One October day in 2014 Jeff Brinkley set off for work. It was a normal day in so many ways, with nothing out of the ordinary happening during his usual shift at the bank, where he was supervisor of a mortgage team. He returned to his Rotherham home in the evening to find his wife, Mags, sounding rather chuffed. Tasked with searching online for their first smallholding, she had located two.
“Where are they?” questioned Jeff.
“Mid Wales,” Mags replied. It wasn’t exactly the Peak District location where the couple had tentatively been planning to settle. Nevertheless, they soon found themselves trundling down the A38 towards Welshpool in Powys.
“One place had more land, but wasn’t as viable, being pretty much unliveable at that point,” Jeff explains. “The other had half an acre, and needed work and care and love, but Mags could see straight through the Clampett-like interior, and I loved the views, plus the land was workable, although in no better state than the house.”
Jeff and Mags decided to take the plunge. They sold their Rotherham home in two weeks, purchased the holding and were safely installed with their two teenage children, Isabel and Thomas, in less than three months.
Denne historien er fra July 2020-utgaven av Country Smallholding.
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Denne historien er fra July 2020-utgaven av Country Smallholding.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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
Tip the light fantastic
The latest offering from Ifor Williams Trailers is the Single Axle Tipper, which is simply perfect for small-scale farmers
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
‘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
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
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
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
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
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
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
