JAN EDWARDS: A Day in the life

In Weardale there are only two seasons: Winter and August. At least, that’s what we were told when we moved here 14 years ago. It’s sort-of true. Winter always comes in on the tail-end of the agricultural shows in early September, and by October we usually have zero temperatures and ice. We almost always have a white Christmas, and often it snows right through till May.

One year, not long ago, the snow plough got stuck in the snow banks. That year the drifts were 10-15-foot deep, so we were not surprised.

The sanctuary (and my home) is situated high in the hills of the high north Pennines, and when we get snow, we get Serious Snow. The household water supply is straight from the ground (not mains), and sometimes freezes below ground. When this happens, we have to light fires on the ground above the water pipes in the top field, and keep them burning for several hours. This warms the ground deep enough to thaw the ice in the pipes.

The only access to our home is via a very steep tractor-wide road, which doesn’t get gritted very often. The council provide piles of grit/salt for us to use on the road.

There are about a dozen piles of grit on the 2-mile stretch of road between here and the A689.

It took me almost 3 hours the other night, at minus 3C, to grit just the mile-long hillside where our home is. Someone else (some neighbour from 5 houses/ half a mile away), was gritting the other mile. It’s hard work, in the dark of a winter’s night, but you don’t feel the cold because you are sweating.

BUT...It is very dark. You get a good view of the night sky. The nearest street lights are 2 miles away on the main road, and dwellings are few and far between. Sounds travel a long way and echo and distort, so you are never sure what direction you heard it from.

There are tales of ghosts – I can tell a few tales myself of strange otherworldly happenings up here in the Northern hills - and there are other, not so weird, happenings. Big cats roam the countryside. I have personally witnessed 2, and other family and friends have seen others. And a few years ago stoats were hunting in packs. In the darkness of a midwinter’s night you just want to be home. But it is not all doom and gloom.... There are some good things about Weardale in winter, especially for the naturalist.

It’s easier to track animals for a start, and birds become tamer due to hunger. We had a pheasant eating nuts from a feeder yesterday, for example.

Having the woodland has presented a fantastic opportunity to watch wildlife. We put a hay-net up for the deer to try to take their minds off bark chewing. Time will tell if it’s going to work. In addition, we are filling the 12 woodland bird and squirrel feeders 2-3 times a week, to keep them well fed during these lean times. The wood looks like a scene from Narnia at the moment.

And the sanctuary animals? Well, they are coping all right. The hedgehogs are living it up in the parlour, on a diet of cat food and meal worms. The quail, pigeon and peacock are thriving. Ducks and chickens are thriving. Sheep, goats, cats, dogs and rabbits are full and satisfied. Everyone is happy, warm, healthy.

You learn to keep good supplies in for the bad weather. Including candles and matches, gas heaters, and bottled water in case of power cuts. You learn that the nearest petrol station is 10 miles away, and only open 9am-6pm Mon-Sat. The nearest supermarket is a full hour’s drive away. You learn to deal with stuff like recycling, and water supplies and sewage. You learn to plan. You learn to live.

We often have to drive when you can’t actually see the road for snow. You can usually see the 6-foot-tall snow-poles marking the sides of the road, and you know that to each side of these poles there is a wide, deep drainage ditch, so you have a good idea of where to drive.

This morning we had an emergency vet run. Our veterinary surgery lies 15 miles away across the border into Cumbria. I needed to get a cat (called Jade) to surgery for life-saving treatment. 6 miles from home we couldn’t see the road – total white-out. We COULD see the emergency ambulance that had stopped on the brow of a hill, and the driver running about in the snow taking photos of his vehicle and his buddy. No problem – just a photo opportunity. The world has gone mad, I tell you.

We managed to avoid skidding into the ambulance (it would have been MOST embarrassing, because they would have taken photos....) and got Jade to the vet. She was still alive, and we are hoping for good news.

Dropped the car off at the local garage for a service, and walked the 2 miles back home, snow crunching underfoot in the brilliant winter sunshine. 2 and a half hours later the animals here were all cleaned out, fed and watered. They complained a little, but it couldn’t be helped. Everyone is OK, and that’s what matters.

The postman got to us in his landrover at about 2pm. We have forgotten what morning deliveries are like....

Chickens, sheep, goat, pigeons, peacock, chucks and ducks were all dealt with by 3:00pm, and by 4pm it was dark. The dogs, cats, mice, rabbits etc are all indoors, so easier to deal with after dark.

Dealt with several emails and updated the website and the forum – and it’s still not quite 6pm. Just one more animal feed to go – for the cats with kittens and the animals who need medicines, then we do it all again tomorrow. Life is just one round of fun. But I wouldn’t live anywhere else, or do any other job. Being able to make a difference to the countless lives that come our way every week is fantastic!

http://www.farplace.co.uk/