Autumn Break

It has become a family tradition to take a short holiday in the Autumn. There are a few reasons for this chief among these is simply because as a home educating family we can. These brief excursions have helped me to appreciate the beauty of this season – a chance to slow down and just 'be' with the children.

This year we chose to do a Feather Down Farm Break at Hollings Hill Farm in Herefordshire. We all had a lovely time –the days were quite idyllic but its a pity we can't say the same about the nights. Bill finds the first night in a strange place difficult and did the usual screaming thing (somehow everyone but me slept through this part). After some soothing cuddles I finally persuaded him to go back to bed only to be startled by one of the farm cats who had by this time found the vacated warm spot. Needless to say Bill would not get back in the bed and the cat would not leave the tent so Daddy got to spend the night in Bill's bed with the cat for company. The other three nights were much the same but without the cat.

Our tent, with the wood burner glowing in the dusk

Reading the Hobbit, all toasty by the fire

The kids made friends with the ponies in the next field. This one was particularly soppy!

Slow cooked stew - on an open fire like a cowboy. Meat was bit tough though!

More food! Bread baked in an old-fashioned outside wood oven. Exciting AND tasty.

Following a visit to Hampton Court Castle, Bill spends the afternoon defending our 'realm'.

The aforementioned Hampton Court Castle (photo by Sarah); not to be confused with the (later) Hampton Court Palace in London.