack to stack

All aboard!

Comfy Spence?

With the grass cut Peter's daily route to feed the ducks is obvious

A rustle in the grass nearby and what do I find?

The end result - the hay is in the shed and ready for winter