Page 14 - link magazine

14 DAY IN THE LIFE
Living and working together

Matt Holland of Lower Shaw Farm describes living with five other adults and five children of assorted ages.
The 'farm' offers a variety of weekend residential courses throughout the year; they also run a playgroup and
provide a place where you can feed chickens, donkeys and listen to peacocks calling.
As a lad I used to milk mad cows not
BY DESIGN LTD a teat's squirt from here. Rising early
for bovine beauties was fun: getting
up with the lark, striding out across
dewy fields, breathing in the dawn
Exercise to Music Classes ...terrific. But starting your day
indoors with three 3 and 5 year olds is
with Lee Hogan, M.P.E.A., R.S.A.
a different matter - as doubtless all
Grserown School, Grange Park parents who've stayed the course
Tuesdays & Sundays 7.30pm-8.30pm know. Cows don't trampoline on the
£2.50 per session end of your bed or step on your
sleeping hair. All right, so it's the
Fun, Friendly & Safe
same for every parent. (Not true.)
Suitable for Beginners But allow me my Father's Day moan.
& Regular Exercisers Alike Most days one or all our three not-
so-little darlings wake us soon after
six by crawling into our bed for an
unsolicited snuggle and proceed to
COOKS do a whole seriesof unsnuggly things, The West Swindon Under 5's Festival visited Lower Show Farm
which serve to get us up quick. Just as
well for the first two hours of our day 'en masse' in June to enjoy the feel of the countryside
T.V& are all go. Getting the children dressed to the office and leaf though 'In' tray. At Pulse there are no children. Just
is only part of the action. Other There's one booking for our 'Home cheerful grownup workmates and
VIDEO morning duties include feeding and Ecology' weekend and four from near-perfect order. I breeze through
watering the poultry, feeding and London for our 'Summer Stretch'. my duties, nibbling nuts. Then it's off
milking the goat, lighting woodstove There's a letter from a man who says to the vegetable wholesalers in search
REPAIR and putting finishing touches to he's sick of stressful responsibilities, of bulk bargain buys. (We feed up to
Kindergarten Room. a 9 to 5 life and wants to come here to 40 people on our weekend courses).
By 8a.m. we're sitting down to 'drop out'. I write him a postcard A crashed crate of caulies comes cheap
SERVICE cereal, toast and boiled egg. A whistle saying that if he comes here he'll be but two boxes of rapidly ripening
from the back door tells us postman droppingin,notout, with a7to 101ife bananas have to be haggled over. Do
FREE Ian has brought a bundle of bills, in andloads of stressful responsibilities. a deal but still feel the under manager
exchange for a cuppa. By 8.30a.m. (One of the aims of the LSF has overcharged.
Home Estimates I've lost Andrea to the Kindergarten Association is "to increase sense of Get back to the farm too late to
Repairs by (the LSF playgroup) and am an individual social responsibility".) collect Rosa from school but in time to
anxious man alone with three un- The phone rings. It's Swindon mind children till teatime. Three to
Qualified
dressed, un-combed, un-cleaned, Pulse, the town's only 'true' six is, I find, a hard time with 3 to 6
Engineers. excited children, who are in no hurry wholefood shop, where I'm a co- year olds. They're full of those
to go to school and playgroup. I worker. PMH want a quick delivery squabbly end of day blues. Is it a
Sales & Rentals
command and cajole them back into a of red kidney beans and paprika. I'll nicer time of day, I wonder for the
All Work state of readiness and we're off. Rosa do it at noon. bank clerk and the brickie?
Guaranteed (5,) to Brookfield School and Anna As I put the phone down, house- Supper (for all eleven of us), is a
and Jacob (3) to Shaw Chapel mate Val calls from thekitchen, "Your cheese noodle bake, has been cooked
Tel: Swindon playgroup. On the way Rosa asks, dough is climbing out of the bowl. It by Martin and is eaten by everyone
"Daddy, will I look after mummy needs you." I go in and knead it. with relish. When the children stop
825795 when she's old? Will she be old soon? Then its back to the office to finish eating and start flicking noodles it
I want her to be." We dodge the cars admin duties before going out to the falls to me to whisk our three off to the
on Cartwright Drive. "Goodmorning poly tunnel (from which we get bath. They're in bed by 7 and the
NO Bridget,morningJohn. HelloAisling. lettuces in April and tomatoes in evening stretches invitingly beforeus.
Bye Rosa."
November) to tackle aphids with
The phone rings, twice. Can I play
By 9 Anna and Jacob are happily in derris and pyrethrum (a natural non-
tennis for Purton against Bassett? Yes.
• CALL Chapel and I'm a freer man. Back to persistent insect deterrent). On the Would I like to attend a conference on
the farm where the duties dial has me way I see a bold daylight fox stalking 'The responsibilities of the writer'?
OUT on 'Post' and 'Bread making'. I start the muscovy drake by the willow No. 190 out to water the polytunnel
the latter (3 pints warm water, aspoon pond. Shooh! Next to the woodshed plants, shut up the hens (sorry
of honey,3oz yeast,4 cups wholemeal to chainsaw three old windblown- neighbours, can't 'shut up' the
flour - add rest later - whisk, cover down apple tree trunks into peacocks but they'll quieten soon),
CHARGE and leave in warm place) and then go manageable firewood pieces. suggest the last three barn-swinging
It's ten to twelve. Now, shall I local children head homewards,
'escape' to delivery duties in town watch the sun set fat and red over
WESTERN SLIMMING SERVICE beforechildren come out of playgroup Washpool and go back indoors to
or shall I be a good househusband prepare teaching notes for a class on
• FAST WEIGHT LOSS using medication and and surprise Andrea by getting their the Latin American Novel.
calorie controlled diet. lunch ready? I do the latter but not Am happily interrupted by the
quite in the right spirit. chimes of Big Ben and News at Ten,
• Monitored by an experienced Doctor The phone rings. A voice asks, on which Julia Somerville refers to
t Only £8 per week (all inclusive) "Are you a retreat?" I say, "From Swindon Town's demotion to
what?" It says, "You know, from the Division III. Injustice!
rat race - quiet, peaceful and away To bed at 11 with pillow thoughts.
Every Friday 5.30pm - 7.30pm & Saturday 4pm - 6pm from it all." I say, "No. We're ratty, Not abad day. Ufe'sa tricky business.
at The Small Meeting Room wild and in the middle of it all!" The There may be less happiness than
voice says, "Oh, that sounds nice. meets the eye but more to be thankful
Ike Gradwell Community Suite Could you send me your for than to complain about.
Link Centre programme?"
Just call in, or for more The children come in for lunch, If you want to know more
information, please look at their plates of egg, rice and about what happens at LSF
peas and say, "Ugh!" Anna explains. please send SAE to
telephone 0831 - 118907
"I need bread marmite". I growl and Lower Shaw Farm
Home visits can be arranged go to town. Shaw, Swindon, SN5 9PJ