The road through Cookley in Worcestershire is lined with plain brick houses and bungalows set behind spacious front gardens. Everything is quiet and ordinary except at one driveway where Kay Dalloway stands in wellies, hosing a large pile of white, curly sheeps’ fleeces with a pressure washer.
“Some people think that you have to treat fleece gently,” says Kay, getting straight to the point as she splashes through the puddles to turn off the water. “But I buy these fleeces from two local commercial farmers who have sandy, slightly orange soil and so the fleeces come coloured!” She grins, tucking a strand of her own bright blonde hair behind her ear. “I bring it home, sort it a bit right here on the drive and then just wade in and wash the soil out with the hose.”
The rinsed fleece usually ends up in the kitchen where it is washed with very hot water and lots of Fairy Liquid. However, with the need to stay outdoors for social distancing, Kay carries her wet armful around into the back garden. Washing lines strung across the lawn droop under the weight of a rainbow of fleeces — some natural colours, some brightly dyed.
“The neighbours think I’m a bit mad, probably,” chuckles Kay. “But once the washed fleece is hung out, all clean and scented with essential oils, they tell me that it’s really pretty to look at.”
Kay has always been “fibremad”.
Denne historien er fra November 2020-utgaven av Country Smallholding.
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Denne historien er fra November 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
