We’ve dragged our feet this spring preparing for planting, but thanks to our new tea room chef, Richard Jack, and a few willing friends we’ve nailed the polytunnels and we’re ready to plant.
So far we’ve been harvesting a some of the spring crops like broad beans and chard which we planted last autumn, and we’ve planted a few lettuce which came through very quickly in the warm weather. Now we’re ready to crack on with things like fennel, baby carrots, courgette, a few bushing baby tomatoes and we can’t wait!
I love this time of year, when there’s sunshine and everything pops green and feels full of hope. This is also the busy time which we spend the winter preparing for.
The weddings in the Paddock Marquee are well underway and the fabulous Hexham Priory School Midsummer Ball is on June 10. We first hosted the ball last year, when organiser Michelle Rivkin and team raised a phenomenal amount, I think over £8,000. The support given to the fundraising team from local businesses is staggering. It makes for a very special atmosphere on the night, which is a celebratory evening of fundraising for a school which makes a huge impact on the lives of children, including our daughter
Millie, providing a very happy environment with lots of support to reach their potential.
Cloudhouses have all their four yurts up at Vallum now, and they look magical hidden in the bank of trees which are filling out fast with leaves. With their comfortable beds, woodburners, radiators and luxurious finish they’re adding a new dynamic to the site.
They have been built by Simon and Justine of Cloudhouses in Allendale, and you might have seen one of their team, Faye, on Masterchef recently. If you join in with the Vallum glamping experience you can take the hens’ eggs for free if you can find them and we are very happy to share our harvest from the tunnels and raised beds. Have a look here:
www.cloudhouseglamping.co.uk