share a lovely acre + nags. veg growing and more
This page in its first version which has the basics of the land share offer starts 1/3 of the way down now, where it begins "FEB 2021" all still needs a proper edit.
update 17 july 2021...
lockdowns ended and some kids peeled away. Relatives to visit. Beeches
to play at. So the horses would still benefit from a little more riding
and the veg growing space offer is still unfulfilled.
And I have still not had time to improve legibility and design of these few
pages online about these opportunities.
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Update June 10 2021
We - five mothers and one chap, have had the loveliest last nine months
imaginable.
Bit of overdrive from last December to find someone who may also like to
join us - just as a buddy, unused land, and grow some veg and even have
informal groups of children doing this and that around the place - with
veg or nags or other.
No one jumped the fence yet but that offer is still open - just come
hang around for a bit and meet us.
We have had such a proper bonding winter also i am going to at
least turn some of it into a book or little film one day of
https://www.illicitgirlsridingclub.com/
PHOTOS HERE - TELL THE STORY:
https://www.illicitgirlsridingclub.com/p/all-other-photos-and-video.html
get in touch if want to join us, land and nags still not getting quite
enough exercise.. meaning they NEED 4+ rides a week. ...(ALWAYS free - this has only
worked us mucking in a bit or favour for a favour - cleaning for the
householder in return for use of this and that...and she doesn’t need much
cleaning - its token stuff) .
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May 2021
And... the IGRC ...
Illicit girlies ...club, but 'collective' really.
The story and pictures will be in a new website soon.
all very temporary - share a veg patch was the actual first intention!
but something else rather wonderful just...happened
https://www.illicitgirlsridingclub.com/
where the photos are....
Since September 2020, five main new young riders when they can- all
winter, another six who have at some point joined us with their horses for a
meander in the hills and learn riding skills and horsecare from our simply
superb old Mistress - sadly waning away but we WILL pass her lifetime of
nag knowledge on. Five mothers chipping in and helping me in one way or other
keep our old landowner going. And one much derided ringmaster. (look, even
horsey women state horsey women are somewhat heavy going, and their
mouths.....my oh my...serpents could learn a thing or two.!!! )
And now, the unplanned but why not, gig department. Oh my how our
main young overseer lass will enjoy showing herself off in that. With the
one...boy...to brave us, alongside.
16 April 2021. Slight 'update'. It is almost embarrassing a higgledy piggledy page, below.
April 2021: shortest version: The last 6 months I adopted - no
money, no angles, purely for the benefit of local children, a few acres of
lovely land. Not for me.... because horses that needed riding were not being
ridden - the elderly owner a bit frail. Children were not getting out
enough. The horses needed riding more for their wellbeing - keep them
supple.
And then as that was working out also the option to use some of the land for growing veg or similar was on the table. But I only wish to develop that as a shared project with A N Other.
So, a few of us - four different mothers - though i have main-main
number 1 sidecick, with several different lasses from 7 to 12 years old, have
had the happiest ever winter. Really. No misery in our operation.
Wonderful rides in the nearby hills; great learning sessions for the girls -
learning how to look after horses and also the tack etc.. from an old expert.
We even made her happy as she was suffering solo lockdown blues and with new
purpose in her life - getting the novice girls into the saddle; certainly her
health and wellbeing noticeably improved. Must write the book soon, but
too busy just enjoying it all for the time being. Needless to say this has been
whilst every time one turns on the news or even speaks with folk in the high
streets all one ever hears is medicalised doom and gloom. We speak only
of how to ensure our health and immunity is at its best through plenty of
outdoors...in all weathers. The science says that boosts immunity, always has,
always will.
And one middle aged chap this february realised it is no longer his
world....privileged to spend an afternoon with a young lass simply born in the
saddle, going around her land checking her parents flocks... up high in nearby
hills. Best day of life for many years. In the midwinter sunshine...
propper country lasses, methinks, even age 7,
The rest of this a bit of a jumble - been too busy actually living, to edit, yet. Not busy in gloomy zoom world , but the real one.
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26 March - last attempt. Finding someone who may like to work a little with us - if kids in tow that's fine! Doing some very gradual improvements around the property and a little fencing etc., planned for April/ May. Have been looking for someone since last autumn with more time available than the current lovely team of elves who sadly don't have too much to spare due child stuff ongoing in their lives. Wonder if anyone does really like the outdoors any more...? If so get in touch asap.
Need someone to work with us from time to time - paid, a day here and there all totally flexible - days to suit - i.e. suit you. Weekends / evenings ok.. Simple jobs that need two like for example another person is needed to sit and drink tea as I am doing roof work - an able person who can keep an eye on me and dial 999 if something goes wrong. And a bit of miscellaneous light help eg tensioning fence wire is easier with two. A loft conversion planned needs a bit of easy muscle help too.
Feb 2021 one off temp advert page
(PLEASE THIS PAGE IS NOT FOR SHARING - we are a bit private and quiet)
DRAFT
FIRST UNEDITED VERSION
Land
share. Completely free - never any money involved, one or two people (with
children is great ) sought to share use, with several other parents or as individual, of 5 sublime
acres. Horse riding possible if a horsey person - join a few kids who are now little expert horsewomen having been here winter 2020 learning horsey stuff - or just try it out and
help occasionally tend to two lovely oldish nags. If not horsey, occasionally tending the land with us (my own main thrust) -
veg growing for your own use, or learning how to enhance wildflowers
and nature in and around these paddocks.
Call from
6am any day 365 days/year. Number below. Wish to get to work on some of the
plans very soon. Outdoor as we are, no problem with muzzles... in fact just
come and walk around with us, no one is going to ask anyone about any health
issues. Better health comes from being outdoors as much as possible. Come and
have a no obligation wander and look around.
Please do NOT share via any social media. Please only email-share the page
within those who will remember to keep this page to themselves.
This is simply
a temporary botched up page being floated to a few specific
acquaintances. We do cherish our privacy. Would only want an
approach from someone known well to some such 'approved' acquaintance. Sorry sounds snotty - we aren't, but with these days so many in a pickle with booze and drugs even around areas like this, we can only have stable people who will remember to always close gates around at moment. Page will be taken down
as soon as one or other joins in - don't hesitate to get in touch pronto.
Share
available of roughly 5 acres of the most lovely paddocks imaginable. Location
20km NW of Hereford, right up on English Welsh border. The land is
sheltered and South facing. Superb fertility. Our 'problem' last autumn has
indeed been that the grass is too rich for horses. Extremely quiet and peaceful
being well out of town and alongside a narrow byway with little traffic.
If horsey, use of one of the 14 hand Welsh Cobbs. Both are very well trained - one
suitable novice but strong enough even to take an average weight adult,
one really for only a fairly experienced rider. Both are 20ish years old and
have a few years left in them. They benefit from a hack in the nearby hills to
keep them fit, though won't be doing much steeplechase training any more.
It is a
stable situation owned by the lifelong elderly inhabitant who is now reaching
the age where she cannot get out some days due occasional fragility. Though I have known
her well for several years and she is an easygoing down to earth tough
outdoorsy landowner. Last autumn she was thinking of giving up her horses
- it all a bit too much, but I put in a lovely situation where now a local
family has started to use the horses specifically for their children. Though
they are not going to be there beyond a day or two a week. NO money involved -
we wish to keep the scenario quite simply for the love of the nags and free
from any payments. We have hacks a couple of times a week (at most).
She is a
great horsewoman- trainer and expert, and has been passing on her lifelong
expertise to us. It's a great learning experience. Above all is expert at
keeping the animals most healthily and on a shoestring
It would
be nice to find maybe one other expert horse person to help us - simply at the
level of being backup in the event (owner's) illness gets worse. Or maybe someone who
wishes to ride more in the future themselves. Ideally someone who could sometimes accompany
the teens on their hacks. The adults involved can ride but don't wish to
pursue it as a hobby. We are only running our little set up for the children.
There could be room for one other horse based there on a quid pro quo.
OTHER
USES:
An acre
could be given over to someone, with me at first helping set it out and
build new fencing, establishing a separate (from the house) vegetable
growing area. Completely organic. This would be our own personal spot. As
we go along the prime objective will also be to also enhance wildlife of all
kinds over the land. There is a fair bit of decent wild habitat around
the land - extensive quite left-alone woodlands alongside. It would be
nice if someone with teenagers in their life could develop a project around the
land whereby we keep journals of how we can have more of nature returning to the
land, and research best wildlife encouragement techniques. They could 'own' the
project - be the brains behind available brawn.
In time
we can site a small caravan there as tea brewing space. Could even have a spot
for a live in vehicle for a nature lover wishing quiet life helping out a
little. Possibly some future rewilding we could do in parts of the land.
It
would also be possible to do small scale workshops perhaps with a few local
home ed parents, on one or other rural aspect of life and the land; including
veg / other plant propagation. Or nature watching etc.. And wildflower meadow
establishment. I have access to a national expert nearby on using the land as
co2 sink and also on how to maximise fertility and health of plants grown to
eat by intersowing other species.
In all
the above, sorry to sound snotty, but someone who know that mobile phones have
off switches is frankly almost essential. Even better those little devices
feel nice and cosy left behind in the motor.... Or we wont get on……in such
lovely natural quiet surrounds the beeps and chirps, or even crasser
sounds they can make, really do sound out of place….
Please also be advised (current 'situation') that the three adults involved in using this land - two of whom have not so much time free and thus another is sought, are so positively energised by the time to rest, slow down, and enjoy the glorious nature 2020 - that once in a lifetime spring, that we are extremely happy and only full of smiles and heathy mirth. No matter what. Seeing already one young woman cantering one of the horses for the first time Novemeber 2020 in the hills nearby when 2 months earlier she had only ever had a few lessons at a local school, and the radiant smile on her face at her unimagined achievement, transformed the year for us into the most positive and happy ever.
(see ethos bottom of this page)
if
someone of such a nature also needs accommodation - 3 miles away in amazing
location, or may fancy a change to somewhere especially quiet deep in true nature, please see bottom of page for separate situation
PADDOCKS:
the above video is temporary load on the almost defunct youtube channel of https://co2gurus.blogspot.com/2015/11/blog-post.html youtube channel which isn't this project - this is a temporary webpage, only, soon to evapourate.
jobs done - but more to do needing some help with
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separate situation, share of smallish home available in ancient
parklands a few miles away.
(this is not the property at the paddocks- this is somewhere much much prettier and wilder 3 miles away)
Essentially 2 or 3 rooms to the sharer. Possibly in time they become
main solo tenant. 2020 has been lovely - thousands of acres to wander
unbothered. Low rent. It would be good if the person sharing would be the
same person sharing this vegetable area at the paddocks, but not essential.
Quiet, non boozy, ruralish person though is essential. Need to be responsible
person due some minor duty caring for animals if I am away. Children welcome.
(the den possibilities in the ancient woodlands around are simply unmatched in
the whole county).
It is in a unique sublime setting.
please phone to chat through
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