And finally…
‘I knew nothing, absolutely nothing, about sheep – it was only intended as a hobby’ ‘Sometimes Helen even takes one of her flock – Viola – to yarn fairs where she’ll happily be stroked all day’
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the Yorkshire Dales National Park after buying a derelict smallholding and turning their hobby into a rural business.
They keep rare-breed sheep, cows, pigs, goats and hens as well as selling sought-after wool and restoring vintage farming equipment.
“The idea is that when you step on to the farm, you feel like you’re stepping back in time to see what life would have been like between the wars and before mechanisation,” she explains.
Often rare breeds of farm animals are unsuitable for modern commercial farming methods. Helen and Chris are doing their bit to reverse their decline after Compo, Cleggy and Foggy, who sadly had to be culled during the foot and mouth disease outbreak of 2001, ignited their passion. Among their current flock of 300 sheep are 200 Whitefaced Woodlands or ‘woodies’.
At present, Helen is focused on supporting a new five-year conservation programme launched by The Rare Breeds Survival Trust to protect steadily declining longwool breeds on their watch list.
She has 24 breeding Wensleydales – the rarest of the nine different longwool breeds – at Gam Farm, Grassington. Helen pledged to donate all profits from selling their fleeces this year to help finance the Love a Longwool campaign.
But what’s so special about them? “All longwools deserve a bit of attention but Wensleydale sheep in particular are lovely to look at with the distinctive blue colouring on their head and ears and they’re really friendly animals. They’re also great dual-purpose sheep,” she says.
“Their very long raw corkscrew curly locks that literally go down to the floor are very sought-after for needlecrafts. Felt crafters in particular love leaving the curly ends loose and they are great for dolls’ hair.
“When spun, their wool resembles mohair and is the finest lustre wool in the world. It’s so fine, it was used for ladies’ stockings as it is very silky, soft and shiny. It’s also good for things such as baby shawls, but not many commercial farmers want to keep longwool breeds as their cumbersome fleeces do get a bit messy and take longer to shear.
“As they’re fed on grass and
The wool of all the breeds is useful – whether soft or scratchy! meadow hay, they’re also good for conservation grazing, which encourages biodiversity and habitat regeneration. Being slow-growing, their meat is also better flavoured.”
It’s not just longwool sheep that have fascinated Helen enough to leave her music teaching days behind her (though she still plays flute and saxophone in a band).
After realising there was a huge demand for native British rare breed wool in general, Helen began getting it spun and selling it in her online shop seven years ago.
Although Wensleydale locks are you interact with them, the more you get back and they’re quite friendly when you get to know them. When you go into the field, they will always stop what they are doing and come and say hello.”
Even with the help of their son William (30) who was inspired by his parents’ work to become a full-time farmer, the long hours and hard physical work mean that it’s a labour of love for the couple who live nine miles away from the farm so also face a daily commute to work. But as Helen says: “I do get up very early at around 5am and come home in the evenings around 8pm to eat and sleep! I’m sure there is something more glamorous that I could be doing, but I do enjoy it!”
■ For more details about Gam Farm, and when it will be open to the public again,
visit www.gamfarmrarebreeds.co.uk
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ighthouses have dotted our coastline, shining a light to keep sailors, fishermen and seafarers safe for centuries. Iconic buildings in their own right, they’re often found in some of the most remote corners of the land.
When these majestic landmarks of our coastline were automated in the Eighties and Nineties, they no longer required keepers to look after them, and some have fallen into disrepair. Recently, two in Harwich were even placed on Historic
LEngland’s ‘At Risk’ Register. The stories of men and women who kept the seas safe might also be at risk of being lost if memories of these times are allowed to fade – but not if the Association of Lighthouse Keepers (ALK) has anything to do with it.
Members of the ALK have been watching over Britain’s lighthouses for about 40 years, but they are now on even more of a crusade to ensure they are cared for and cherished. They do this by giving people the opportunity to get inside some of the UK’s most amazing lighthouses so the stories of how they saved lives can be heard. They are hoping to foster a love for these British icons that will continue into the next generation – with their important role in our maritime heritage explained to schoolchildren.
The group also brings together the voices of lighthouse keepers of the
Iconic buildings in their own right, they’re often found in the UK’s most remote corners
past, encouraging them to share their incredible stories of shipwrecks, storms and how lives were saved, so lessons
continue to be learned. ALK secretary David Taylor says this is all vital work. “You’ve only got to read the history of Eddystone Lighthouse off Plymouth, which was built after many lives were lost on the perilous Eddystone Rocks, to realise what an important role they have played,” he says. “It’s for this reason that the lighthouse keepers themselves are also interesting because they were essentially smartly dressed engineers and technicians who were willing to put up with incredibly adverse situations, often in remote locations, to make sure the lighthouse lamp shone and sailors were kept safe.”
Today, all working lighthouses are maintained by a team of engineers, and while this is obviously vital – even in these days where sailors have satellite GPS to guide them away from danger – David points out it’s just as important to preserve the lighthouse buildings that no longer have a shining light.
“While these buildings are part of our heritage, today’s sailors and fishermen tell us just seeing a lighthouse in the daytime – even without a light – helps them know where they are.”
Today, most non-working lighthouses are privately owned and while there is sadly no mandate to ensure they are properly preserved and cared for, luckily many have lighthouseloving owners such as Rohan Beyts.
Rohan first came across Tod Head lighthouse in Aberdeenshire as a child when she holidayed there with her family. Many years later when the lighthouse was decommissioned and its lamp removed, it went on the housing market and Rohan’s instinct was to team up with her family to buy it. It took years of renovation to change the engine room and workroom into a proper home but she kept most of the lighthouse features, making the tower a place to escape to with a pot of coffee, look out across the sea and watch the local birdlife.
Being so remote, life isn’t always easy here. It’s a two-mile walk to the nearest bus stop and when winter comes, it’s not uncommon to be totally cut-off by heavy snow, something that once happened just as she needed an operation, making for a rather hairy trip to the hospital. Nevertheless, Rohan says being custodian of such an important building is a great privilege.
“I’ve been researching the history of the lighthouse and uncovered some amazing stories, such as when a lighthouse keeper saved a diver in trouble,
Rohan says being custodian of such an important building is a great privilege
and the tragic tale of a keeper who lost his life here to a freak wave,” she says.
“I feel very responsible to live here but also cannot imagine ever living anywhere else now.”
As for the future, Rohan and David Taylor hope lighthouses will always be part of our landscape and they encourage others to learn more about them.
We couldn’t agree more.
■ To find out more about the ALK’s work and becoming a member of the organisation, visit alk.org.uk
orraine Kelly has just arrived back at the Buckinghamshire home that she shares with husband Steve and daughter Rosie, after presenting her ITV morning show, when she calls me on her mobile. In the background, there’s the unmistakeable sound of excited barking.
“That’s Angus,” she laughs. “Our wee dog. He’s always so happy to see me when I arrive home. I get such a welcome. I can’t tell you how lovely it is to be greeted like this every morning. Angus is the son I never had. He brings me such joy!”
The love is clear to hear in Lorraine’s voice. Has she always been a doggie person?
“I really wanted a dog when I was a child but my brother had very bad asthma so it wasn’t possible,” she explains. “When my daughter Rosie was little – she’s now 25 – we got our first Border Terrier, Rocky.
“He sadly died in 2014. It took a while to get over that, but I always knew we’d get another Border Terrier. When we moved from Scotland back to England, we decided the time was right, so we got Angus. He’s nearly three now, very cheeky, on the go all the time and full of beans. I could not love him more. He’s just brilliant and has been such a comfort throughout these very strange times. He’s helped keep me sane.”
Lorraine is obviously a passionate dog lover. “I’m an ambassador for Tails – the tailor-made dog food company where we buy Angus’s food each month. It recently released a report called The Dog Difference which includes the
L‘We’ve been dealing with the news but we also try to bring a touch of light relief and hope’
views of more than 5,000 customers who reveal how their dogs have benefitted their mental wellbeing as well as that of people around them.
“As well as making – and delivering – bespoke meals that meet Angus’ nutritional needs, Tails has a mantra that I very much believe in. That dogs are like four-legged therapists and real stressbusters. They really do help with your own – and other people’s – mental health. My gran was in a care home before she passed away two years ago. We’d take Angus with us when we visited her and the residents would just light up when they saw him.”
Lorraine says Angus is also like her confidante.
“I talk to him all the time. I tell him things and he never interrupts! He’s the best listener. Angus will tilt his head to the side as if he is listening intently and he’ll nod as if he is agreeing with me, it’s very sweet. His main bed is in the kitchen but he likes patrolling the house at night. He goes wherever he fancies.”
Does that include her own bed?
“If he likes!” Lorraine laughs. “I know some people don’t approve but, yes, sometimes I wake up to his little face
‘Work has been a nice bit of normality for people – and for me. Having Dr Hilary with me every morning is great too’
What lessons does Lorraine feel our society has learned from this crisis?
“Hopefully we’ve become less divided and more concerned about taking care of each other,” she replies. “We’ve been looking out for each other and have regained a sense of community. There’s been a sense of us pulling together; though shame on those people who have broken the rules while the majority of us have been abiding by them to safeguard each other.
“Also what’s really significant is that we now recognise who the really important people are. It’s not the Kardashians and reality stars, it’s the NHS workers, the care workers, the bus drivers, the shop workers… These are the people who have been keeping things going.
“What’s also really inspiring is the impact this seems to have had on children. I’ve heard that many youngsters now have ambitions to be nurses, doctors, and care workers – rather than wanting to be famous or reality stars. I really hope this doesn’t change once things start getting back to normal.”
We can’t let Lorraine go before asking her about the serious accident she suffered in 2012 when she was trampled by a horse during a charity challenge. Is she still affected by the injuries she suffered?
“When it’s cold, I get the odd twinge,” she says. “Nothing major, though. I have a massive scar at the top of my thigh that looks like a shark bite. When I have grandchildren, I’m going to tell them that’s what it is! The scar would probably bother me if I was younger but I’m 60 now so it’s not an issue. As bad as the accident was, it could have been so much worse. A couple of millimetres either way and I would have had a crushed pelvis or severed a main vein. I was operated on for hours at St George’s Hospital in south London and had a skin graft. The NHS were magnificent. I’ll never be able to thank them enough.”
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In England it is currently compulsory to wear a face mask on public transport and if you are a visitor or outpatient in a hospital. In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland they are not mandatory to wear, but are recommended in situations where social distancing is not possible – including public transport, some shops and other enclosed or crowded spaces.
This information was correct at the time of going to press but of course is subject to change, so keep an eye out for any new announcements.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently updated its official advice to say that in settings where it may not be possible to keep a social distance, masks should be worn to limit the spread of the virus. That’s because some research suggests that while face masks aren’t a guaranteed protection against Covid-19 they could stop us spreading the virus to others if we have it, even if we are not showing symptoms.
We look at your most pressing questions on face coverings, from what is required in different parts of the UK to the types of mask and how to keep them clean
While the government hasn’t stipulated the exact type of face covering that must be worn, health chiefs recommend any face covering must fit closely and be comfortable – with no gaps at the side – to be effective. The WHO also recommends masks should have a minimum of three layers. One study has shown the best materials are tightly woven cottons or twill, natural silk or quilted cotton but you can make do with the fabrics you have at home if you’d prefer to make your own rather than buy one. Scarves or ski buffs are allowed, but some experts say they provide the lowest kind of protection. Either way, steer clear of buying surgical masks as these aren’t suitable for everyday use and could divert supplies from the NHS.
Absolutely. There are lots of tutorials on the internet for making one with a sewing machine, but there are also easy ways to make one without any sewing involved, such as from an old T-shirt (see right).
Make a mask from a T-shirt
Cut the bottom off an old T-shirt
Make sure your hands are clean and dry, then adjust the mask to cover your mouth, nose and chin, leaving no gaps at the sides. Avoid touching the mask or the rest of your face while wearing it. To take it off, wash your hands again and remove using the ear loops.
Once a day (or if it gets dirty or wet, or you’ve worn it for longer than four hours) you should wash it. Machine wash at a minimum of 60°C or hand wash in soap and room-temperature water, followed by boiling water for 1 minute. It’s best to have more than one face mask so one can be free when the other is in the wash.
Cut out as below to form the mask and four strings
Cut out
Cut string ends
Tie strings around the neck and top of the head