A Relaxing Afternoon Spent With Rescued Farm Animals

Alice and I pose by a Second World War era tractor at the farm

The weather was warm if overcast, so Rachel, Alice and I jumped in the car and headed out to the delightful Little Fant Farm (just outside Maidstone) on Bank Holiday Monday (yesterday).

Admission - and parking - was free, which was a nice touch, but we suspected the farm made up for that with its enormous, and very popular, award-winning outdoor café/restaurant.

In an environment that was both dog- and kid-friendly, there were a number of animals to check out on the farm, ranging from pigs and horses to goats and ducks. All of them are rescues - which made this experience even more perfect.

Nigel

A meeting of great minds

The ducks

Ant and...

...Dec

We had a walk around the farm and then a short stroll down a country road to a neighbouring farm, where we had a lovely chat with that farmer's mother who was feeding two of their horses, Bob and Ted.

All in all, it was a really chilled day out, topped off with a delicious cream tea and pleasant conversation with the couple we shared a table with outside the café.

Time spent around happy animals is always very relaxing and good for the soul.

Even though it wasn't a "tree safari" per se, it was still a day out and I took a small number of evocative pictures of trees and stonework to add to my portfolio.

Bob and Ted

HEALTH UPDATE: Long Live Biscuit Club!

Photo by Centre for Ageing Better on Unsplash

No "tree safari" this weekend as Rachel was away for most of it, on a well-deserved spa break with some of her old university pals.

Then when she returned today she had to plunge headfirst into working on an important report for a client that she was given on Friday and needed to be done by this evening.

However, some good news on the fitness front for me. Remember I said a few weeks back that Biscuit Club had come to an end and I was looking for a replacement?

Well, I've finally managed to secure a place on a new - very similar - free, 12-week course being run by the borough council... at the same venue as previous Biscuit Club!

This kicks off at the end of the month.

Rachel and I do wonder though, as this is a local council-run course (presumably paid for out of our council tax), perhaps it won't end with free tea and biscuits! Will it even be a new Biscuit Club???

Having now established contact with the not-for-profit trust that runs these events on the council's behalf, I'm pretty sure I'm now finally set for a long-term exercise regime.

I learned that this new postural stability class is run by the same lady that already runs the council's weekly exercise classes at the Angel Centre, in Tonbridge (for those of us with mobility or fitness issues).

So once I've finished the free, three-month, course I hope to be able to easily switch to one of the paid classes at the sports centre.

"Arise, Arise, Riders of Théoden! Eggs Shall Be Eaten..."

Honestly, I wasn't looking for Easter Eggs - just admiring the well-decorated grounds

As I mentioned in my little Easter post, we spent the majority of this afternoon at an Easter Egg Hunt, held in the grounds of Saint Hill Manor, East Grinstead.

This wasn't really my usual "tree safari" (there were way too many people around, for one thing), but a chance to do something a little different.

As I stressed earlier, we weren't there for the egg hunt per se, but there were plenty of other cute animal-themed activities on offer.

We started our afternoon watching - safely at the top of the hill - the "big egg hunt", which, after a countdown, saw hundreds of kids and their parents charging down into the natural bowl behind the manor, and up the other side, hunting for the many, many tiny eggs that had been scattered around for them to find.

Ready, set,,,

GO!!!

It was basically the Ride of The Rohirrim, but chasing down chocolate eggs rather than Sauron's orcs.

There were some impressive customed characters wandering around the grounds of the stately home - including children's TV star Bluey - who, of course, we had to get some pictures with.

I think Alice must have been looking even cuter than usual as she got so much attention and made a ton of new friends.

There was a small petting zoo, but the highlight of the afternoon, for me, was the outdoor talk by Living Things, about the variety of reptiles, creepy crawlies, and mammals that had been brought along to educate the rapt audience of children, their parents, and animal-lovers such as us.

We were introduced to a number of creatures that neither Rachel nor I had even heard of before, and the presenter was great with both the excitable younger members of the audience and the animals she was carefully handling.

The snake was cool, but...

...who doesn't love a meerkat?

TREE SAFARI: Chiddingstone Castle

Cherry blossom avenue at Chiddingstone Castle

This afternoon, our regular "tree safari" walk found us at Chiddingstone Castle (which looks like a stunning stately home indoors, but - because of Alice - we could only wander around the grounds). 

The first thing I have to say was, despite now being Spring and the start of British Summer Time, it was blooming cold. And that's from someone who usually isn't bothered by the cold. The wind chill factor was really getting into my aged bones and I was not a particularly happy camper for much of the walk.

The main treason Rachel chose Chiddingstone for today's walk was the avenue of Japanese cherry blossoms that were in full bloom. Rachel knows I love cherry blossom (which is why we have a young cherry tree planted outside our house, although it will be decades before it can rival the beauties here... or in Japan).

Freaky bridge - not for me!

At the end of the avenue is an arched wooden bridge over a lake, but it's one of those "open" bridges that freak me out 'cos of my balance/vertigo issues after my stroke.

So we diverted round the end of the lake instead, where there's a wonderful rock formation - and a tree with signs of fairy habitation (well, it has a couple of large openings in it!).

The "fairy tree"

I am totally smitten by this rock formation at the end of the lake

This little rivulet that runs through the rocks helps fill the lake

Alice had a lovely time, meeting a number of adorable fellow dogs as well as attracting her usual coos and cuddles from friendly, dog-loving humans who always mistake her for a puppy and are then amazed when we tell them she's nearly 12.

After our walk, I insisted we have a bite to eat in the stately home's café. As we had to sit in the courtyard (under cover) - again because of Alice - I took advantage of the box of blankets provided and spread one over my legs, like a pensioner.

Rachel ordered herself a cream tea while I had a hot chocolate accompanied by a couple of crumpets with raspberry jam.

The locally-sourced jam was incredibly delicious so when Rachel was settling our bill I asked her to get us a pot of the jam as well. 

Once we got home (it was so nice to be in the warmth again!) I added "crumpets" to the shopping list, so I could replicate the experience I had so recently enjoyed in the courtyard of the Chiddingstone Castle café.

Mmmmmm, tasty jam!

Hiking Up A Hill To Touch A Tree

Our objective: the majestically scrawny tree at the centre of the ridgeline 

As promised, the tree safaris have resumed.

Rachel, Alice and I went for a walk around the extensive grounds of the Penshurst Place estate yesterday, allowing me to take more pictures of interesting-looking trees and a surprising number of small lakes.

I think these bodies of water were private fishing lakes.

The afternoon's ramble turned out to be not only my longest walk to date - about 45 or 50 minutes-worth of exercise - but also the most challenging.

I spotted a lone tree at the top of a hill and ambitiously declared that as my objective. 

Up the hill we go!

We hiked all the way up the hill, then left the beaten track, waded through deep grass (only Alice's head was visible at times) and made sure both Rachel and I touched the tree - to prove (to ourselves) that we had made it.

After admiring the gorgeous landscape arrayed before us, we headed back down the hill, our target now being the Porcupine Pantry Café (and gift shop) in the grounds of the stately home.

After a rewarding bite to eat (I had a gorgeous sausage roll and Rachel a slice of cake), we wound our way home, but were both incredibly knacked by all the exertion - hence my posting this now, rather than last night. It was a good, satisfying exhaustion though, buoyed by the knowledge of a job well done.

Sure, it's not mountaineering, but I'm still slowly building up my strength, stamina and stability.

I made it - the view across the estate from up there was magnificent

HEALTH UPDATE: Biscuit Club Is Over!

I got a certificate for completing my Postural Stability Course (aka Biscuit Club)

After nine months of weekly classes (barring Christmas and weeks when our trainer was unavailable), Biscuit Club is over.

It's rather sad, really.

While I am proud of my 100 per cent attendance record, I'm going to miss our weekly get-togethers, my two inspiring fellow participants, our primary coach Caroline, and her two volunteer assistants, Barbara and Sheila.

Those months of increasingly arduous exercise have seen me turning up, early on, in a wheelchair and then - over the weeks - regain the ability to walk "normally".

I'm also definitely more stable on my feet; it was my frequent falling over that sent me on this course in the first place.

The osteoarthritis diagnosis came later and, let's be honest, I couldn't have been in a better position to face that issue head-on.

Without this course, Rachel and I are adamant I'd still be in the wheelchair... with all the additional complications to everyday life that that would have brought with it.

For our final session this week, we had a truncated exercise class, then everyone gathered for tea, cake, and biscuits and a good old chinwag. Although I'm now on a diet (also part of this new fitness regime) I allowed myself a "cheat day" with a couple of chocolate biscuits and a small slice of lovely chocolate cake.

In the short time I've been on this "no snack" diet (what is it, six weeks? Seven weeks? I've stopped counting now), I've lost over a stone in weight and it was remarked upon in the class that my appearance has noticeably changed. I confess my t-shirts are feeling slightly baggier and my shorts aren't as tight these days, either.

I'm now in the process of trying to get myself enrolled on an exercise course that the borough council runs at the Angel Centre in Tonbridge, but my initial emails and phone messages were ignored (which was rather frustrating) and so now I've tried filling in an online form that will hopefully open the door for me.

There's also the possibility that the charity which ran Biscuit Club might have another course beginning soon or even that Caroline will have a window in her hectic schedule to start a new pilates class that I could sign up for.

In the meantime, I must remember to do regular exercises on my own and - now that our run of weekend events is over for the moment - get back to my weekly "tree safari" walks with Rachel and Alice.

HEALTH UPDATE: One Small Step For Man

Balancing on one leg is still not easy!

Although this wasn't the last week of Biscuit Club, it was time for our final assessment.

Individually, the three members of our exercise class were put through a short series of challenges, to measure our walking speed, sit-to-stand capability, balance, confidence etc

These were then compared to earlier assessments (when we started, three months in, and six months in) and I'm delighted to report that - even though my single-leg balance still isn't great - I've made improvements across the board.

Rachel - who stayed for the class - shot, and edited, a short video of me being assessed, which you can watch on YouTube Shorts here.

As I've been on my new "no snack" diet for a couple of months - and several people, who see me regularly, have commented about me visibly losing weight - Rachel found my weight from when I was weighed at the doctor's at the start of the year and then I weighed myself on our bathroom scales.

And I seem to have shed seven kilos - about a stone!

I have to confess, I don't feel lighter, but I have noticed my t-shirts are looser, so perhaps it is working.

Hopefully, this also means my blood sugar levels are dropping and I'll be fit enough to have the steroid injections in my back to help me cope with my osteoarthritis.

Part of this extra fitness push has also been our weekly "tree safari" walks, but those have rather taken a backseat of late due to Cavalier and Geek Mania (both of which involved a lot of walking anyway).

However, this weekend, Rachel, her parents, and I went out for a meal to celebrate Rachel's mum's birthday and last night I, once again, found myself on the bathroom floor, feeling really poorly and in great pain.

I'm sure it wasn't the food per se, but my body reacting to a major backslide (a "cheat day") in my new, healthier diet. Thanks, stomach!

I feel a lot better today, but still totally washed out. 

HEALTH UPDATE: Better Living Through Chemistry

Valentine's Day at Barden Lake, Haysden Country Park, Tonbridge

This week has seen the end of my recent flurry of medical appointments. For seven days I had been taking my own blood pressure at home (in the morning and evening) and while it varied, it appeared to average out to be quite normal and within the range it should be in the wake of of my aneurysm.

I was recording this as I had an appointment with what I thought was a hypertension nurse, but it turned out to be a clinical pharmacist whose remit went beyond just checking my blood pressure to ensuring I was on the right medications as well.

She was very pleased with my blood pressure, and the news about my radical dietary adjustments.

I've now been prescribed a new drug - the name of which neither Rachel nor I can remember - to replace one medication which was clashing with another that I had recently been prescribed. We're still waiting for this new medicine to come through "the system".

Then a couple of days later I returned for my final appointment of this month's batch of GP surgery visits: to have my INR (International Normalised Ratio, a standardised measurement of how long it takes blood to clot) checked after a three month gap.

My target for this is a score between two and three, and mine registered as 2.5, so I couldn't be more spot on. This means no more checks for another three months.

Clearly my level of blood thinners is working perfectly and my new diet hasn't affected things negatively.

As Rachel is still recovering from a surgical injection in her knee (to tackle her arthritis) and was under the weather anyway from a bad cold, we decided to take our therapeutic walk at the nearby Haysden Country Park yesterday rather than going further afield.

Saturday saw a welcome break in the rainy weather. The sun was actually out! This meant there were lots of dog-walking families taking advantage of this temporary respite in the British weather, which - in turn - meant a lot of sniffs for Alice and loving attention for her from other humans.

We did a full circuit around Barden Lake (my first in about nine months), taking pictures of the trees and the lake's wonderfully still waters for my growing "tree safari" portfolio, and ending up at the outdoor café where Rachel and I both indulged in diet-busting sausages (slavered in tomato ketchup) in a crusty bap. It was divine!

Haysden Country Park, Tonbridge

HEALTH UPDATE: We Take The Kingdom!

Seven Sisters: The largest living tree in the British Isles

After last week's wash-out, we were able to get out for another healthy walk and tree safari this weekend, visiting Kingdom in Penshurst, a 13-acre woodland created in the wake of 1987's Great Storm.

I can't believe I've lived around here all my life (and covered the aftermath of The Great Storm as a cub reporter for the local press) and this is the first I've heard of the place.

It turned out to be rather impressive, and popular with fellow dog walkers on a Sunday lunchtime, probably because the recent persistent rain held off all day.

Kingdom is home to The Seven Sisters Chestnut, which, has six trunks (two forking) growing in a close circle that creates a girth of more than 50 feet. It's so large that you can now get married inside the heart of the tree, where a "roof" has been installed to meet the legal requirements of the wedding ceremony (that it has be conducted in a covered space).

There's a nice looping track through the surrounding trees, which we managed most of (I was walking for over half-an-hour this week).

It led us past the outdoor sauna and spa (which was smoking nicely, wafting a lovely aroma into the air) and opened up to some gorgeous vistas across the Kent countryside. 

Oooh, random Georgian mansion in the middle of nowhere... so Bridgerton

I managed to get some more tree pictures for my portfolio, but, unfortunately (for me) there were a few too many signs of modernity and man's influence (e.g. wire and plastic fencing of various types) to get that proper Shire vibe that I'm trying to collate with my pictures.

The trail loop then guided Rachel, Alice, and I back to Kingdom's delightful, elevated café where we decided to have brunch.

Given that I was awoken at 6am by our smoke alarm going off (the batteries were dead... it wasn't a fire) and then I was rather traumatised by the live coverage of poor Lindsey Vonn's career-ending crash during the women's downhill ski competition at the Olympics  (you could hear her screaming out in pain, the commentator was crying, it was not Lindsey's hoped-for fairy-tale return to the sport), I have to admit that I feel better for the brisk walk, fresh air and protein-packed "hearty all-day breakfast".

And we were home in time to see Chelsea beat Spurs two-nil in the Women's Super League.

So, that was good!

HEALTH UPDATE: It's A Wash Out!

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

This week's planned walk (and tree safari) was washed out by the good ol' British weather. We were getting ready to leave but the rain started to bucket down and (according to Alexa) was here to stay for several hours.

I don't mind being caught in the rain while I'm out, but voluntarily leaving the house when the rain is this heavy just seems daft.

And to be honest, this weekend my guts have been misbehaving in ways so disgusting that I don't want to share. Rachel, kindly, attributes it to my body adjusting to my new diet.

It's probably safer that I stay in today (close to the toilet). I'm not a bear after all!

This shock to the system comes at the end of a particularly rough week. My regular nerve/muscle pains - largely in my chest and arms - were back early on and it was the worse I've endured for a very long time.

This was the closest I've come to crying off Biscuit Club, but I soldiered on and went anyway. However, this year's first scheduled meeting of Monopoly Club did have to be cancelled as I was in no state for a riotous evening of capitalist-driven board game fun and frolics.

I also couldn't escape the inevitable pain-induced black cloud that washed over me, and I found myself unenthused by anything I really should have been doing, instead collapsing in front of the television, bingeing nihilistic documentaries about outlaw biker gangs on the History Channel.

Thankfully, both the pain and the depression passed within about 36 hours and I was much more upbeat by the time of this week's medical appointment: to get the results of my recent blood test and learn the state of my blood sugar count.

The news, unsurprisingly, wasn't great - yet the nurse was wonderfully positive and upbeat. Between her and Rachel's input, I came away feeling this problem might not be as insurmountable as I'd initially feared.

As the nurse put it: my diet had been so bad that it was very easy to see where to make changes.

Yet, changes have consequences... as my body has been demonstrating today and yesterday.

HEALTH UPDATE: When Faced With A Rocky Situation, Just Climb It!

One of the latest additions to my portfolio of trees

Following the depressing turn of events the other week - in relation to my health - I promptly booked a number of appointments at my local GP's to tackle the problems head on. 

The first of these involved a series of examinations and tests with a practice nurse, who managed to extract enough blood (at the second attempt) from my tiny, evasive veins, that could be sent off for blood sugar analysis (and, I guess, other things). Height and weight were also measured and my feet were checked to ensure they had a healthy pulse (they did).

My pasty arm bearing the bruises of a difficult blood withdrawal

Next week, I've my second appointment - with a different nurse - who will give me the results of the blood tests and talk me through the options for reducing my blood sugar.

I, in turn, can tell her about my new (currently going strong) "snack free" diet and increased exercise regime (on top of my regular Biscuit Club exercise class... which is, sadly, coming to an end in a few weeks).

After last weekend's jaunt to Ashdown Forest, this week Rachel took Alice and I somewhere a bit closer to home for our walk.

At Clare's suggestion, we drove to Tunbridge Wells and took a short ramble over the rain-soaked Common. This included my first return visit to Wellington Rocks for over two decades.

Not only were there many other dog walkers there (which excited Rachel and I more than it did Alice), but Alice also seemed to really enjoy scrambling up the sandstone rocks (with me, carefully, following her) and it was another opportunity for me to snap some pictures of interesting trees to add to my portfolio (my latest hobby).

We managed to squeeze in this visit during a break in the near-constant torrential rain of recently weeks, but the Wellington Rocks and Tunbridge Wells Common are definitely somewhere we'll come back to when the weather isn't quite so grim.

While I only managed about 20 minutes at Ashdown Forest, this week I almost clocked up half-an-hour.

It's baby steps, of course, because I haven't really walked outside like this for around seven months (thanks to the osteoarthritis in my back causing my legs to fail), but every great journey starts with a single step. Or something similarly motivational.

I certainly won't be joining The Cult of Parkrun anytime soon (or ever), but going for a walk with a purpose (e.g. photographing interesting tress and landscapes) is definitely motivating me to pursue this avenue for supplementary exercise.

Rock Climbing: Alice and I on Wellington Rocks, Tunbridge Wells

HEALTH UPDATE: A Fall At The Final Hurdle

An atmospheric path through the wilderness of Ashdown Forest

As I've mentioned before, after seven months of limited (sometimes almost zero) mobility due to the sudden onset of osteoarthritis, a lot of hopes were hanging on pain-relieving steroid injections in my lower back - which would have allowed me the comfort to do more, beneficial, exercises.

The injections were scheduled for yesterday. Rachel and I got to Maidstone Hospital, checked in to the Pain Clinic, were assigned a room of our own, did all the paperwork, answered all the questions, and waited for the pre-injection tests.

Unfortunately, it turned out my blood sugar was too high for the injections to go ahead. This was despite drinking litres of water and marching around the room. I managed to bring it down slightly, but the kindly doctor (the head of the department) said it just wasn't going down quickly enough.

The Pain Clinic can keep my place open for six months, but now I've got to work on diet and exercise.

It's all very depressing.

To pick myself up today I suggested to Rachel that we go for a walk on Ashdown Forest, which is a half-hour drive away. 

This was my first proper, outdoor walk since my latest problems began, so I think I might have been a bit overambitious, expecting to stride across miles of the legendary forest at my first attempt.

Thankfully, Rachel correctly judged that around 20 minutes was a good start.

My fitness cheerleaders: Rachel and Alice

Honestly, just walking (and, by extension, running) for the sake of it is the most boring form of exercise I can imagine, so I've started a new hobby - photographing trees and landscapes.

I need purpose (beyond simply "you'll get fitter") for my walking, and this happens to overlap with my current interest in the works of JRR Tolkien.

This is something that cycles around every year or so, usually when I'm in the middle of my regular rewatch of the Extended Editions of The Lord of The Rings trilogy (I'm just about to press 'play' on The Return of The King this week).

Thus, once we got to the Hollies car park in Ashdown Forest, we wandered, I took pictures, Alice had a good sniff and scented some new smells, and Rachel got her steps in. 

I've declared that we should be doing this more often (something Rachel has always said, but now it's me saying it and suddenly that makes it important!). Therefore, I can get more tree pictures and landscapes for my folder... and get fit as a side benefit.

The bigger struggle will be improving my diet (my dislike of fruit and vegetables could be a major issue there). But that's a topic for another post.

I do love trees - and this one has character

My 20/20 Vision

Image by Melanie from Pixabay

When my good friend Pete turned 50, he began a quest to achieve 50 extraordinary things in that year. 

With my recent acceptance of the fact that it's 20 years since I suffered a life-changing aneurysm and stroke, I've therefore decided that I shall embark on a similar - but much more low-key and sedate - quest.

While Pete's list included hair-raising adventures like feeding tigers, mine is much more geared to my own limitations (and fears).

My personal goal is achieve 20 things by this time next year that I wouldn't normally have done or haven't done for a long time because I've grown scared over the years.

This is separate to my ongoing PROJECT 60 (which is all about achieving geeky goals before I turn 60), but I guess there's a chance that the two strands might overlap at some point down the trail.

I will aim to chronicle these special "events" here on the blog, and keep this post as a "living document", adding links to the new experiences as I achieve them.

UPDATE. Due to my six months of being unable to walk properly in late 2025 (caused by osteoarthritis in my lumbar facet joints), I'm giving myself an extra six months - at least - to clock up the 20 special experiences/life changes etc

MY 20/20 VISION BOARD

(1) Build a rockery (to commemorate Barney The Bunny)
(2) Throw a party (to mark the 20th anniversary of my life being saved by the NHS) 

(3) Go to a comic-con (the return of the Tonbridge Comic-Con and Toy Fair)

(4) Solo walk down the hill to the dog groomer's to pick up Alice, and back up the hill heading home, in warm, Spring weather. Unaided and exhausted, but did it on my own (May 30, 2025)

(5) Grow a beard and keep it.

(6) Watch Fantastic Four: First Steps in the cinema
(7) Return to Raystede Animal Sanctuary (I wasn't expecting to be in a wheelchair!)

(8) Finally got to see Superman (even if not at the cinema as originally planned. It exceeded all expectations!)

(9) Switch to healthy (no snacking) diet - due to my high blood sugar count - and stick to it.

(10) Begin my "tree safaris" - walks in interesting local spots where I can photograph trees and landscapes.

(11) Play in (and win) a participation game at Cavalier 2026.

(12) Attend the first Geek Mania event (an excellent, new kind of geeky event in Tonbridge).

(13) Complete nine months of weekly Biscuit Club (with 100% attendance record)

(14) Start using my mobile as an actual telephone (like a grown-up)

(15) Return to Hever Castle after long break for the returning dog show.
(16)

(17)

(18)

(19)

(20)