Last Weekend the Bridford Inn in the Teign Valley hosted another excellent Vintage Tractor Rally combining the attraction with a Beer Festival – it’s a winning twinning in my view.

Anyway, I took ‘Before’ and ‘After’ my two old trusted and rusted T20′s out for a spin down to the event and they both enjoyed the Weekend gossiping with other old wrecks on the park!!

‘Before’ and ‘After’

Dressing, Right Dress!!

What a lot of fun we had……….busy w/e so didn’t manage to scupper as many ales as we would have wished…………but there’s always next years show to look forward to. On On

Happy or what – look almost no hands!!

Lesley, buoyed up by her experience in Holland hired an English Narrow Boat to put Pugwash through his paces as Skipper and also to take Josh (13) her eldest son and a chum of his called Rob on a 4 day school exeat from St David’s School Llandudno.

We started at Ellesmere Marina and picked up a delightful standard and conventional 18m 4 berth Narrow Boat and toured to Llangollen on the canal built in the late 18oo’s and crossed the famous Llangollen Aqueduct build by Thomas Telford in 1878′ish with its 300ft+ free fall drop on on one side to the River Dee below….awesome!!

Once again we had a fantastic time – the weather was kind again and the G&T’s were just spot on….crew were great and Josh and Robs whilst not catching much on the fishing front nonetheless had a fun time throughout.

As you can see above Pugwash and Bosun’s Mate have matching big grins…..which just says it all in my book…….and we’re now further exploring the UK Narrow Boat spectrum with greater interim interest whilst children are still at school in order to maximise time afloat during school holidays and exeats…..France can therefore wait a while happily……as an old RM maxim decrees “Time spent in reconnaissance is time rarely wasted”!!

Orchard Barn plum tree in full early blossom and new Cider Apple trees being planted (and guarded so his sheep can still graze) in Colin Helier’s orchard next door

Orchard Barn’s mill leet (or often known as a mill race) together with several wonderful forsythia shrubs in full blossom too

Orchard Barn in the sunshine…………and it’s lovely to know we’ve six months of the summer to look forward too!!

Lesley and I on one of our many walks up through the Steps Bridge daffodils alongside the Teign River

Love is in the air – that’s for sure!!

Winter comes to Orchard Barn and stays for a few days………….just like it did when we were kids so off we went with tin trays and wellies to slide down the local hills ’til dark!! The Villagers took to the slopes with a fine sense of ‘lets make the most of it whilst it lasts’ and many a laugh was to be heard across the Valley from boys and girls, Mums and Dads of all ages enjoying themselves in the Winter Wonderland!!

One of my B&B guests called Andrea from Croatia needed some help having got into an equipment muddle on the slopes up behind the Royal Oak pub!!! A swift Vin Chaud from the unbreakable ‘Pussers’ flask, a word or two of suitable encouragement, a gentle snow brush off and she was fine……………..and then proceeded to whizz down to the Teign Valley Road like a true professional in her usual ebullient fits of laughter and Euro-giggles which we all find so endearing!!

It’s all gone now……….Spring is starting to burst through………..but the memories will keep us going through ’til Easter and beyond. Who says Global Warming’s all bad news!!

Max Richards in the doorway of his magnificent barn adjoining his house at Mill Barn and overlooking the Famous Dunsford Stepping Stones awash with winter flood waters

My neighbours Max and Jacqui Richards and their 2 adorable children hosted a fine Christmas drinks party just before the cold weather and about 30 of us enjoyed a good seasonal ‘gossip’ standing in their barn christened as a party venue for the first time around their decorated tree, roaring chimenea throwing off loads of smoke and moral boosting heat occasionally, mince pies galore and more importantly terrific mulled wine and the best mulled cider I’d ever had, whilst children various ran about in the safe confines of their lovely garden.

It was a delightful way to spend 2 hours on a winters afternoon………thank you both.