One Unhappy Chicken

The rain finally came with avengence last week. Unfortunately on most occasions it was torrential and didn’t have the chance to soak into the ground as was desperately needed. It is amazing how quickly the grass has come back to lush green again though.


The new Shop Lorry extension to our Meat Delivery Service of Dartmoor produce; Tor to Tor has now come back from it’s MOT and is awaiting livery. We have selected a lovely image of Hound Tor and Great Tor with the bluebells in the foreground to apply to the whole length of both sides of the vehicle. At 7 meters long, this will be quite a striking vision and hopefully help to build awareness quickly.

We are now busy sourcing local Dartmoor produce to fill it in addition to the farm fresh pork, beef, lamb, game and poultry. Establishing venues to visit is also taking quite a time to identify, research, approach necessary authorities for permission etc.

One bit of good news this week was being advised that Tor to Tor had been nominated for the title of “Local Food Hero” – an initiative being run by the UKTV Food Channel that will result in a series of programmes that look in more detail at the activities of those businesses shortlisted by the voting process. Fingers crossed we managed to get enough votes to be in with a chance.

The annual South Devon Hunt Pony Club Event on Holwell Lawn took place thankfully before the rains came. We offer them the use of our top fields as they are nice and flat for their Dressage sections and the occasion was a huge success again popular with our cottage guests who enjoyed a picnic on the lawn watching the cross country phases with the stunning backdrop of the Becka Valley and Great Tor rocks.


Both Sebastian and I were in the “hot seats” this week, but for very different reasons;

Last week I was invited onto a programme called “Women in Property” to be shown on the new Sky Channel for Overseas Property due to be launched next month. This took the form of a studio interview with two presenters and myself surrounded by swinging cameras and blinding lights in a converted Church in the middle of a rather “iffy” area of North London. Sebastian on the other hand found himself escaping from a rather more dangerous predicament when the Low Loader he had been using to stack straw bales ignited and went up in flames from what looks like an electrical fault.

We are just finalising our Autumn packages for Holne Chase, Holwell and La Manga so keep an eye out for them if you subscribe to our “late deals” option. (link …)

There will also be a special “Coast and Country” 5 or 6 night break coming up soon in conjunction with St. Mary’s Hall Hotel on the island of St. Mary’s, The Scillies. We are teaming up with them to produce a Two Centre Autumn, Winter or Spring holiday inclusive of all accommodation, food and transfers. Holne Chase is ideally located to break the journey on the way and way back with “the bit in the middle” being the beauty all year round of this unique collection of islands. St. Mary’s always reminds me of what the Island of Sodor would be like from Thomas the Tank Engine; somehow surreal with it’s simplicity and innocence from any of the cruder effects of 21st century life.

My nails have reached an all time low waiting for this blessed window to put in the New House; Holwell Barton. With the first occupants due in on Friday, the Window is being delivered from Germany and fitted on Thursday; nothing like running up to the wire is there. If it does arrive, we will have one unhappy chicken who will no longer be able to sneak in and lay her eggs in the fireplace !

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