Hi Richard
Welcome to 'Ooop North', sounds very exciting for you.
We are only running our rayburn in the evenings, just enough to cook our evening meal and heat water, saves bothering to feed it during the day. Junk mail is called 'Rayburn fodder', useful for lighting it anyway.
for the veg patch you could always try a few salad stuff, maybe short season carrots? I think there may be cabbage that you start off now? anyway sounds like there is enough to do!
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I love looking around every day where I live - love it whatever the weather (well maybe no the horizontal wind with rain/snow, but even that has its own power and beauty). Sometimes I think it would be nice to live somewhere flat, but I'd miss the hills and valleys, where the view changes just a few yards up the lane.
You've certainly had some good weather to help you settle in