Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays

We have moved!

2011-09-08T16:43:00.000-07:00

Tails from the Farmer Wife has moved to

http://www.coombemill.com/blog/
Please do come by and follow me there.

Plenty of tails waiting on the new site

Thank you Fiona.

Silent Sunday

2011-08-21T04:01:00.000-07:00

Guest Blog: Top 10 family daytrips from Coombe Mill Farm

2011-08-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

My first guest blogger writing for the Coombe Mill site is Georgina from Gem Writing. She is a freelance copywriter specialising in marketing for small businesses and lover of North Cornwall so I was delighted when she offered to share her favoutite days out with us. I have added our pictures to Georgina's copy as we agree with her selection and have been to many of these treasures too........

Here's what she says:

Coombe Mill Farm is an idyllic base to explore North Cornwall. And with wild Atlantic coastlines, sandy surfing beaches and pretty coastal villages alongside major tourist attractions there's plenty to please all the family.

With so much on offer here's a list of ten must-do activities to take the pain out of planning.

1. Sunbathe and sandcastles at POLZEATH BEACH.

Surf's Up Surf School where all 6 of mine go

Polzeath beach

At low tide this surfer's paradise offers up masses of golden sand. Polzeath is also great for sunbathing and sandcastles making it perfect for families as well as the surfing dudes. Polzeath explodes in the summer when the beach, shops and cafés become a hive of activity. For surfy things check out Surf's Up Surf School, and if you want some adrenaline pumping action try Cornish Rock Tors. Alternatively for a scenic coastal walk take the buggy friendly route to Daymer Bay or the more challenging trek to Pentire Point and beyond.

1. Lookout for dolphins on the Jubilee Queen at PADSTOW.

You can arrive at this picturesque working fishing port via the Camel Trail or the Padstow Rock Ferry. Stroll around the harbour and browse the plethora of interesting shops and places to eat. For lunch you can takeaway Rick Steins Fish and Chips or a Cornish pasty. And if you want to get on the water, a cruise on the Jubilee Queen is a great family treat (if you get really lucky you could spot dolphins).

2. Cycle the CAMEL TRAIL.

Join this popular cycle path at Padstow, Wadebridge or Bodmin and follow the easy going trail as it winds along the beautiful Camel Estuary. It's suitable for most ages and abilities. And if you don't have your own bikes, you can hire every variety imaginable. Even younger children can join in on tag-alongs, and buggies mean babies in car seats can enjoy the ride. Try Bridge Bike Hire.

The last stretch of the trail arriving at Padstow

3. Hunt out old fishing communities at PORT QUINN, PORT ISSAC & BOSCASTLE.

You could do these in a day, but children may prefer to explore the pick of North Cornwall's villages at a slower pace.

Take a picnic to the tranquil rocky cove at Port Quinn. At low tide kids will love exploring the exposed nooks, crannies and caves. And if the sea is calm, the cove is safe for a paddle or a dip.

The busy village of Port Issac of Doc Martin fame has pretty whitewashed cottages and narrow streets and alleyways to wander through. Explore the working harbour, browse the gift shops and catch a view of the fishing boats from a dainty café.

Further north is Boscastle. Its recent floods are documented in the child friendly visitor centre located near to the medieval harbour. Other attractions include the Museum of Witchcraft.

4. Let their imaginations run wild at TINTAGEL

Legend tells that Tintagel is the birthplace of King Arthur. It's still home to the ruins of his castle as well as Merlin's cave. Pack some hardy shoes and climb the winding cliff path to the castle ruins to enjoy stretching views of the rugged Cornish coastline. Buggies aren't allowed so this adventure may be difficult for very young children. Other attractions include the Old Post Office along with interesting souvenir shops and various eateries. And when you want a rest The Cornishman Inn has a spacious play area and will keep children occupied while you relax with your drink.

5. Enjoy the atmosphere at NEWQUAY.

Fistral Beach is the main attraction with its fantastic surf – but away from the surfing scene this laid back town has something for everyone. There's a youthful vibe and crowds flock for the thriving nightlife and array of water activities. Alongside there are plenty of attractions to keep the family entertained including Newquay Zoo and Blue Reef Aquarium. And nearby Watergate Bay is an idyllic expanse of sand so perfect for picnics and sandcastles

6. Have fun together at CORNWALL'S CREALY.

If your kids are crazy for a theme park, Cornwall's Crealy is your nearest choice. With drop slides and mazes in the large indoor play areas this attraction offers all weather fun. The outdoor "Big Six" rides include some get wet ones so if it's chilly consider packing cagoules! What's more your tickets give entry for seven days, and if you visit in peak season there may be a children's character appearance.

The new ride at Crealy for 2011

7. Experience other climates at THE EDEN PROJECT.

Where else in the world could you experience a taste of the tropics and the Mediterranean in one place? The Eden Project's iconic biomes and inspirational vision make this unique garden a holiday essential! There is something to inspire everyone from horticultural delights to delicious food, some of which is grown on site. In school holidays the Eden team put on some brilliant activities to inspire and entertain your children so check out their website for the latest offering.

8. Watch the cows being milked at DAIRYLAND.

DairyLand successfully combines education with fun. Watch the cows being milked in the "orbiter", and browse the farming relics and rural history displays in the Cornish Heritage Museum. Kids will love the huge indoor "Bull Pen" (perfect for escaping the Cornish summer showers) as well as the outdoor play areas and pony rides. What's more your admission price includes 7 days of unlimited entry.

Our triplets when they were little enjoying Dairy land!

9. Ride and groom the ponies at SPRINGFIELDS PONY CENTRE.

Springfields is great if you love ponies. There's a range of species waiting to be groomed and ridden including Shetland, Gypsy and Dartmoor. Away from the ponies children can run riot in the giant indoor play barn, take a ride on the Springfields Express or visit the farm animals. And the eight acre Old Quoit Wood is perfect for a woodland walk and local wildlife spotting.

Bonus trip - Express your arty side at ST IVES.

If you are happy to travel for more than one hour, St Ives is worth the journey. The streets of this bustling seaside town are lined with the workshops and galleries of local artists. The Tate is worth a look even if you aren't a modern art fan, and there's plenty inside to inspire your children's creativity. Away from the art scene amble through the maze of cobbled streets, explore the working harbour, or enjoy a fun packed day on the beach. For something different children will love the stunning train route into St Ives. Take the First Great Western Train from Bodmin Parkway or St Erth.

Happy to travel for more than an hour? These are the pick of other further a field destinations.

St Michael's Mount │Lands End │ Paradise Park │Minack Theatre

If you have a small business and would like some help with copywriting you can contact Georgina via email - georgina@gemwriting.co.uk or follow her on Twitter @GemWriting.

Newborns on the Farm Today!

2011-08-15T07:40:00.000-07:00

Theo and Jed a Goat each!

An exciting day for the farm with 3 newborns! Our lovely long haired goat gave birth overnight to healthy twin boys! A real treat for our guests on the feed run this morning! My children all missed the excitement having gone to bed too late last night. Still when the news filtered back they were straight out there to see the action!

Well done Mummy!

Theo and one of the twins

Everyone wanted a hold and Mum waited patiently at the door eager to come back into nurse her boys. Goats can make very indifferent mothers so we are delighted at her protectiveness towards the pair! Just need help now with 2 lovely kid goat names..... suggestions most welcome on the comments area below

Mum Hovering at the doorway

Clio claiming her cuddle

A Lovely Surprise to discover a new duckling too! Animals being born on our farm are like buses in London...all or none!

Hatched today, hoping for a brother or sister soon!

Wondering back home I spotted Farmer Nick making excellent progress on the new Wallaby fencing! I do hope it is finished soon as I am keen to embark on the great Wallaby Capture http://coombemill.blogspot.com/2011/07/on-farm-wallabies-free-to-good-home.html

Nick employing our eldest son to help with the hard digging of fence posts

All in a day on the farm, do hope you can come and join us on holiday soon, don't worry digging fence posts not included!

Family Time at the Camelford Show

2011-08-10T14:02:00.000-07:00

The sun shone all day for one of our favourite family days out. There is so much to occupy the children that it's always a winner for us. Today it clashed with our return from Sussex, after a lovely week with Farmer's Nick's Mum, but not to be beaten we set off at 4am to ensure we were back in time to check all was well at Coombe Mill and head on out to the show!

Striding out to the action

Many of our guests this week are regulars and know it makes a great family day while others saw my daily update on the wi fi and followed the recommendation.

This lovely family remind me so much of us a few years ago, they have 5 boys under 6 yrs old with twins for number 4 and 5!

So takes me back!

The children headed straight for the big tent and all the free circus equipment where they met up with our guests and local friends. I think they must have spent nearly the whole day here riding penny fathings, juggling, plate spinning, tight rope walking and much more!

Watch out Clio you are about to fall!

Happy faces all round!

Generally we bring a picnic on all our family days out. Eating out with 8 of us is an expensive exercise, more than the £25 entrance fee for the 8 of us!

Lunch with friends

(You can read more on my picnic tips on multiplemummy's site where I guest blogged on the subject last week)

http://multiplemummy.com/blog/picnics-a-favourite-with-the-kids/

Today I am fraid I broke my own rule! After arriving home this morning to an empty kitchen we did splash out on a very unhealthy pasty and chips combo to keep us going for the day. It will definitely be back to the picnic's next time (pocket hurting)!

At 2pm the big tent fills to overflowing with children for a comedy act of magic tricks and circus stunts. Guaranteed to make them laugh every year and a great way to keep them occupied at any age for hour or so!

Big tent entertainment

Happiness is..........

Meanwhile Nick and I have some leisurely time to explore the rest of the show! No prizes for guessing where we both headed......It was easy to find my beloved droowling over the next Tractor / quad / digger / dumper, while I am to be found a midst the craft tents and homemade produce! A very happy afternoon for all!

Loving these goodies!

Dragging the gang away from the circus activities we all enjoyed a family tour of the show animals, old tractors and entertainment in the arena from sheep dog trails to show jumping. We stopped to chat to Sarah, who runs our stables, with her beautiful horse before facing the inevitable from the kids at home time " No Dad, we can't go yet, we've only been here a few minutes!"

So well behaved, the kids too!

A great day out which I can't recommend highly enough if you are down our way at this time of year.

I have compiled all the highlights into a fun video of the day. Well worth a watch!

What's cooking? The Ultimate Sausage & Mash

2011-08-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

How can anyone want a recipe for bangers and mash? The answer is all in the ingredients and a few 'cooks know how' tips!

Bangers and mash is a childhood favourite, but let's face it, who doesn't get peckish at kids tea time and think - I could fancy that too? Well here is my family recipe that the kids enjoy with an adult twist too!

OK we are lucky enough to have our very own sausages from our farm but any good butchers own are a cut above the rest!

Simply oven cook or grill on a rack to catch the fat whilst boiling some Cornish potatoes on the hob.

Heat a splash of olive oil in a pan and toss in sliced onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes before adding mushrooms and peppers. Just a couple of minutes on a high heat, then add a little red wine and seasoning to taste, simmer for a further couple of minutes and remove from the heat.

Chop the cooked sausages (or leave whole if you prefer)and place in a pie or casserole dish, add the saute veg with a slotted spoon, reserving any juice and any lightly boiled veg too (carrots or peas work well). Drain and mash the potatoes with milk, butter and salt to taste.

Drain all the fat from the sausage tin bar the sticky bottom layer. Place tin on the hob and heat with the remaining reserved juice, a couple of stock cubes, any veg water from the peas or carrots and a sprinkle of plain flour stiring all the time into a rich gravy. Poor over your casserole, top with the mash.

All ready to heat and serve,or freeze for another time. It is a great one to defrost and pop in the oven after a busy day. Watch out for them in our "Coombe Cusine" Freezer when you come to stay on the farm!

Silent Sunday

2011-07-30T16:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Diary: & the little one said "roll over".......

2011-07-26T02:53:00.000-07:00

It's been all shuffle along one on the farm today for the Polish Banthan chicks. With 9 new born chicks hatching out yesterday timing and planning is everything to ensure no one is left homeless!

The chicks have up to 12 hours in the incubator after hatching to dry out and 'find their feet' before what must be a very scary transition from our laundry room to the nursery house in the chicken enclosure. They have some lovely children to watch over them on their intrepid journey bumping along on the tractor and trailer as the surprise start to the morning feed run!

Timing is everything. The new born chicks only have around 15 minutes out in the open before they would die of cold.....yes even in July! Farmer Nick is quick to prize them out of the caring arms of the children and into the "here's one I made earlier" home under a heat lamp within the nursery house.

Here their ordeal ends, well for the next month at least! Plenty of time to get to know one another and establish who is boss! But what about the chicks they are displacing? It's a case of 'and the little one said "roll over, roll over"' as the month olds came 'off heat' a few days ago in preparation for their big change today.

Brought out into the big wide world for the first time, yet remaining in a designer home as an anti bullying precaution from the etablished ducks and chickens. The chicken world can be a savage place!

And on the merry-go-round we go as the teenage chicks move for the last time in with their adult counterparts down near the river. Again they will remain in their house for a week or so getting to know the grownups with safety around them. Both are curious to say "hello"!

To square the circle, Farmer Nick collects the next batch of fertilized eggs from the food store and carefully washes and places them in the now cleaned and empty incubator.

The laundry room is once again multifunctional! The eggs are labelled up with expected hatching dates,in this case 21st August. I for see another distracting day ahead for me as I hop between the office and the laundry listening and watching the chirping eggs!

Most exciting of all, I am hoping to have live "chick cam" operational for next month so you can tune in and watch with me as they hatch live on our web site! It will be another Coombe Mill first bringing you closer to our lovely farm even when you can't be here!

Silent Sunday

2011-07-24T03:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Diary - What happened to the play boat?

2011-07-22T02:03:00.000-07:00

A quiet day on the farm until drama unfolds, quick call the fire brigade, we have an arson attack in the play area!

something has really fueled those flames!

Hang on a minute......where is Farmer Nick? I have been subtley mentioning for weeks that the play boat needs some sanding down and repainting. A suspicious farmer's wife might suspect a spot of sabotage going on here!

Who snuck in with those safety fences?

OK so sanding and repainting is no longer an option for this boat. Instead I can see 1 digger, 2 farmers and a very big hole left to fill, but what with? I just knew something was bubbling under when he spontaneously brought the washing in for me!

He is after something!

Digging to Australia?

It turns out he has been back on eBay and bought a very substantial children's outdoor play wobble board. Well I'm sure it had a more professional name when sold by the manufacturer, but play wobble board or bouncy board is the most accurate description I can manage. To his credit it is in excellent condition and looks sturdy enough to last for years.

"Come on boys, hurry up and see if we can finish this job before I collect the kids from school". (I am becoming quietly excited about this now and keen to share in the action!)

Wow with springs like this even Dad's can have a go!

It's taking shape and we're on to the back filling, just 15 minutes before the children come home "put your backs into it then"........ I'm more than occupied of cause enjoying the sunshine, holding the camera and offering morale support!

A bit more filling this side Ted!

And we are ready! A quick test by me before school run.

It's clearly going to be a winner all round this summer. Excited children all came to give it a go.......

All in a days work here on the farm. I know there are more plans bubbling so keep watching and following to see which one lands next......Nick have you caught those wallabies yet?

Mummy Tips for Potty training - Dry in a week

2011-07-12T05:41:00.000-07:00

There is so much advise these days on potty training your toddler it is hard to know what to follow. It’s a bit like maths, there are several possible ways to work out a sum and still reach the correct answer, just some methods are quicker than others! The reality is that by one means or another we have all come through potty training and learnt toilet etiquette.

So why am I blogging on the subject? Simply to share my experience with my own 6 children. Every one of them is different in personality, intelligence, confidence and just about every trait you can think of, yet they have all been potty trained the same way and all been dry in a week. If I am honest, my method is not really mine at all, it is that which was thrust upon me by my confident 1st nanny. After around 10 years as a professional nanny and me as a know nothing new Mum returning to work, I figured I was best to just go along with her recommendation, as like most things, she knew what she was doing and it worked. Long after we moved away from Surrey and our family grew, I still stuck by her tried and tested method so here it is (Thanks Anna, your secrets shared!)

Golden rules

· Be consistent

· Once you start there is no going back

· use incentives like chocolate buttons (usually never done by me)

· Be patient and clear but don’t make the process an issue

· Pick a week when you are at home with a clear diary for at least the first couple of days

· Buy a basic alarm timer and some real toddler pants featuring your child’s favourite characters

· Your child needs to want to move on to potty training and you need to be committed to making it work for them.

When to Start?

Typically most are ready between 18 months and 3 years, but don’t panic, I do know of exceptions at either end! My children were all ready to be trained at around their 2nd birthday, this is not important, what is important is that you pick up on their cue as to when they are ready and able to learn. Try too early and you will both be disappointed, leave it too late and lazy behaviour sets in.

Training cue’s

Have a potty in the bathroom before you start, from around 16 months and encourage them to try for a wee before their bath, no pressure, don’t force the idea or make it a big deal, just encourage the motion, praise them for sitting there when they do. If 30% or more of the time they can produce the wee then they are probably ready to learn. Other interest in the toilet habits, wanting to see you go or trying to pull off their nappy all the time are other good indicators. I'm sure there are more, you will know your own child best.

Theo is dry big bro here & the triplets nearing potty training as
they play together in our toddler play area

Ready to go, clear the diary and follow my step by step guide:

Day 1

1. Explain the whole process to your child so they know what to expect

2. Big boy/girl pants go on in the morning and nappies are out!

3. Set the timer every 5 minutes. When it rings stop what you are doing and sit them on the potty. Try for just a short wee, no need to wait more than say 15 seconds, if they think there is nothing there that's fine. Repeat for the first hour, any successes reward with a chocolate button or other motivating treat.....they soon get the hang of this game! Keep their fluids up so they can achieve their goal.

4. Increase the intervals during the first day to around every half hour max - toddlers after a drink will often struggle to go longer. Keep them occupied during the day but not so engrossed they don't want to stop what they are doing for the potty!

Day 2

Continue as for day 1, carry the potty with you if you move around the house or to the garden so it is at hand when the alarm goes.

Day 3 and 4

Take away the alarm and start the perpetual "do you need a wee?" comment. Keep the reward bit up if you need to but most will be so proud of their achievements and big girl / boy dry pants they won't need the reward, just constant reminding and praise.

Day 5 /6

Go out, visit LOCAL friend or the park, just remember to keep asking and ensure it is somewhere where you can whip out the potty. If a toddler replies "yes" to the "do you need a wee?" question it means now not in 5 minutes when I find the toilet!

Our Guy at the beach!

So what about night time?

Give them their last drink around an hour before bed time from the first day of training. In my case it was 6pm milk, 7pm bed. Ask them to do a ‘last wee’ before bed, then invest in trainer pants for bed time, we called them night night pants. They had no other use as we never used them in the day. Allowing an hour for the drink to go through before bed helps night time success. The brain is learning day time control and it will automatically work at night time too. I found 1 pair of night pants would often last a few days before an accident so you should be well on your way to dry nights all at the same time. Dry nights does take longer, since once the brain can control the night it then has to learn to wake the child when he/she can’t last the whole period and this tends to be the harder bit, much easier when you are already awake! However they will soon be encouraged by some dry nights and I found within a couple of months I could do away with the night pants.

A good nights sleep from 2 caring, sharing brothers!

I am not saying my system is perfect, or that you won't have any accidents, but if you are dedicated to following through with the timer and asking endlessly if they need a wee you will minimise accidents and boost your child’s confidence till they remember to go for themselves.

It really is just a week of intensive training then just gentle reminders as often as you feel necessary. The important thing is to decide to do it and just go for it and not turn back to nappies. If you do feel you are trying before they are ready and it’s just not working, then go back to nappies, take the pressure off you both and try again in a couple of months time or when you think there are some willingness signs from your child. I did have this with my triplets, after ambitiously trying to do them all together I had to concede defeat let one wait a few more months before he was ready.

Good luck and I hope to have been of some help. I would love to welcome you and your toddlers on holiday with us at Coombe Mill Farm pre, post or during potty training. We specialise in holidays for young children, have potties and trainer seats to borrow and real cloth nappies free to try too. All our properties have stair gates built in and are designed with little ones in mind. They will adore our daily tractor rides to help feed the animals, potties welcome aboard!

I hope to meet you soon!

Fiona

note: A big thanks to Mummy Central who allowed me to guest blog this on their site first:
http://www.mummycentral.com/2011/06/24/potty-training-dry-in-a-week/

On the Farm - Wallabies free to good home?

2011-07-05T03:56:00.000-07:00

My husband does have some 'off the wall' ideas about our farm, or is it now a zoo? We have just separated the deer from the alpaca, well we had to really since the poor new born fawn was attempting to feed from the nosey male alpaca who had scared away mum!

Just born and looking for mum

Anyway, with mission accomplished here, a friend then planted the idea of wallabies in Farmer Nick's head! This led to him contacting our friendly neighbour who has a few (doesn't every neighbour keep wallabies?) and was offered them for free, or that was the line I was spun!

A cute addition to Coombe Mill?

.............. surely there is a catch or two!

Turns out the 'catch' is in the catching! We may only be trying to move them by a couple of fields, but these lovely animals can't half jump and are not exactly tame! Nick is busy scheming of the men, the equipment and the time to catch and move these wallabies while I am worrying about the cost of said operation. Watch out if you are coming to stay on any future wallaby catching day, I think it will be all volunteers accepted!

Supposing for a minute these wallabies can be caught and brought to Coombe Mill, where will they go? I think the deer have had enough with the alpacas so who is to share with the wallabies? Farmer Nick has a plan! Apparently the answer to my question is in with the ducks and chickens. However they need 6ft secure fencing and farmer Nick and Ted's DIY electrified chicken fencing is someway short of the mark! An afternoon surfing the web for wallaby fencing suppliers (funnily enough not found in abundance!) finally resulted in an estimated cost of £2000 for the pukka thing....not quite such free wallabies after all but Nick is still sure they will be popular with our guests and I tend to agree!

Watch out chickens and ducks, you may have company soon!

What do you think? Would you like to see Wallabies added to the farm here at Coombe Mill? Do please post your thoughts and comments for us before we commit to this latest plan.

What's cooking - fisherman's delight

2011-06-24T16:44:00.000-07:00

A classic fish pie which can be found in so many recipe books. Mine is totally made up and as with all my recipes, freezes easily and is very simple.

We have a great mobile fishmonger who comes round. If you are staying with us at Coombe Mill he comes on a Thursday, just let me know in advance if you would like to order from him. His prices are fair and the fish fresh, local and excellent. I buy a huge mixed bag of 'pie mix' and it is always a treat to see what I have. There is always salmon, white and smoked fish but sometimes I am lucky with some tuna, monk or sward fish too.

Fisherman's Delight

Ingredients :

Mixed fish, whole milk, butter, plain flour, potatoes, seasoning (I just use low salt and black pepper)

Method:

Place the fish in a large pan, add the milk and steam till just cooked
Remove fish, flake into casserole dish removing bones
Add four, milk and seasoning to the milk and stir into a smooth sauce
Poor milk over the casserole
Boil and mash the potatoes with butter, milk and seasoning
Add to the casserole.
Heat and serve

My portions are a good size, I kept a 4 portion back for dinner which fed my 6 children. Admittedly they did have room for today's cake: cherry and vanilla afterwards!

Fisherman's delight a winner with
children and nutritious too!

What's cooking? My best secrets shared!

2011-06-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

When I reach for the cooking pots the sun is sure to shine! Despite the dismal forecast today, I am once again es conched in the kitchen while the rest of Cornwall is on the beach! Never mind, Surf Club this evening for the children so I will be there too! In the mean time I have been meaning to share some of my cooking secrets, so while they are fresh in my mind and my meals are cooling for the freezer here goes:

Top Tips
1. Never be afraid to experiment, if it sounds a tasty combination or a logical short cut it probably is!

2. Always cook casseroles longer at a lower temperature than it says in any recipe - makes all meat more melt in the mouth

3. Use a large pot, the meat may look lost in a pot at the start but by the time your veg and marinade have all gone in you will be surprised how it all fills up!

4. When cooking for children make the veg pieces small, I often blend into the gravy / sauce or chop into mince size pieces where they are mistaken for meat. My children hate mushrooms and onions, but actually eat them all the time!

5. 1 pot does all! I can't be doing with the fry this and set aside type recipes. In my experience if you start any casserole by browning the meat, then toss in and mix the flour before adding stock / liquids and chopped veg it will all turn out just fine!

My 2 recipes today are:
Pork in honey Casserole and Gammon in Cider. They are both recipes I have developed over time and they freeze really well.

Pork in honey
Shoulder or leg of pork chopped into chunks
Sauce: Chicken stock, Soy sauce, white wine, balsamic vinegar, honey, brown sugar
Veg to suit, I have used roughly chopped carrots, mushrooms, onions and potatoes
Method : Just follow my tip 2 and 5 above. That simple!

As the puff pastry is really quick to cook I cook it separately to the casserole and add it on at the end. I usually cheat on this one and use ready to roll but if I run short it is actually very quick and easy to make.

Gammon in Cider
Hock or Gammon joint chopped into large chunks
Sauce: Good cider, tinned chopped tomatoes, paprika
Veg to suit, I have used onions, mushrooms, carrots and garlic
Method:
Follow my golden tips 2 and 5 but with gammon I do boil lightly for 10 mins first and drain so as not to make the finished dish too salty
I top this one with creamy mashed potato which goes really well with the sauce

If you are staying with us please help yourself to these meals from the freezer and leave us a note in the book as usual. Enjoy!

I would love any feedback if you have tried my meals of if you want any more information on them. I haven't added quantities as I never measure anything and just judge it all based on my meat quantities but do give them a go. They are all simple to make and tasty!

Dear Diary - A Wet Sunday 12th June '11

2011-06-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

I woke this morning to a wet and miserable summer Sunday. After the beautiful and prolonged good weather we have had for months it really was a bit of a shock to the system. As I peered out the window early on to see the rain hammering down on the veranda, I could not possibly have imagined the lovely family day upon which I now find myself reflecting.

Deciding not to be a wimp about the weather I put on my coat and wellies and joined my husband (farmer Nick) for the daily tractor ride where all our newly arrived guests get to be hands on with our animals. Taking pictures in the rain was tricky but I was soon motivated by the determination of our guests to ignore the weather and just enjoy the ride! The funny thing is I really think the children are quite oblivious to the weather. 3 of our children joined in wearing summer gear, crocs and no coats! The guests were more sensibly dressed but again the children were dashing around hunting for an egg and feeding the animals seemingly unaware they were being drenched in the process!

We have a lovely facebook picture album tell the tail

https://www.facebook.com/pages/coombe-mill-family-farm-and-fishing-holidays/275217960255?ref=ts#!/media/set/?set=a.10150209384400256.328733.275217960255

Here is one of my favourite pics from the feed run album:

Theo and Clio with the polish banthan chicks

After all returning home for coffee and hot chocolate, Nick and Theo drove off to St Austell to buy a new Billy Goat and female in kid while I cracked on with a good old family roast lunch for their return. With all the beautiful weather this year none of us could remember our last family lunch time roast and everyone present (parties, clubs and play dates invariably involve someone!). I am a great believer in family meal times and while it is not practical every day we all enjoy them when we can. It does now take both my ovens to cope with the quantities for a family of 8! It was gone 3pm before our monster roast and my legendary crumble and custard were finished. The rain pitter pattering outside was strangely comforting and helped us all chill and enjoy the time with no urgency to move on (well that and the glass of wine!).

And a cheeky glass of Red for Nick and I!

Mixed fruit crumble and custard - yum!

Theo and Nick took us to see how the new Billy and his girl were settling into their new field after lunch. We were all glad of the walk and pleased to see the new comers looking very happy with their new surroundings and new friends.
Like a true Billy, he really has an unmistakable goatee stink. A good sign we hope for fathering next year's kids!

Settling in at Coombe Mill!

The children were keen to keep me out on the farm so we went off round the lake where they wanted to show me the mini frogs they have been watching since tadpoles in the spring. It was not a difficult hunt, I couldn't believe how many there were!

Nice one boys!

Our tour round the carp lake also revealed some naughty escape goats enjoying the lush surroundings! Bold as brass, they were not inclined to move when we came up but instead quite happy for a pat and a cuddle. Houdini has clearly been teaching the others all her special fence hoping tricks!

The sneaky group!

Dusty our kid goat is everyone's favourite!

We rounded off the afternoon pebble skimming in the river. One of those challenges where you always want 'just one more try' to see if you can beat the record! I have to concede that Theo was better than me however I do suspect he has wasted many an hour practicing before challenging me today! Never the less it was a lovely use of the afternoon and reminded me just how much there is to do at Coombe Mill, even on a wet Sunday. With just a little imagination and there is hours of fun to be had on the farm.

It might not look like a winning pose but it certainly worked!

With all the family now tucked up in bed, and Felix and Theo packed ready for school camp in the morning, I am so pleased we had such a lovely day together here at Coombe Mill. I hope you will have the chance to come and stay with us one day and enjoy all there is to do on the farm, what ever the weather!!

Dear Diary - Cycling the Camel Trail to Padstow 22nd May 2011

2011-05-22T16:27:00.000-07:00

A favourite summer time day out for all our family is cycling the Camel trail to Padstow. You can join the trail anywhere from the start, just a mile from Coombe Mill, to just 2 miles out of Padstow and then cycle write to the heart of the town. We took the bikes with us to Wadebridge and cycled from there. That sounds straight forward but with all 8 of us just getting to Wadebridge with the bikes is quite an achievement. This is definitely a family day for us as Nick fills the trailer with all the bikes and I worry about jumpers, water and sun cream! I don't think reversing with a large trailer on the back in small lanes will ever make its way up my 'must learn to do list'!! As for the children, they spend much time dancing around and finding their bikes from the last hedge or field they dumped them in on the farm and not much more!

The trail is ideal for children as it is all off road and flat using the old railway line. The faster ones are quite safe rushing on ahead while I wait back with the slower ones to make sure they all make it. Pasties, chips and ice cream are a great bribe for anyone struggling!
http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=13412 ( more details on the trail itself)

Setting off from Wadebridge

You can hire bikes, buggies, chariots, follow on bikes and more at Wadebridge http://www.bridgebikehire.co.uk/home/
or Bodmin along trail or if you bring them from home we have safe lock ups in the back of our log store or you can keep them on your veranda or in your garden if you prefer.

Dad and Clio en route

"Where are Guy and Jed?"

"There they are.....raced ahead to the
beach searching for treasure!"

There are plenty of bike lock up places in Padstow and lots to do when you arrive. We were running quite late by the time we had finished the feed run and arrived so headed straight for lunch. I reckon the best Cornish pasties are to be found at the Chough bakery in Padstow, worth the cycle ride just to justify one of these, http://www.thechoughbakery.co.uk/ or if you are looking for fish and chips Rick Stein takes some beating! http://www.rickstein.com/Steins-Fish-and-Chips.html Armed with our purchases (a mix of all of the above!) we headed straight for our secret picnic location, a sheltered fully enclosed area with stunning views out over the estuary.

All hungry for a late lunch

Safely walled and fenced with
all the views

We found this spot years ago when the children were very young and the lack of railings around the harbour with 6 children under 6 made Padstow far from relaxing. Just let me know if you are staying and heading off there and I will let you into our secret, it makes for a much more relaxing picnic lunch!

All involved!

After lunch I skipped of into town for a brisk browse round the shops, all the lovely surfing and sailing brands can be found here, meanwhile Nick set the children up fishing and crabbing off the slipway. So often we watch others catching crabs while our lines remain empty but not today. The children were thrilled with their bucket of crabs and Felix caught a fish so big it took the silver bate, line and all with it whist being reeled in - or so he and Dad had me believe!

Proof of the catch!

Off duty?

It was such a lovely afternoon when I came back from my quick gallop round the shops Nick was fast asleep on the slipway in the sun while the boys and Clio were still engrossed in their crabbing. I joined them and took in the holiday atmosphere as the Padstow brass band played just behind us...

We headed back after this but if you are making a full day of it then the ferry over to Rock is very regular, the speed boats round the harbour great fun for age 5 and over and the Jubilee Queen is a lovely hour long leisurely cruise out to sea for all ages (we take the grandparents) and you can often spot seals off the side of the boat - we have before! Fishing boat trips are also fun and run from the quay side in the summer months.
http://www.padstowboattrips.com/page9.htm

Cycling back to Wadebridge the wind was in our favour and we made excellent time. Felix and I decided to help load the others up and cycle the whole way home!

This was the 1st long ride ever for Felix and the 1st time this year for me. We both had a magical time telling stories and I taught Felix to ride no handed too, I am now regarded as a 'cool Mum'! I was just delighted that with a bit of practice I could still do it myself. More than anything else we both savoured the 1 on 1 time together, these times are precious and so important in a large family. It is a day we will both remember for a long time to come....22 miles on a bike age 11 will be one for 'big writing' at school tomorrow!

Me Time, do you get enough?

2011-05-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

Juggling parenthood, career, housewife and more as today's modern, do it all Mummy can be tough and leave you frazzled, torn in many directions and constantly feeling like you are not giving any one area of your life the attention it deserves. If this sounds familiar then you will also know that it can be even harder to justify adding in time for yourself! The guilty thought of time for the things you want to do when everyone and everything is pulling at your every moment can make it all feel too much. I have found over the years that being selfish about time for me actually makes me much better at all the other aspects of my life! I am now quite unashamedly selfish in finding time each day (well most days) for the things that are for me!
What you take time out for is up to you, that you do it is important. For me it is exercise, I don't run marathons or swim the English Channel but I do enjoy a gentle jog in the morning to sort out my plans for the day or a few lengths of the local pool. It makes me feel good, makes me thankful of all that is truly wonderful in my life and helps me approach all other areas of my life in a positive manner. I don't resent working late at night if I know I can take time out for me in the morning. It doesn't have to be exercise, that's just what works for me, a walk in the park, or relax in the garden with a magazine could be what works for you, just think about what you would really like to do if only you had 1/2 hour and DO IT! Where there is a will there's a way. If you are a stay at home Mum, try an hour of baby sharing with your friends children so you each get an hour of 'me time'.

My real 'Me Time' treat is a girly spa break! A group of us set this one up a couple years ago for the first time and are now planning our 3rd trip! We come back from one planning the next, the feel good factor of having another trip on the horizon is great for positive thoughts on life! Our secret paradise get a way is The Bay Spa Hotel at Fistral beach Newquay
http://www.newquay-hotels.co.uk/the-bay.html

This close to the beach!

Perfect for us surfer dude Mums, we can watch the waves from our bedrooms and check out the best time to grab our boards! OK. so you are thinking, "jammy mummy, how does she do that one with kids to look after and wow expensive!" Actually they do an amazing Sunday night deal for around £80 per person to include dinner, b&b and wonderful full body massage. Just can't fault it! As we are staying we get full use of the amazing gym, lovely pool with twinkling lights and water fall and relaxing sauna, steam room and jacuzzi....beam me there now!

the lovely spa pool

Us girls lost in a cloudy haze of the jacuzzi!

All gym, spa & surfed out &
enjoying a pre dinner drink
watching the waves!

For just one night and 2 days our partners manage the kids - we give them plenty of warning and come back so happy and chilled they are almost asking when we are off again!! The Bay Spa cater for families too and have different offers on other nights of the week. Why not treat the family to a night on the end or start of a holiday to Coombe Mill, (just under 1/2 hour from us) then suggest what a good idea it would be to do something similar with your friends!!

I would love to hear your 'me time' treats, the little or big things that make you feel really good about life, appreciate your family more and make you a more tolerant person all round .

Cloth nappies or disposables - its YOUR choice!

2011-05-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

Times change and ideas change, so like with all advise and suggestions, read mine, steal with pride the ideas you like and use them, then ignore anything you don't! The important thing is to consider the options, learn from those who have been there, then do what feels right for you and your child!

I was effectively an only child growing up, babies never entered my world before my own and I was clueless in the extreme. It took at least 3 nappy changes in hospital with guidance from the midwife before I was even ready to try on my own! 5 children later I look back and laugh, but we all have to start somewhere!

13 years ago when Alistair was born real nappies were only for the seriously ethical right on 'weirdo' types. Consequently, labeling myself as more muddling mainstream, I went straight for disposables. After mastering the technique they really are easy. I wouldn't blame anyone for taking the 'easy' route in motherhood (I did) as there is so much new stuff to get to grips with.

Nick and I with our 6 children

The 6 hiding under our
home made changing unit!

In our modern age of environmental awareness where the 'weirdo' types are invading the mainstream, I would definitely recommend at least considering cloth nappies. My last 3 children all came as one in the form of triplets just as real nappies were taking off, I 'poo pooed' (excuse the pun!) the idea of trying cloth nappies with triplets and now wish I had given the idea a bit more consideration. They have come on so far from the old terry towelling days and are now very competitive on price (saving around £500 per child), much less hassle than you might imagine and much better for our planet! The biggest downside is the initial outlay, but if you can find friends to let you have a try then do give it a go, or if you are coming to Coombe Mill we offer free cloth nappies on trial from lollipop http://www.teamlollipop.co.uk/ to take away the expense of trialing. If you do fancy trying them with us on holiday do remember to pack larger trousers for boys and some dresses for girls as they are more bulky than disposables!

Modern cloth nappy

It's real nappy week from the 16th May and Green Mums are keen to promote real nappies - Tracy at Green Mums has used cloth nappies on both her children and is happy to give advise. We have teamed up Green Mums to offer a holiday here at Coombe Mill, cloth nappy trials and a wonderful baby and toddler holiday all in one! Visit their site for more details of the competition at http://www.greenmums.co.uk/

Hope to see you at Coombe Mill on holiday soon!

Royal Wedding Garden Party at Coombe Mill

2011-04-29T16:48:00.001-07:00

A relaxing happy day had by all

Thank you everyone who came to our Garden BBQ party today. A chance to watch the happy couple then party on down at Coombe Mill. It was wonderful to watch the children play and the adults chatting in the April sunshine - rain what rain, thankfully it missed us!

Take a peep at our video clip from You Tube of some of the highlights caught on camera and visit our facebook site at Coombe Mill farm and fishing holidays for the full picture gallery.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msvyW2HrX0E&feature=bf_next&list=ULRUrIhOsaKkk&index=5

Dear diary 18th April 2011

2011-04-18T14:04:00.000-07:00

I have finally beaten my fear of the unknown and tried you tube. It is so easy, just a few server problems and I have my first Coombe Mill video, I hope this will be the first of many! I hope you enjoy it.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjXUMkOUItI

Dear Diary - The Easter Holidays, family and friends.

2011-04-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

I do breath a sigh of relief when the holidays arrive. A chance for the children to chill out, stay in their pj’s till late, catch up with friends and family and leave the clubs and homework behind for a while. For us the holidays are about recharging the batteries and having a change of routine. The term time is so dictated by school, homework and a myriad of evening clubs for each of my children that I hardly feel I have any quality time with them. Some nights we have 4 different activities on the go and coordinating them all and dinner whilst running a business is far from easy.

Theo's Riding lessons

Surf Club: Ally, Felix, Theo

Jed & Guy at Beevers:
A trip to Coombe Mill!

Clio tap dancing

In fact I think evenings are the only time when I would swap living at Coombe Mill for living in the middle of Wadebridge where the children could take themselves to all their different activities. Never mind, only 4 more years till the eldest one can help driving the others around! In fact he could do the school run.......but there goes another parenting dilemma, do I let him in charge of the bus and his 5 siblings each day or would the worry of his driving be worse than doing it myself? Humm,4 years to think on that one.

Back to the Easter Holidays: now is when living at Coombe Mill is so amazing. Our children are having just the best time picking up old friendships with regular guests and making new ones. Our house is like an open invitation for anyone staying to come in with our children. I love the fact that they are so comfortable bringing others round and that parents staying soon discover one of the joys of Coombe Mill is not having to know where their children are all the time, but knowing they are safe.

Felix and his new best friend Monica in our house

Dinner times can be frustrating trying to locate everyone, they conveniently forget how to read a watch at such times, but its a small price for their freedom and enjoyment.

While they play inside and out I am able to continue working in the office, restocking the freezer with scrummy meals and cakes and taking the all important bookings.

Banana Cakes

Pork and Honey casserole
cooling for the freezer

I do like to make sure we have some family time out too. This holiday we have been up to Devon for the day visiting our old neighbours. The 9 children together are great friends and we had a lovely day in the garden and down at their beech.

Lunch in the garden together

Ice cream at the beach shack

Beach fun

They were quite exhausted by the end of the day and half were fast asleep by the time we arrived back at Coombe Mill!

Next week I am taking the children to see their Grandparents in Buckinghamshire for a few days and catching up with more old friends. From there we are off to East Sussex where Nick will fly up and join us to see Yia Yia (thier Greek Grandma) for a big Greek Easter party with all their cousins, back just in time for the new term to begin.

It’s all go for me but the children are having a ball so I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Happy holidays to all of you and I hope you are enjoying your Easter holidays too where ever you are!

Dusty the disapearing kid goat!

2011-04-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

Our new gorgeous kid goat was our pride and joy born just over a week ago. So cute with her beautiful dappled grey, white and black fur and so tiny. We proudly announced her arrival on our Coombe Mill facebook site, showing off lovely pictures of her and the children and her lovely mother Houdini (more on Houdini later!).

Just 1 day Old with Mum

The Children crowing
round Dusty & Houdini

Dusty, as she has been named by the guests staying this week, gave us quite a scare just 5 days into her early life. She had become the highlight of the feed run for so many children. Houdini was quite at home letting the children cuddle and stroke Dusty and the children would search her out straight away on entering the field. All was well, the sun shone and life was perfect until.......one Wednesday morning last week when Dusty was nowhere to be found. Houdini was doing her pieces bleating for her, the children and Farmer Nick had an extended feed run embarking on a full scale hunt of the field .

Now I did promise to return to Houdini, she is named after her ability to escape from any field. A lovable goat, very gentle with heaps of personality, we had long since ceased worrying of her adventures as she always returned home at night. Needless to say, she didn't give birth in the field but in nearby woodland within the estate, this was no real surprise for Houdini and we simply moved Mother and Baby to the field. Searching for our lovely lost Dusty had therefore entailed combing not only the field but all the surrounding area too, sadly to no avail.

A cloud of doom surrounded us as Dusty was our first kid goat in 2 years and so loved. I was bracing myself as to how to explain on facebook that our lovely new arrival had disappeared without trace and farmer Ted continued to search along with many guests for the next 24 hours. Finally we all agreed that a tragic end probably involving a fox had to be the answer to her disappearance.

Farmer Nick was just explaining his fox theory to the guests on Friday morning when those staying on Pencarrow (our Scandinavian lodge overlooking the river and goat field) said they had seen Dusty the previous evening skipping around with Houdini and just presumed we had found her!

With new renewed hope everyone searched again, a young kid bleating was heard and the sound quickly followed. There was Dusty hiding inside an old Oak Tree. Nick was worrying about the need to call a tree surgeon and what a shame it would be to loose the children's favourite climbing tree, when who should pop out of a tiny hole at the base, you've guessed it... Dusty!

The now famous Oak Tree!

Whether she disappeared of her own accord or whether Houdini put her there and then forgot we will never know, but we are all delighted to have her back and know that she was safe and well the whole time!

Farmer Nick and Ted have been retelling the story to this weeks guests. In fact if you listen on the video clip here you can hear Nick explaining the whole saga to this weeks guests while they meet Dusty!

Birthday Parties, some great tips ......

2011-03-30T15:09:00.000-07:00

With 6 children I feel I have more than my share of birthday parties to organise. It is wonderful to watch children having a lovely time and enjoying all you have organised for them, however, after many years of different parties and different ages I find one thing in common at the end of them all......I am shattered!

Is this just me or does anyone else feel the same? We have a birthday a month through the summer, all the anticipation, build up and then ensuring everyone is safe and happy on the day really tires me out, I find a 10 mile run much less exhausting!

There are however a few lessons I have learnt over the years which I can happily pass on to anyone facing the party worries.

Toddler Parties age 1 - 3

Parties in the early years are partly for the children and partly for friends and family! Keep the stress down with these simple pointers:

1. Ensure the parents stay too . At this age the children need heavy supervision and you will find you need the help and support of all the Mums and Dad's to ensure everyone is watched and playing safely.

2. Opt for a maximum of 2 hours, you will find this is long enough of having your Witt's about you and offering teas and wine for adults as well as the children's party food and entertainment. The other adults will help you but you will still feel you are responsible and they will look to you for what to do, which in itself is tiring.

2. Keep it simple, a simple garden party with trikes, picnic rugs and toys is plenty, or if it is winter just toys in the front room and a picnic table for the food.

3. If the thought of home is too scary book a village hall or soft play center, takes away some of the stress of home but does raise the price. If money is not a factor then you can take away more pressure with an entertainer, a good one really will keep a group happily entertained and take so much pressure away from you.

We have been lucky enough to have Coombe Mill for our party venue and fill in at least an hour with tractor rides to see the animals, wellies or sun hats depending on the weather!

All aboard and Mums too!

Parties age 4 - 6

This can be a tricky age group, generally it is expected that the parents will drop and run and use the time a little like free child care! Children at this age need a bit more structure to a party and have expectations and ideas themselves.
1. I would recommend persuading a couple of Mums to stay and help you
2. Don't be put off the party at home cheap option, the children will have a wonderful time so long as you do a little planning.

3. Organise some games to play, musical statues, parse the parcel, musical bumps, keeping the balloon in the air, hide and seek etc are all old classics which still work well, but my advise (from experience) is don't make the children 'out'. Have a winner but avoid losers, everyone can be winners. Tears and tantrums are to be avoided and the birthday person is usually the worst!

4. Again hire a hall if you feel the house is too small or stressful, go for a garden party last minute if the weather is dry, children don't feel the cold like us adults and run around space is important. A bouncy castle can be fun or a water slide - simple piece of plastic on the end of a slide with water running down - simple, structured and 2 to 3 hours I found to be prefect at this age.

Felix on the water slide on his party in our garden

Again our tractor rides have still been a huge success for this age group, only our own children find it less exciting as it is so home from home for them, but showing off their farm knowledge to friends usually compensates along with a game of 'it' in the indoor play barn!

Parties age 7 - 10

Children age 7 to 10 are becoming more independent and like a party that reflects this. However I find a loose structure or activity keeps everyone focused, allows you to know what they are doing and where, which makes life less stressful. I have had "the mad hour" with this age range, charging round the house not realising they are as big and strong as they are, then discovering afterwards the broken bed slats etc.

1.Keep a rough structure and plan activities, but allow a bit of 'go with the flow' too.

2. Be careful with sleepovers. We have had some wild all in sleeping bags in the living room style parties. This is fine so long as you don't mind loosing a nights sleep, if you mind then keep it to a max of two for the sleepover, more and I guarantee they will be awake all night. Arrange collection from a sleepover by 10am the following morning, they will be tired and grouchy and this is hard enough to manage with your own children without managing others too!

3. For a day time party try an organised activity like swimming, zoo visit etc, less stress but can be pricey.

4. After school is an easy one, just a few hours and all the fun of a party on the actual day.

Painted gnomes and decorated
biscuits ready to take home

5. Home activities which have worked well for me include, ceramic painting, anything from plates and mugs to fridge magnets, just buy the kits from craft shops or on line, and it is so much cheaper than the same thing at an organised venue. Baking simple large cookies (or buy them) and providing bowls of coloured icing and decorating toppings is another winner. These can then double up inplace of party bags for the children to take home, a great 2in1! If the weather is good then water guns and a sort of home grown lazer game with water guns is great fun, make sure it is in the last half an hour of the party so they don't hang around wet for too long, or pre-warn your guests to bring a water gun and change of clothes with them.

2.5.11 Just had our triplets 7th birthday party - I think this was the best yet with lots of the above activities and more all at Coombe Mill. Pictures and commentry just up on facebook, you can see the fun in the children's faces!

https://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/media/set/fbx/?set=a.10150172544530256.316730.275217960255

Age 10 - 12

At this age we have tended to move from traditional parties to an activity and BBQ. A BBQ can make a good alternative to traditional party food at this age, simple sausages and burgers in buns, some fruit and birthday cake is actually less hastle than all the party food. Activites which have worked include go-carting (pricey) cinema, lazer tag, sport centre activities such as tramplining, football or swimming and beach parties. What ever they do at this age, my children have always ended back at Coombe Mill daring each other to swim in the river! Perhaps this is just a boy thing though, can't imagine my daughter opting for this one.

Age 13 upwards

I am just about to enter my first teenage party and happy to receive feedback and suggestions on this one! Popular parties my eldest has been to are iceskatting, disco, roller disco. Not at all sure what we are going to opt for, but its only a month away! As it is May it might be a beach BBQ and beach games but still to be decided, suggestions please.....!

8.5.11 update........

Thanks for your suggestions Jo, Ally went for paint balling at Big Dunks http://www.bigdunkspaintball.co.uk/index.html . All 8 teenagers had a great few hours followed by a BBQ at Coombe Mill, awesome cream cake as requested by Ally and much play (or is it 'hanging out at 13?) finishing with a water fight and soggy happy lads collected by not so impressed parents!

hungry lads!

Bespoke cake as requested!

I would love to have your thoughts and experiences of birthday parties. If you are on holiday with us for your child's birthday then do remember I make bespoke birthday cakes(they don't all ooze with cream - promise!), so just let me know when you book, or when you are here with age, name and flavour and I will make and deliver for your special day. Make sure Farmer Ted and Nick know in the morning too so the birthday king/queen can take advantage of extra egg collection at the chickens and be our birthday tractor driver for the feed run!

Happy parties

Fiona

Dear Dairy 24th March. Children at Play.....

2011-03-24T05:08:00.000-07:00

What a stunning week our guests are having at Coombe Mill, with temperatures up to 16 degrees in the middle of the day, March really doesn't get much better than this! What really warms my heart is seeing families out on the farm together and enjoying the grounds and play areas, children find it so easy to make friends, shame we gain inhibitions with age!

The daily tractor rides are such a great way for everyone to meet, children and parents alike, it is then such a simple step to say "hi" later in the day in the play areas. Before you know it the children are like best friends and the adults enjoying a good exchange of ideas and chat too while the children dash around them.

Even my own children, who definitely take Coombe Mill for granted, our enjoying their time out on the farm playing this week. It's great to see them mucking in with the guests and showing them all their secret places!

One of the great features of Coombe Mill is freedom to explore all of our 30 acres and visit the animals at any time of the day. Newly made friends can often be found exploring together and petting the animals. If they time it right they can catch me heading out to feed Domino her lunchtime bottle and help out, or spot a new lamb just born!

We welcome guests all year round come rain or shine, just have a look on our web site at our availability or simply call us and we can help match your family needs to the best property for you. Worth keeping an eye on our special offers too, we have some cracking spring deals up at the moment if you can get away to enjoy this wonderful spring weather.

If you have a child with a birthday while you are here do let us know. Birthday children are always first up to drive the tractor and I can make lovely bespoke cakes to order with candles all in (at £6 they beat the supermarkets and are much more heathy). One of our children, Theo, turned 9 in the week, he is stretching out his birthday as they all do.... a cake on his birthday after his first riding lesson on our new shetland pony to be followed by a party here on Sunday.

Dear Diary Sunday 20th March

2011-03-20T06:08:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another wonderful sunny day at Coombe Mill.We have had such an eventful few days since my last post I have hardly had time to sleep!

Firstly our beautiful 3 alpacas arrived on Friday afternoon. They are just gorgeous and make the cutest of cooing noises to you. We are delighted at how friendly they are being led beautifully into the field on arriving and clearly intelligent as for their first feed run this morning they knew just where to congregate for breakfast! They are less shy than the deer and we were able to stroke Coffee this morning which was a real achievement as this was their first time seeing so many faces all fascinated with them. I am convinced that as the summer progresses they will become more and more familair with thier new home and realy enjoy thier morning visit from us all. They love a small piece of carrot too if you are visiting them during the day!

Our bookings are going from strength to strength this spring and we had our first busy changeover of the season yesterday. It felt so refreshing to have such a beautiful sunny day with some real warmth. The sheets dried in no time out on the washing line....

The spring warmth is making the grass shoot away, lovely for the animals to have some fresh grass again, not so good for poor old farmer Nick who is back out with the lawn mower again for the season!

The thing that really makes a Saturday changover all worth while is to see our newly arrived visitors out explorig the farm and discovering all that Coombe has to offer

Fortuately we have loads of daffodils on the farm right now as my children are endlessly bringing me bunches, I was worried they were desimating the farm but there are still plenty for all to enjoy and I hate to discourage their loving gustures, though I am running out of vases!

The children were even inspired to help Dad by washing the car yesterday afternoon, all good stuff except they managed to soak themselves in the process, rather deliberate I feel, and narrowly avoid placing our newly arriving guests in the firing line of the water hose!

Afternoon feed bottle time for Domino the lamb now, I wonder if I will find any helpers on the farm with my chores?

Dear Diary Wednesday 16th March

2011-03-16T15:41:00.000-07:00

The summer weather continues at Coombe Mill with clear blue skies and real warmth to the sun. Nick has chosen just the right day to bring in Ben the digger and begin to clear a path around our top field. The field, stretching from behind the cottages to the rabbits, is the largest we have, however the fencing is just so poor we have never used it for any of our animals which is a crying shame really. I have to confess to climbing to the top today in an endeavour to collect some pics to share and realizing that it is probably the first time in 8 years I have actually been up here! Shame on me, usually I stick to shouting to my children playing there from the confines of the garden that their dinner is on the table. Anyway it was well worth the climb and I shall be doing it more often, the view is amazing, I could see right across the cottages, the river, our animals over the river and up to nearly the top of St Breward, I was looking for the church tower but couldn't quite see that.

With 3 Alpacas arriving on Friday, a new Shetland pony last month and lots of pregnant goats, sheep, chickens and ducks and Dotty the pig, I think Nick is hoping to rotate the fields a bit more with this new one. Goodness knows how much it is going to cost to fence it is so vast, and there is talk of using it as 3 fields, so for that I read more expense - "oh deer, keep the bookings coming in Fiona" I muttered quietly to myself! That and worrying at some points that digger, driver and bank were all going to come tumbling down onto the lane, they seemed to work so close to the edge. In the end I was pleased to report only a few minor landslides which I sent Nick to clear!

Work went on till dusk but only 1/3rd of the field covered so its back to work we go in the morning!

Farmer Ted spend the day with paintbrush in the kitchen in Water Mill again after the feed run and I had a frustrating day sorting marketing changes and washing beds....no quick job with 8 of us! I was very glad of the excuse to come out and check up on the boys with my camera!

Dear Diary Tuesday 15th March 2011

2011-03-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

The farm today - Tuesday 15th March

Why do I always end up writing this so late at night? I guess I can answer that quite easily....it is the only quiet minute of the day! We had another glorious spring day at up to 15% at one point, we are so very sheltered down here in the valley that we really do have our own micro climate. I always warn guests when they go a mile up the hill into the village they will need an extra layer! All this warm sunshine is really showing the farm off at its best with spring growth all around us - animals and plants! Farmer Nick has been busy in the orchard most of the day with stakes, rabbit deterrents and new planting. I think we have apples, pears, plums and cherries now, yet to see any fruit mind you, but you never know, this could be the first year! the daffodils are blooming and even the grass seed is beginning to take down on the recently re landscaped lodge path.

Wondering back from the orchard and looking across the river I could see 3 naughty goats on the loose. We knew Hudini could escape, but it appears she has taught her friends a trick or two! they were all having such a lovely time foraging along the banks of the river I didn't have the heart to try and put them back and left them to their business figuring they would return to the safety of their field and shelter at night.

Poor Farmer Ted drew the short straw on such a beautiful day and was to be found donkey deep (well not literally) in paint inside Water Mill. we are turning the property upside down again repainting and updating furniture and lighting in the rest of the house in the with the lovely modern transformation made to the living room and downstairs bedroom. Now the whole house will be in the same modern style in time for Easter - if I can get the sewing machine to work for my new curtains!

2011-03-15T16:17:00.001-07:00

Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays: Dear Diary Monday 14th March 2011

2011-03-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays: Dear Diary Monday 14th March 2011: "Evening to all who choose to follow my chatter. Another action packed day which has disappeared in a blur! Again I am racing the clock....wo..."

Dear Diary Monday 14th March 2011

2011-03-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

Evening to all who choose to follow my chatter. Another action packed day which has disappeared in a blur! Again I am racing the clock....would really like to see waking the dead in 15 mins, lamb is bleating in the kitchen for her evening bottle but on the positive side I have 5 out of 6 kids in beds with a night night kiss and a reasonable stab at the evenings homework!
I do so love sunny days. Why is it that when we only have a few properties filled with guests we have the best weather, then when we are at peak prices and full to bursting in August it poors with rain! Anyway I am ever the optimist and determined we are having hot sunshine this August so panic not if you have booked then, Mistic Meg Cambouropoulos has predicted good weather!
Anyway the highlight of my day has to be my afternoon stroll around the farm before the children came homef from school. The animals like me were lapping up the suns warmth in various stages of afternoon nap. I couldn't resist a few pics, they all looked so peaceful!

My excuse for the stroll, yes I need an excuse to drag me away from the computer, the house and daily chores, was to see Domino, our orphan lamb, who was spending her first day out with the other sheep and newborn lambs. She had an hour yesterday, but the children rescued her when the other sheep butted her on coming too close. Today we decided to let her tough it out for a few hours, but I just had to go and see how she was getting on. To my relief she seamed quite happy, a bit distant from the others but keen to become friends with them. She still ran over when I called and welcomed her bottle, only to act like a typical teenager afterwards, edging away from me and skipping back off to explore the field. I felt a little hurt at her lack of need for me but also very happy that she was so keen to intergrate with her own kind.

She is now safely tucked up in the kitchen for the night awaiting her last feed, but I am confident she will be ready to meet her new friends in the field again tomorrow.

Till tomorrow....keep following!

The merits of children earning their pocket money

2011-03-13T14:49:00.000-07:00

Should you give your children money each week, at what age? how much? on what bais? What do they and don't they have to pay for themsleves with it?

This is a a minefield of controversay which every parent will go through with their children at some stage. We all make our decsions based on very little guidance and a lot of peer presure from what others are doing. there is no right and wrong in this, we all just do what we feel is best. Would love to hear your views on the subject.

Just for the record ours get nothing without working for it. This may sound harsh but actually when you run a business like ours there are so many ways in which the children can help it actually makes it easy. Chores range from caring for the rabbits daily to manning reception, making kindling to sell and animal feed and of cause helping with changeover day stripping beds and putting on washing etc. As for how much, kindling starts at 25p per bundle they chop and tape up to £2.50 per week on the rabbits and up to the cleaners rates for cleaning a property to the full standard - only my eldest is up to this one and it takes him all day to clean a property as he is such a prefectionist - no good at all when we are busy! A day stripping the beds in summer and bagging up the laundry is £10. They are about age 10 before they can do this one.
What they are expected to buy with their money is also contentious, our eldest is saving to pay for a school skiing trip next year at £800 for which we have contributed £200. His friends apparently don't need to pay for themselves so it is a bit unfair, but so is life and we feel he is gaining good experience and appreciation of money by working for this goal. He can make the target but will need to work his summer on the farm and cleaning. Om the other hand our 6 year olds are thrilled when they earn a £1 and head straight for the village shop to work out how many sweets they can afford. Fortunatley they are well known there and the staff are very patient when they try to buy too much or claim they thought their 10p was a £1 coin!

Diary on Sunday 13th March

2011-03-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

Collected our boys from their scouting adventure after no sleep, soaked from the rain, freezing, exhausted....you get the picture! Still they were high on adrenalin and talked over one another all the way home about the adventures of the night, which team won, who could and couldn't light thier fire, remember their knots etc. Needless to say within an hour of being home both were asleep!
Funniest thing was Felix waking at 4pm while I was cooking dinner and going to claim a bowl of cerial, swearing blind to me it was still the morning!
It was the most beautiful of spring days again. Perfect for the feedrun with our new guests for the week. Domino also made a guest appearance enjoying her first tractor ride!

Sadly I was unable to follow the feed run this morning as our youngest, Clio had her first tap and ballet exams. Gutted to be missing such a beautiful day we set of for the dance studio. It was smiles all round when she came out so hopefully it was all worth it - 2 weeks till we find out.
Chores on the farm in the afternoon and cooking super, clean plates all round and much retelling of scouting adventures and ballet moves!

Diary on Saturday 12th March

2011-03-12T15:55:00.000-08:00

Morning to everyone. A diary of life on the farm seams like a good place to start my blog....or it did this morning. Can't tell you how much has happened since I started this first sentence and now it is 11pm. Managing a business, home and family with 6 children, should I really be surprised that all my ambitions to keep our facebook site, twitter and now blog upto date is a challenge? Well it works so long as I don't need too many hours sleep!

Anyway not really knowing the protocol of blogging I am going to throw order out of the window and just pick a few of the days highlights. We had one of those early spring days when you really start to feel some warmth in the sun. Domino, the orphan lamb, joined my husband and 2 of our chldren to feed the animals early doors.

Watching them all enjoing the morning chores I had one of those reflective moments, you know the ones, when you stand back and watch and think how lucky you are. A great sence of pride and thankfulness of our lovely children and souroundings washed over me.

A blur of tasks filled most of the day from cleaning properties, feeding chidren, showing in guests answering the phone, email and such like, however I did have another success moment with our 8 year old Theo who took his shetland pony out on our most successful ride around the farm yet, we managed to trot and walk with no pony naughty moments for the first time, poor Domino (the lamb who insisted on coming with us) was quite exhaused at the end and downed a huge bottle of milk before settling down for a quiet kip in the garden. Not quite sure what the newly arrived guests made of Theo and I with Dinky the pony and Domino the lamb troting past thier properties!

Sitting here now at nearly midnight I can just hear the pitter patter of rain on the roof, not sure if I will sleep tonight,our older 2 boys are out on a 12 mile adventure hike with the scouts. I tell them its all good boy stuff and to have fun, but feel a bit of a hypocrite when I then return home and worry about them! Guess that is just what Mums do.

Not sure what type of family Holiday to take? Read on......

2011-03-11T06:59:00.000-08:00

Thinking about where to go on holiday this year with a young family? This is not an easy decision to make but probably the discussion of many a household over dinner. When you give up your precious time and dip into those savings you want to make sure what you come up with is going to be a real break for the whole family. Something for you, plenty for the children, practical with a baby and not too much on the pocket!

If this seams like an impossible task, take heart, the real holiday gems can be found closer than you think, a holiday in the UK could be just the ticket! Here in the UK there are some fantastic holiday spots such as The Lake District, Scotland, Devon and Cornwall to name but a few.

But what type of holiday to book….hotel, B&B, self catering or camping? All have their plus points…. Hotels can be great if you can afford a really good one, which specialises in children’s facilities, entertainment and meal times. Bed and Breakfast is more restricted with children as you loose the flexibility to come and go as you choose, but they are cheaper. Camping can be great fun, but probably best when the children are not too young. Self-catering can be a real winner for families from tiny babies upwards as you have the flexibility of home from home in a holiday location. But do look out for ones specialising in children and baby facilities and activities for maximum enjoyment for all. They really do exist without having to feel like you are in a holiday camp. Why not try a farm holiday or something with a pool, by the beach, play areas or if you are really lucky all of the above! Another tip on self-catering is to look for accommodation where the owners have small children themselves and live on site, then you know they are going to understand your needs and be best placed to meet them! Make sure there are plenty of free activities where you stay and that you are not expected to shell out every time you want to borrow a game or ride out on the tractor and check for babysitting, a night out alone can make it a real break at the end of the day for you as well!

Great accommodation makes a real difference, but location is also important. This can be different for different families so take some time out to think about what really matters to you. Do you want a feeling of peace and countryside, be close to a beach, or river with a good country pub in walking distance or would you rather feel the buss of city life on the doorstep and a plentiful choice of cafes, bars and restaurants? How long a journey are your children (and you!) comfortable with? If a really long journey fills you with dread look at destinations closer to home, or arrange to travel in the evening or very early in the morning when the children are more likely to take a nap and you don’t need to stop so often. This can also avoid the traffic if you are heading to a popular spot in the height of summer.

So where to find these holiday gems, try looking on the web site for child friendly or baby friendly accommodation. You will be surprised at the choice on the web. If you find the list overwhelming try narrowing the list by adding more criteria, for example if you know the area of the country or county you would like put that into your search, or the type of accommodation and the facilities you would like, the more specific you become the more manageable the list becomes. Another good route is via mums chat rooms or facebook, Mums Net and Net Mums are great organisations full of Mums with young children who will happily share thier holiday experiences and recommendations giving a personal recommendation for you. There is a perfect holiday waiting for you, look out for the tips suggested in here! Good luck and happy holidays!!

Our holidays with a large young family.....

2011-03-10T13:44:00.000-08:00

Our holiday winners and loosers from a family of 8! Who live in a wonderful holdiay farm already!

Our first holiday: Quack quack – oops!

I had erased this particular early holiday from my memory until Rachael, the TAMBA editor, encouraged me to drag it up for everyone’s benefit. At the time our eldest was just 6 and the triplets a few months old. We were desperate for to find an easy way to have a break from life and the business for a few days at a time and spend some quality family time together. In a moment of madness we decided that a caravan was the answer. The sensible thing would have been to book a few days away in a rented van, but no, we went the whole hog thinking we had holidays sorted and bought a caravan. Storage on the farm was simple enough, but actually getting it ready to go away was no 5 minute exercise and all my visions of happy children playing in a field while I watch sipping my wine all went out the window on our first outing. It drizzled! I was fed up with indoor card games in a confined space, trying to keep the space tidy and dry and carrying children to and from a shower block in the cold and soggy weather. That on top of the logistics of 3 mosses baskets on the floor at night, every one hearing everyone else waking up and precious little sleep causing fraying tempers. 3 nights was all we could take before packing up and returning home. I don’t even have a picture to mark the event! Needless to say 6 months down the line we conceded defeat and sold the van. Funnily enough, looking back I think it really could work for us all now that the children are older (age 6 – 12) but frankly I don’t think we will be attempting it again, one bitten and all that!

The gang playing in our holiday cottage

Looking up......

Apart from our relaxed visits to the grandparents, our only other real early holiday was a few nights just ½ hour from home in a little holiday cottage. We put it down to ‘competition shopping’ as a home from home type of holiday and it did work out for us. With 3 bedrooms, all modern facilities and space inside the cottage everyone was warm and relaxed despite the weather (again a bit mixed). I do have fond memories of silly things like playing peek-a-boo with the triplets from behind the coffee table, playing football in the communal gardens outside with our older children and a basic but adequate indoor play barn which used up those spare ½ an hour slots early evening for my husband while I cooked our dinner. The cottage was well placed for local attractions and we visited Lapper Valley, still a favourite family day out now.

Picnic in the woods while away with the grandparents a relaxing holiday for us!

On the back of this holiday we were determined to create an indoor play barn of our own at Coombe Mill, which is now a very popular feature with all our younger visitors.