“Autumn, the year’s last, loveliest smile”

A line from John H Bryant's poem, "Indian Summer". Dropping temperatures, unsettled weather, nights drawing in, birds migrating, leaves changing colour, hedgerows full of fruit, the Herefordshire air filled with the smell of apples. Our first autumn here at Old Gore Farm and the single apple tree is laden with an as yet unidentified species presumed to be 'cookers' - daily pickings are made into chutney (some combinations quite experimental!), cake (is a Dorset cake still 'Dorset' if made with Herefordshire apples?) or simply stewed with cloves, honey and cinnamon. When we lift our heads from our work and various DIY projects - spinning those plates on those sticks - we make a brew, look across the fields to the hills and are so thankful we found this place.

Health, the first of our three strands of the "At Old Gore Farm" brand, and Angus's osteopathy practice is building steadily - we understand it takes time to launch a clinic in a new area and earn the trust of the community. Word is getting out, though, with patients travelling from Hereford and surrounding villages including Clehonger and Much Birch, Ross on Wye and nearby villages including Fownhope, Woolhope - and Gloucester! For those not familiar with osteopathy as a therapy, it's an holistic approach to healthcare that emphasises the connection between the body’s structure and function. Practitioners focus on the musculoskeletal system, using hands-on techniques to promote healing and improve overall health. By addressing issues such as pain, tension, and mobility, osteopathy can enhance physical well-being, allowing patients to engage more fully in their daily lives. Incorporating osteopathic principles into your routine can lead to improved posture, reduced stress, and increased energy levels. Angus very much enjoys his work, sharing his knowledge and experience with all ages from newborns to older generations - he also enjoys talking about general health and fitness, nutrition - and car mechanics and DIY (particularly picking up tips from patients in the trades)! Clinic hours have been extended, testing which days and times are most attractive and convenient for patients - we've already had some fantastic reviews about Angus's treatments, including some great comments about the free parking and fabulous views!

Another aspect of our Health offering is Mental Strength Training - but what is it, and what are the benefits, we hear you ask? Just as we can train our bodies to become stronger, toned, flexible and so on, with all the health benefits that brings, we can train our brains! You can train your mind to handle stress, stay focused, and bounce back from challenges. It helps you think positively, set goals, and deal with tough situations better. By practicing techniques like visualisation and positive self-talk, you can build your mental muscles, and improve your overall well-being and even quality of life. And it's for everyone - not just beneficial in the workplace but also for relationships and other events in our personal lives - big changes such as moving house from one side of the country to the other! Sarah takes a positive yet challenging perspective to help her clients explore how they think and behave in certain perhaps difficult situations, and gives them tools and techniques that can help develop their responses for more effective results - make decisions, manage change, prevent stress. The best bit is that once you have the tools, and the awareness you can take control and continue to develop your own mental well-being. As for the osteopathy practice, it's hard to start up again as a therapist in a new area - but Sarah is hoping that as more people get to know her then the clients will trust her.

On the Hospitality side of things, the B&B suite is coming together nicely - we've already christened it The Boar Suite, after Stanley the Boar on our logo. Having stripped the rooms back to bare boards we can see and feel (and hear/smell/taste?!) the building taking a breath, having been patched over with black-painted pine architraves for many years. We have taken away plasterboard walls to reveal beautiful original oak doorways, opened up the space to enjoy both east/sunrise and west/sunset views. There's even some new plaster and paint on a few walls now! As we're doing most of the work ourselves it does of course take so much time, not being experts in any shape or form - but enthusiasm, encouragement, YouTube videos and the right power tools are getting it done slowly but surely. Without putting pressure on ourselves, we would hope to be taking bookings in the spring 2025. As you can imagine, this work (as well as our other jobs) is pretty much all-consuming so there is not much else to report in terms of other Hospitality offerings - but do check in with us regularly as we have plenty of ideas for Dinner Dates, Cream Teas and other goodies. Longer term we are still planning to offer self-catering rooms ...... but that's much longer term.

Talking of cream teas and other goodies, though - having passed our Level 2 Food Safety & Hygiene Courses with flying colours (so proud!), we feel we've taken a first step to offering our Homemade produce for sale, made in our own kitchen with our own hands using increasingly more of our home-grown produce as possible - this very much depends on moving the greenhouse and establishing the herbs and plants that are just about surviving in pots at the moment :( The idea will be to start small, perhaps sell products such as jars of chutney and piccalilli (spelling?!), then work up to eat-in cream teas, coffee and cake etc. We also plan to be a small-scale sales point for award-winning Wholly Gelato, made from the amazing milk produced fresh on Barhouse Farm, Elmore, by a mixed-breed free-range herd - or 'the girls' as we call them. By way of a declaration of interest, our daughter married a Gloucester dairy farmer whose family has farmed on the Elmore estate since the 1970s, and in more recent years has diversified to create this artisan, Italian-style gelato - of the 200 or more flavours, our personal favourites are Sea Salted Caramel and Milk Chocolate. Do have a look at their website - or even better, visit Wholly HQ (the farm) or the Gelato Bar at Gloucester Food Dock (see website for opening hours, directions etc). Chickens are also on the list, again once we've created a suitable, safe place for them to peck around and lay us some gorgeous eggy gifts, to use in our homemade produce and possibly to sell on.

So we've been busy :) We have taken a little time to get out and about and are blown away by the friendliness of those we meet; everyone has been so welcoming and interested in our story, and it's been particularly useful when someone knows someone who can help us with something or other! As we also have a certain little someone in lives now, namely our first grandchild born earlier this year, we are delighted when we get the call to baby-sit or to meet up for coffee - she is an absolute delight, growing like Topsy, and reminds us that family is the most important thing, the reason we came to Herefordshire in the first place - and we are so very glad we did.