Goodbye 2018 it was nice knowing you

As we say goodbye to another year and look forward to a prosperous 2019 (Ha!) we can look back through our rose-tinted spectacles and say 2018 was not that bad after all. The Beast from the East was a nice reminder of what winter should be like. Spring was a little late but a summer came and boy, what a summer.

In May we carried out a bat survey using recording equipment loaned from the Devon Greater Horseshoe Bat Project. Eleven species were recorded, though no Greater Horseshoe on this occasion.

In September the Environment Agency electro-fished a short section of our river. All the fish were anaesthetised, measured and recorded before being returned to the river. Species recorded included brown trout, lamprey, eel and bullhead. There were no salmon this year but this was put down to the dry summer causing low river levels.

September also gave us our microsecond of fame on the telebox as The Tour of Britain wizzed past our farm, which was nice as it meant all the potholes were miraculously filled.

In our continuing attempts to avoid processed food we've become proficient bakers and have a six month supply of flour for our sough dough bread.

Here's hoping that the powers that be can get their act together in 2019 so we can all live in harmony and also that the vegan craze will pass when people follow the money and see who's really behind it.

Happy New Year!