The perfect package
Country Smallholding|May 2020
Tim Tyne explains why he has a soft spot for the attractive Hampshire Down, which is simply ideal for small farmers
Tim Tyne
The perfect package

One of my favourite breeds of sheep is the Hampshire Down. I’ve had a soft spot for them ever since, as a child on my parents’ smallholding in the mid-1980s, I bought my first ram, a Hampshire with the impressive pedigree name of Pockthorpe Colonel. I’d heard about him on the local smallholders’ grapevine (which worked just as efficiently as the internet does today!), an aged tup belonging to a shepherd in the next county, and destined for slaughter as he’d outlived his usefulness in a commercial flock. I phoned the chap and made arrangements to go and have a look. By coincidence, on the morning of the day we’d set, I picked up a magazine that my mother had been reading and found an article all about the man I was going to meet. Little did I then realise what far-reaching consequences all this would have on my life.

When we arrived at the farm, at the pre-arranged time, the shepherd was nowhere to be seen. I subsequently learned that it was quite typical for him to be at least an hour late for any appointment. I agreed to buy the ram for what he was worth to kill, and the shepherd, on asking where we lived, immediately offered to deliver him, free of charge, in a day or two. It later transpired that a former girlfriend of his lived in our village.

Having my own ram suddenly elevated my status within the local smallholding community, and before long I was getting requests from other flock owners wanting to bring ewes to run with him. One thing led to another, until I found myself doing quite a few shepherding jobs for the small-scale sheep keepers in the area, and helping out with the communal dipping, which was always a bit of an event.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 2020-Ausgabe von Country Smallholding.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 2020-Ausgabe von Country Smallholding.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS COUNTRY SMALLHOLDINGAlle anzeigen
The Secret World Of The Honey Bee
Country Smallholding

The Secret World Of The Honey Bee

Who knew that honey bees are the best builders? Nicola Bradbear from Bees for Development reveals how they build their parallel wax combs with extraordinary accuracy

time-read
6 Minuten  |
November 2020
Tip the light fantastic
Country Smallholding

Tip the light fantastic

The latest offering from Ifor Williams Trailers is the Single Axle Tipper, which is simply perfect for small-scale farmers

time-read
2 Minuten  |
November 2020
The legacy of The Good Life
Country Smallholding

The legacy of The Good Life

The Good Life captured the public’s imagination when it first aired in 1975. On Country Smallholding’s 45th birthday, Jeremy Hobson looks at this and other programmes with a self-sufficiency slant that have captivated urban and rural dwellers alike over nearly half a century

time-read
10 Minuten  |
November 2020
‘The hens took shelter under the pig trailer in the paddock'
Country Smallholding

‘The hens took shelter under the pig trailer in the paddock'

A tree Armageddon frightens poultry diarist Julian Hammer’s flock and leaves him with a mammoth clear-up job

time-read
5 Minuten  |
November 2020
Tools of the trade
Country Smallholding

Tools of the trade

In the second part of his mini-series on tools that are useful around the holding, Kevin Alviti takes an in-depth look at the iconic scythe, a thistle paddle and forks that were once virtually indispensable to small-scale farmers

time-read
6 Minuten  |
November 2020
The nightclub bouncer of the sheep world
Country Smallholding

The nightclub bouncer of the sheep world

Adam Henson waxes lyrical about the Texel, which boasts such a stocky body that it resembles a box of muscle on four legs

time-read
2 Minuten  |
November 2020
Buying on a tight budget
Country Smallholding

Buying on a tight budget

As demand for smallholdings increases and prices continue to rise, is there a way to achieve your dream without forking out a fortune? In the first part of a new mini-series, Liz Shankland explores the possibilities

time-read
8 Minuten  |
November 2020
Crazy for crafts
Country Smallholding

Crazy for crafts

In an ordinary back garden and single paddock near Kidderminster, Kay Dalloway has created both a thriving smallholding and a successful fibre business — all while working full time for the NHS. Helen Babbs drops by to find out about her ventures

time-read
8 Minuten  |
November 2020
Game on
Country Smallholding

Game on

A little preparation in the autumn months will help to make the transition into winter smoother and put your garden and tools on a better footing come the spring, says Stephanie Bateman

time-read
5 Minuten  |
November 2020
1975 And All That
Country Smallholding

1975 And All That

Country Smallholding is 45 this month. To celebrate, Jeremy Hobson takes a look at some of the changes — both good and bad — to small-scale farming over that near half-century

time-read
9 Minuten  |
November 2020