The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: yankieGirl on January 18, 2011, 12:37:00 pm
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public school teacher (high school)
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Retired psycho- sexual councillor.
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You're kidding!?
Was this question insulting?
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soil technician
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Not sure I have a job title anymore......and I love every minute of GOS breeding, butchery, holiday cottage cleaner and I've just started to learn how to milk at the dairy farm opposite :) :) :)
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I just wondered how everyone supported themselves.
I think I would love to turn my hobby into a business.
I just love everything (even cleaning the pig stalls in the middle of a hot summer day) about this thing called farming.
I gives me such a sense of purpose. I have a great respect for those who came before us who had to depend on the fruit of their labor to get through the winter months.
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Hello, Yank
First of all welcome to the forum. Perhaps an initial introduction might have gone down better before a straight question such as that. I'm not a real smallholder (Is there such a thing? ;D)- I only have ducks and chickens for eggs, grow some veg and fruit, so perhaps some people might look down on me a little, I'm retired, but I never get a day off ;) I was a Company Accountant most of my working life and latterly a Management Accountant with the NHS until 7 years ago. So I don't support myself from being a smallholder, the Government and NHS do that!
I hope you'll tell us a bit more about yourself.
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I'm a Sparky.
I'm still a newbie at self sufficiency - I've yet to make a profit let alone earn a living from it.
Having said that I have reduced my living costs ('free' eggs, electricity & such veg as I can persuade to grow) :) .
mab
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Like some of the others, I seem to have a profusion of job titles these days.
That which earns me money is computer programmer but I also dabble with holiday caravan operator, smallholder with pigs and hens, and general maintenance man.
My wife earns the big bucks by teaching sciences at our local high school.
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Sorry if you thought my reply was a joke. I actually did work as a psycho sexual councillor.
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I am a full time crofter/ housewife and my OH is a heating engineer/ plumber.We are self sufficient in meat, veg, eggs, milk ,cheese but still need that wage coming in for bills .
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I thought this was going to be easy to answer, til I actually thought about it ::)
I'm a mum of 4 who breeds pigs and makes handmade signs, jewellery and a range of other crafty stuff (when I get time ::))
BUT pre-children I was working for Costco (I'm sure you know who they are Yank ;)) I've got a degree in Ophthalmic dispensing (optician stuff) a diploma in Interior design and have completed the first degree of Reiki training - so I suppose I'm a jack (or Jill) of all trades. Gimmie a job and I'll do it ;D ;D ;D
Hubby is the breadwinner though, he drives a taxi ;D
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Perhaps an initial introduction might have gone down better before a straight question such as that.
yank did introduce himself a while back in the "Introduce Yourself" section.
I'm now a full time farmer (albeit on a small scale). Dan earns the real money as a web developer / consultant. I also care for our daughter, volunteer for the Royal Highland Education Trust and run TAS, with Dan. Oh, and I'm the administrator for Dan's business.
Worked in local goverment for 20 years until 2009, but have a BSc in Agriculture, so always wanted to farm. I love the seasonality of it and the sense of purpose too. What can be more satifying than producing food. God bless farmers.
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I work in I.T the wife is a nurse she works part time minds the kids, runs the little farm shop, and generally does the day to day care of the animals. I do evenings, weekends ,the runs to the slaughter house and building enclosures and housing.
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In a past life I was an assistant to a psycho sexual councillor (honestly), now I breed pigs and produce meat. I am registered as a small farmer here.
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in full time education. work weekends in a dog kennels.
Have hens & ducks and soon to be veg aswell inmy back garden
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Fire Officer.
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staff nurse, orthopaedics
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im just undergoing a career change.at present im a gardener,and do varous things as well like teach kids in a school where their food comes from,and i work for james wellbeloved at the weekend as an instore demonstrator.
im just having interviews at the moment to work as a care worker for the elderly. as hubby is training with the merchant navy and the training allowance is not enough to live on ...yet...so bills need paying.
when hes qualified as a second mate well be rich......and i can get my land. at the mo just grow veg fruit keep quail and :chook: but do have land to run pigs on.
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professional driver in a haulage firm was out of work for 2 yrs started in november and it feels like im a millionaire atm but its just a case of not getting any cash for 18 months to a full time wage but i do do the hours for it so will need to sort out hay making etc
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Trained Chemical Engineer, then PhD in Chemistry. Worked for ICI for three years, got fed up with multinational businesses, went back to academia to work in research administration. Had children and suddenly ALL my salary went on childcare, cleaner, travel to/from work, nothing left! Got John Seymoour out of the library, while waiting for an allotment to come up.... well here we are. Now - smallholder, main childcarer, housework doer... and happy!
OH works in IT and earns our keep. We are self sufficient in eggs, meat, honey and jams, veg for most of the year and milk as well. Also in my hobbies (I don't want to turn any of them into businesses) - spinning knitting, dyeing, making soap, cheese....
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Never turn your hobby into a business. :-[
I am a business owner, run quite a large car sales business for 30 years, pretty fed up with it now.
Bought a beautiful small farm and use it for leisure purposes only at the moment. Will farm it as a hobby when I retire in a couple of years time when daughter & son finish Uni.
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i stay at home look after the animals, land and run our holiday cottage. my OH goes out and does the wages thing to keep the bank manager happy
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Retired banker with four decades of years of experience across Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. I have a depressingly deep understanding of what went wrong and why but rather fewer good ideas on how to fix it.
Long term interest in conservation led us into smallholding. OH is an ecologist, botanist and landscape gardener and keeps me sane.
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Consultant Psychiatrist in a very deprived bit of London and hopefully a future as a native plant nursery owner and GOS pig breeder with a bit of psychiatry on the side.
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I,m a midwife working in the NHS. Can't wait to become a full time small holder. :wave:
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Retired police officer now a gardener growing fruit and veg and keeping chickens in an inner city garden.
JD
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I hurry home from work now to see the posts!
Thank you Rosemary for coming to my defense!!
I think I will change my name to YankieGirl.
OH? other half?
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I've been an X Ray Engineer & techie in the NHS for most of my life, more recently an NHS Manager of a Medical Physics Dept. About to retire in March.
There seem to be quite a few Health Service employees on the forum?
John
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I work in investment banking and hoping to retire later this year. Should then be able to get my smallholding. Waterhouse what type of banking were you involved in?
Sally
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Investment banking but trying to keep my head down... I still advise people but the conference calls are more relaxed, for me. Today one call with twelve people in three countries had me also working on the electric fencing. This doesn't always work so well: last week a Spanish friend was reduced to hysteria when he called me as I was applying the rubber rings to the lambs' tails: mum was objecting persistently and noisily and we had to postpone the discussion.
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I work full time, fortunately my mum is at home (retired) to see to the animals during the day. I work for a bank too, but the financial reporting side of it. Into year end reporting now- it's hell.
Beth
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Pet shop owner at the moment. Used to be a toolmaker when industry was still viable and would love a small holding somewhere rural but am happy in my garden in Birmingham by the sea :D
Ian
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Farming with my partner 3-4 days a week + Business Manager with L'Oreal 3-4 days a week + evenings running an internet business + company secretary to partner's ventures + I take to do with all the admin, feed ordering, bill paying, advertising/marketing, accounts and VAT for the farm....and the occassional farmers market too!
I used to collect anything to do with pigs when I was younger and can't believe I have a herd of my own :D it's a wonderful way of life - all the stresses just melt away when you start the day feeding the animals. It's a real privilege to be able to choose this way of life and such a shame that more people don't get a chance to experience it.
Hope to farm full time in the not-too-distant-future and to get me used to the idea I'm taking a 3 month sabbatical from my management job in a few weeks time (hooray!)
:pig: :chook: :dog: :sheep: :&>
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i agree there does seem to be alot of healthcare workers, and other public sector workers........
I'm adding to it
i work full time over 4 days as a specialist nurse (heart failure) thats why i'm doing the charity high altitude trek in september.
OH works on the micro holding when i'm at work, especially in the winter when the days are short.
we only have weaners (x4 going off next monday :( ...........followed by :yum:) and chickens as layers.
plan for this year is to have table birds and bees
Mx
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I work mornings as a shipping clerk for a chemical company, one of my tasks is ensurnig Royal Mail have enough ink for their printers so next time you see orange dots on your letters thats my ink that i send to them!!
The rest of the time i'm chief cook bottlewasher gardener and pig keeper. OH is a builder.
Mandy
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Right now?
Farmhand, painter, decorator, designer, fencer, handyman, carpenter, reupholsterer, machinist, diplomat, parent, spouse, cleaner, chef, dietitian, shopper, nurse, confidant, gardener, cabbie.......
.......brickie, veterinary assistant, plasterer.......
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I run a few websites as my main occupation - then my next occupation is paperwork.
Ta
Baz
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Wow! Real mix of jobs here.
Me, well; full time job in a past life was a property conveyancer for a law firm. Loved the job, hated the legal profession. Couldn't wait to get my holding.
Now I'm a smallholder with sheep and chickens, try to grow all own veggies and fruit - not quite there yet; a student studying for an MA in History, Mum to two young boys (both with ASD) and full time cook and bottle washer - never get a minute. Had more spare time when I had a full time job!! That said, I didn't have kids then either. :wave:
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Done all sorts - central government, local government, teaching, working in a plant nursery running my own nursery , selling at farmer's markets. Now I'm a full-time smallholder. OH earns the cash to keep it going but one day it might be self-supporting. :-\
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I hurry home from work now to see the posts!
Thank you Rosemary for coming to my defense!!
I think I will change my name to YankieGirl.
OH? other half?
My apologies, Yank(ie girl), did not mean to offend, and I don't read all the posts. That'll teach me! Wrist hard smacked by the Boss -don't want that to happen again!
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i'm a landscaper and odd job man, just looking into small holding, have chooks in the garden and got eye open for suitable land coming available near me as really want to bring on my own pork!!!
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Before the girls I was a senior scientific officer with ADAS (MAFF) as was I used to make mud pies according to my OH was actually doing hundreds of soil textures. OH was in the Navy for 33 years he retired from that in June and he now is seasonally a sailing dinghy instructor. So he helps me with the ponies, dogs, quails and chickens. We are just waiting for our CPH number and then hopefully we can have our first weaners. (Fingers crossed)
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I was a ward sister (gynaecology) then retrained as a counsellor (postnatal depression/ postnatal PTSD)...now run a small soap making business (all goats milk soap :) )
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Osteopath, working part-time in Redruth. At other times acting as the second in command (aka oily rag!) to OH in the company business of installing automatic gates/access systems.
Spent last year building our cottage on our smallholding, are (very!) self sufficient in eggs and pork - as we had 4 pigs last year and only offloaded about 1 pigs worth of meat to friends and family! Hope to add vege growing the to list of smallholding activities.
Originally came from 'the big smoke' where, at various points in the career line, was a chartered surveyor, market research analyst, website analyst and software ptogrammer, motorcycle chauffeur and scuba diving instructor.
;D
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My apologies, Yank(ie girl), did not mean to offend, and I don't read all the posts. That'll teach me! Wrist hard smacked by the Boss -don't want that to happen again!
Ooh, not hard ;D And what do you mean, you don't read all posts? Slacker ;D
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And what do you mean, you don't read all posts? Slacker ;D
:-[
:-[ :-[
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I was a contracts and operational specialist at Microsoft but I was made redundant, I am currently temping to keep money coming in.
I run the smallholding in between, my dream is to stock and sell equestrian stuff that is affordable from the smallholding and online. I am still researching this.
When I do get the time and inspiration I design, make and sell jewellery online.
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Me and my new husband ::) both worked in all fields of Social Work, and we both are/were Youth workers, I now work in our very tiny B&B and look after
myour animals and love it, funny thing is our guests still tell me thier problems....not much income at all but love the rural life and being freeish to walk the dogs rather than drive around and be stressed all day. Hubby still works in homeless!!!!!(for now)
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Ex-lots of things, now I am starting out in smallholding and I have a new paddock cleaning business, OH is a Paramedic and pays the bills ;)
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Thanks doganjo. All is well!
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Sheila!!!!! maybe you could come out of retirement for some of us ;)
Not me of course
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Up tp a year ago I was an Organic gardener working in other peoples gardens, now I get to work in mine, inbetween looking after animals and housework!!
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Freelance It test management consultant. Wish I could be running the smallholding full-time but doesn't pay the bills..
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joiner/carpenter and part time smallholder, like the rest of us i am sure can never find enough time at home to do the jobs at home!!! :farmer: :farmer:
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Just turned from full-time to part-time software developer to give me part-time on the new farm. Somehow it seems more like 2x fulltime jobs at the mo ::)
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Now a surveyor for wales and west utilities, previously was british gas then transco/ national grid. 20 years on teams laying gas mains and services also standby all night for leaks. Im also a safety officer for a vintage club that runs steam and vintage show in monmouth. ::)
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Now working as a mechanic for a large automotive supplier - I have yet to meet anything I can't take apart, fix and reassemble. I'm a time served toolmaker really but seem to have fallen into this job. OH is a medical secretary at the local GP's.
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Currently working as a vet assistant/receptionist part time and also run my own jewellery making business.
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Contract sales manager for modular building company, also keep pigs for a few months of the year & just started Jessicas Jams to earn some extra pennies. Given the choice i would give this old game up and produce jams and chutney full time................. oh well heres to dreaming ;D
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Originally a general factotum to my children and OH's building business - then had a smallholding and concentrated on showing and breeding horses - kept calves to supplement the cost of the horses. ::) ::)
Also made 'Little Creatures' and handmade cards, sold at craft fairs all over the country.
Retired and moved to Wales 12 years ago were OH built a property overlooking the sea but got bored once it was completed, we decided to sell (not enough land) it was at the time when EPC's were required on selling a property - looked into it and thought 'I could do that' having helped run OH's building bussiness so trained in 2007 to become a DEA, currently still working doing that; we sold that property and bought a small Smallholding - currently building an extension and renovating the old farmhouse. Now keeping sheep and Orpington chickens.
One day we will retire 'proper' ;D ;D
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FT teacher in a secure ESBD (Emotional,Social and Behavioural Difficulties) unit - mostly art therapy and headology. High staff to pupil ratio mostly angry and violent teenage boys who have sadly had a desperate start to life, it's okay I get an armor allowance. Sheep wrestling is a doddle in comparison. OH works from home fixing computer problems and tends to use the barter system - three hours for 17 pallets this week to make more compost bins! He spends most of his time on the smallholding, I do the bills.
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Goodness, we're not even halfway through our members list and already we have between us enough talents to run the whole world! ::)
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There certainly is a massive range of occupations listed!!
Its a shame we all dont live closer as the barter system, as Bright Raven briefly mentioned, would be a great system to adopt between us all.
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Hi, I was a police officer and am now private investigator working on a freelance basis, which has allowed me time to start rearing pigs and chickens. Also growing our own veg, all on rented land though unfortunately and not in the same place.
I also make jams chutneys etc and sell at local farmers market. My OH pays the bills
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There certainly is a massive range of occupations listed!!
Its a shame we all dont live closer as the barter system, as Bright Raven briefly mentioned, would be a great system to adopt between us all.
But that is what the members map is for - we could get ourselves into groups if we all used it - no need to put your pin exactly where you live if you are worried about security - just close enough so we could get in touch with each other.
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Brilliant idea - anyone living here in France?
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i'm a Dispenser at my local doctors surgery. I have chickens, a dog and an allotment but would one day love for have a smallholding and many other animals especially pigs.
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Commercial Vehicle Mechanic, semi retired, keep pigs and chickens, grow veg. I also make and sell Pig Arks and Pig Boards to supplement our income, looking to get a smallholding, holding onto that dream.
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Student :P Studying marketing, currently self-employed on my sandwich year and run a cleaning business. I help the family with sheep, chickens and (soon to be) bees as well as organise a local music festival. Oh and when I say 'help', I mean I do the paperwork and occasionally get to go down to the fields :D
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Help!! where is the therapist?????
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I am a Press operator in an animal feed mill. And was brought up and worked on a dairy farm.
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Civil Engineer- self employed- mostly using GPS to survey newly laid watermains/sewers but a whole range of other interesting stuff- Dams Windfarms Water treatment works and the like.
Only problem is I race home most evenings to make sure foxy doesn't get my hens.
Its weird- i arrange my day round being closest to home for quitting time to keep foxy at bay!!
Declan
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I know that feeling Declan! have only lost the one hen so far and that was the one day I was out setting up a soap stall at our school, came home and she was gone, minutes after I'd normally shut them in >:(
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We all are! I am juggling any after-school things my girls are doing, so that I am back for shutting in/or don't go out until after...
But don't you hate it in June, that you have to wait for the chooks to go INTO their sheds... 10:30 and they are still out! Also the pullets are the worst, but then they are the teenagers!
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;D I thought it was only me begging the chooks to go in so I could go to bed in summer! Tony has to do that as I'm normally asleep far too early these days and he likes a later night. My 2 eldest are doing 'streetdance' lessons at the moment and I have to pick up at the time the hens need to go in so I'm bantering at the girls to hurry up because the chickens need to go to bed, people give us weird looks ::)
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Off topic but if it helps:
My hens don't get ad-lib feed so they know that their late afternoon feed will be put in their house. They dutifully come when I call them and I lock them up securely whilst they are enjoying their supper.
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I'm a head gardener (part time) to Lord M at the moment, but just past retireing age. I v'e been a RHS qualified gardener for about 30 years and have worked all over the UK and abroad in some very nice gardens.
16 acres here keeps me busy and in winter the only time I spend on here is when I have come in for a warm up. ;D
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I think we have a portfoilio of things we do including
farmer
journalist
author
consultant
parent
breed society secretary
self suporter...
probably a nutcase in to the bargain ;)