It’s ten years since we moved to Dale Farm. The 2012 Olympics had just ended and GB was riding high. Yorkshire athletes had won more gold medals than the whole of Australia! Our last family celebration in Wakefield (and the last time I saw my Mum on really good form) was cheering on Mo Farah at Super Saturday. Then we moved to Dale Farm and for GB it was all downhill after that…Brexit, Covid, Putin not to mention our current political and economic woes.
But Dale Farm has been a peaceful (OK not always peaceful) refuge amidst stormy seas, keeping mind and body occupied throughout. Paul set about building cabins and treehouses and converting grain stores and farm buildings. He even made his own private pub. Without any real plan, we developed the property into a fully functioning holiday business as well as hosting dozens of weddings and yoga retreats. We have cooked hundreds if not thousands of breakfasts and breakfast picnics as well as some rather lovely evening catering early on before we realised you spend all day cooking to make tuppence.
We made ourselves a homely home from the farmhouse and became self-sufficient in fruit and veg (well almost for a couple of months each year.)
We have enjoyed big, starry skies; invigorating North sea swims; started to live in time to the rhythm of the countryside; fallen asleep to the sound of owls; learned to love spiders; walked up and down Filey beach a million times.
The only plan that hasn’t come to fruition is one to is create a wildflower meadow from the field and extend the pond – I was advised not to disturb the current habitat but we still have dreams of a large pond with more accommodation next to it e.g. a converted boat. Maybe we will see it through but at 60 we are rather thinking of winding down a bit this year – longer holidays, fewer events etc. We may even retire fully at some point but boy will we miss it.
The best part of living here has been sharing the place with friends and family. 50th birthdays, 60th birthdays, Christmases, 2 wonderful weddings for our kids … where else would we have the chance to use our own private bar and wedding venue and have enough accommodation for around 30 people. Campfires, sunsets, food and music. Thank you to all those people who have made the effort to travel over here to see us when we are pretty much tied to the place 9 months of the year and can’t really leave.
Perfect 10? Well my hair has turned white but in the main I’d say so. 10 more? Hmmmm….
