Anything goes
The potting shed
Monday 28 June, 2010
We decided to convert the now-redundant coal shed into a potting shed. The existing potting shed, while huge, is kind of, well, ugly. It also sits where John and Linda's cottage will go, so it will be demolished at some point.
The coal shed, on the other hand, has a bit of charm, in my opinion. Its back wall is the wall of the walled garden; the other three walls are made from sleepers. The old tin roof has been removed and replaced with clear glassfibre panels that John salvaged from elsewhere. He also recycled one of the windows from the old potting shed, so it's much lighter than it was before.
Big meadow land
Wednesday 23 June, 2010
Apparently, the name "Dalmore" comes from both the Norse and Gaelic languages and means "big meadow land". Nice.
Strimming
Saturday 19 June, 2010
Mark, Mo and the boys were at Dalmore this weekend. While John, Linda, Mark, Mo and Lewis went cycling, Ben, who's 15, elected to stay with us and strim. He enjoyed it so much (!) that we've bought him a new strimmer. It's a Husquvarna and much more robust than our current ones. The harness should come this week just in time for Ben's summer holidays.
Ben also assembled a new cabinet for the outside loo - a few pictures and magazines and it will be just like home.
Work Party
Saturday 12 June, 2010
We managed to entice a few friends to Dalmore this weekend, with the promise of food, drink and manual labour. Oh, and the football.
Rachael and Claire weeded in the walled garden, while Simon worked on converting the coal shed into the potting shed; Dan did the "grunt" stuff taking off the old roof and Simon started to frame it for the new roof. John has salvaged some clear glassfibre roofing panels, which will let in more light.
Dan strimmed the future apiary and I bagged lath, for burning in the fire pit.
Welcome to Dalmore!
Saturday 5 June, 2010
We took this video a couple of weeks ago - we were surprised at how much had changed in the interim, when we watched it last night!A tour of Dalmore from asmallholder on Vimeo.
The builders have started!
Tuesday 1 June, 2010
The builders started promptly at 8am yesterday and the skip was delivered at 10.30am - so work is underway! Still lots of decisions to make but most of the big ones like the ground source heat pump and the heating system and stuff aredone. It's now things like floor coverings and the colour of the walls.
Then we can focus on the real project of the smallholding.
Dalmore: a history
Saturday 29 May, 2010
When we bought Dalmore, we decided it would be interesting to do some research into the hisory of the house. Given our current circumstances, we asked Angus Council's Archives Service to do a search of the Valuation Rolls and we got the report back last week. We also bought some old OS maps of the area.
The first mention of Dalmore Farm and House is in the 1889/90 Valuation Roll, when it was owned by The Right Honourable Earl of Dalhousie of the Panmure Estate, per John Sheill, Brechin and the the tenant is listed as Robert Findlay, farmer. By 1893/94, the farm was listed as part of the Pitskelly Estate, owned by the Earl of Dalhousie, and Robert Findlay was now listed a a market gardener.
Little things mean a lot
Tuesday 25 May, 2010
I had a brief visit to Dalmore today. My contribution was painting the garden gate - not much but it was rather tatty. Really NOT in keeping. It's a nice gate, actually, in cast iron. It was a bit rusty and pale blue - an hour, a wire brush and some Hammerite and it's a lovely dark green. Actually, I've still got a wee bit to do next time I go up, so that's on "the list".
I met another of our neighbours, which was nice - and she was lovely. And we were treated to a close-up view of a Chinook helicopter as it came in to land at Barry Buddon, perhaps from RM Condor. I don't know what our horses and other livestock are going to make of this!
Lists and lists
Sunday 23 May, 2010
Dan's taken over my role as chief list maker! I came home to Alloa yesterday to see to hens, sheep, horse and cats - Dan is still at Dalmore as we have a heating engineer coming today. Before I left, I was given a "To Do" list - to add to my own list and the RHET list.
The cats must have missed me - Bertie brought me a dead bunny at 11.30pm, just as I fell asleep. I insisted that he wasn't eating it under the bed and a tug of war ensued with me holding the rabbit's back feet and Bertie gripping the head for dear life and growling at me. In the end, I picked Bertie up by the scruff and put both of them out the back door. However, this morning, he'd left me the skin in the living room. Yeuch.
Tidy, tidy
Saturday 22 May, 2010
Well, Dan and I are up at Dalmore again, boots loaded up with pots and plants.
And dogs. Happily, our two and John and Linda's two are getting on rather well. Tess is the grumpiest - no surprise there then - but even she's coming round. She's a bit scared of Kimi, but Kimi is so easygoing, she just ignores Tess's shenanigans. Fillan's just bonkers and as long as he can run, he's happy.
We've now got tomatoes and cucumber in the greenhouse and peas, beans and courgettes ready to plant out in the vegetable garden.
