We seem to spend an awful lot of time pondering over the best ways to light a campfire. I am not sure that we have cracked it yet either, but there will be plenty of time this year to continue the experiment.
In our early days we used traditional (bought at the local garage at the last minute) kerosene soaked blocks but as reliable as they are it pained me every time I lit one. The smell gets everywhere and I always used more than I should have. They are not very kind to the environment and that just doesn’t sit well here at Ling’s Meadow.
A lot of the photos of the meadow that we have from last year are from late June until we closed at the end of September. At this time the grass is high and everything has a slightly wild and overgrown feel. I love sunny Suffolk in the summer for its hazy days and the constant sound of bees buzzing in the background.
Today though I walked out onto the meadow to tidy up yesterdays clay oven course and fell in love all over again. The sun is shining, the damson blossom is floating about like confetti and the birds are singing their hearts out as if they are trying to get as much said before the next rain shower. So I thought it would be nice to show you Ling’s Meadow in late Spring so you understand why I might be a bit distracted over the next couple of weeks!
Oh my word it is wintry out there today! I was just getting used to the ray of sunshine that was lulling us into a false sense of security and now it has all changed again. Never mind, while we are waiting for the sun to reappear, I have a found an image of our … Read more
I can’t believe it has been a month since I last updated the blog! So much has happened in that time that it feels like a year ago. We have been flat out on the campsite, meeting loads of lovely new campers and glampers, testing all the home-made eco technology and making adjustments here and there.
Now things are beginning to wind down for the end of the season and the beautiful summer days that we have recently been enjoying are ending with an extra log or two on the campfire to keep everyone toastie. Never fear, however, as the colder evenings herald one of my favourite times of year – damson harvest!
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Oh the joys of damson sponge pudding, damson and apple cobbler and best of all – glorious damson gin. Now if you haven’t tried damson gin, oh boy are you in for a treat. Our bell tenters have been testing last years vintage for us and so far reports have been favourable, if a little slurred.
This year’s crop are coming along nicely and will probably be ready by the end of next week. So if you are thinking of making a trip to see us before the end of this season we can add in the bonus of pick your own damsons (and sloes!). I have added a recipe below to provide inspiration and maybe a little bit of temptation!
