THE stars of a new documentary following the lives of tenant hill farmers as they try to breed the perfect sheep have spoken of their small screen experience ahead of its release.

Tom and Kay Hutchinson, who live near Middleton-in-Teesdale, County Durham, feature in Addicted to Sheep, along with their three children Hetty, 10,Esme, 12 and Jack, 13.

The family, who fully admit being addicted to sheep, were filmed over 18 months at their Bail Hill Farm home by French film maker Magali Pettier.

She was given unrestricted access to the family from June 2010 to September 2011, where she captured 62 hours of footage of them and their flock of pedigree Swaledale sheep as they battled through the seasons.

Talking about the experience, Mr Hutchinson said: It was not intrusive as we thought it would be.

The children thought it was done well they were quite nervous seeing it because they were a lot smaller when it was filmed but Magali was very good with them.

Mrs Huthcinson said: "My favourite bit is when Esme goes into a field and starts painting because I think there are not many kids that can appreciate the freedom that our kids have.

Ms Pettier, of Provence Films, teamed up with Jan Cawood, of Tin Man Films, to produce the independent documentary, after 9,000 was raised through a successful crowd-funding campaign.

A 3,500 sum from Heart of Teesdale Landscape Partnership and the Heritage Lottery Fund also allowed the pair to work with editor, Matt Dennis, to develop the 62 hours of raw footage into an 85-minute documentary.

The team were then helped in post-production by Teesside Universitys DigitalCity, where Ms Pettier and Ms Cawood are both former fellows.

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Upper Teesdale hill farmers star in documentary film Addicted to Sheep

Here at Berns Landscaping we have specialized in the enhancement and care of beautiful lawns and landscaping for 30 years. We are an award winning landscape company serving customers throughout Southeast Michigan including Birmingham, Grosse Pointe, Bloomfield Hills, Royal Oak and beyond.

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Malvern developed massively in the Victorian era around 'taking the waters'. A key date is 1842, when Drs James Wilson and Gully set up their water cure establishments in Belle Vue, at the centre of town. Two famous Victorian era Charles' came to Malvern for the water - both Dickens and Darwin, with their respective wives.

Malvern Water was until recently bottled at Colwall by Schweppes (part of Coca Cola). This plant has closed, but you can still get the water for free from the various springs (take note of any warning signs re quality). The reputation of the water was firmly established by J Schweppe & Co. at the Great Exhibition in 1851. There have been other bottlers, going back to the 17th century and the latest is Holywell, at one of the orignal sites. It is best known for "containing nothing at all" (ie high levels of purity).

Malvern Spa Association has a more comprehensive list of springs etc. plus their location (approx. 70 in the area). Wells of Malvern is a map from Harvey (see Outdoor Links for contact details, or order from Amazon), similar to part of their Hills walking map. Also see under Points of Interest below for our own Google Map/GPX record. Check any notices of water quality if you want to take a drink (and some springs may be 'dry', or at least not running).

Cora Weaver has written a number of related books (which can be obtained via The Spas Research Fellowship): Springs, Spouts, Fountains and Holy Wells of the Malverns; Aquae Malvernensis; A Short Guide to Malvern as a Spa Town; other titles on Malvern history.

Well dressing competition happens the same weekend as the Fringe May Day event (Saturday before 1st May) - see Events. Some pictures of dressed springs (2002, 2003, 2007). Anyone can apply (to Spa Assoc) to dress a site, on a first come first served basis.

Local BBC pages are worth a look.

A review on London Review of Books of Waterlog: A Swimmer's Journey through Britain (paperback pub'd 2000, from Amazon) includes the following: "The hydrotherapy in Malvern cured both Florence Nightingale and, in part, Tennyson, 'who came after a nervous breakdown, and declared he was "half-cured, half-destroyed" by the place'. Charles Darwin 'arrived depressed and unable to write, but was so persuaded by the effects of his treatment that he returned three more times'. (Darwin was to have his own douche-bath fed with Malvern water installed at home.)" Educational web site WebQuest has some material 'The Mystery in the Attic' based around the Malvern water cure but extending somewhat beyond it - the Attic extract from The Story of Malvern (1911) is an idiosyncratic take on the ups and downs of local developments.

This well known ridge runs roughly north/south, to the west of Great Malvern, and stretches for 8 miles or more (depending on what you include). William Cobbett, the author of Rural Rides (available at Amazon), described the Malvern Hills as "those curious bubblings up", when staying at Woollas Hall (quote from Mark Horrell's web site). While the ridge itself is open, and often windy, the lower slopes have a range of woodland and scrub, with quarries to explore (not all are recommended as safe).

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Malvern Hills, landscape, water, history - MalvernTrail ...

Jan. 29, 2015

A worker saws the iconic 300-year-old Presidents Oak, a tree that was located just south of the Observatory Hill Office Building (La Follette School of Public Affairs, not shown) and north of Nancy Nicholas Hall (background) Jan. 14.

Photo: Bryce Richter

After a tall and green life, Quercus macrocarpa, better known to friends as the Presidents Oak, was taken down on Jan. 14, 2015, following a lengthy illness.

The native bur oak was once a tree without a name. It was born about three centuries ago, at least 100 years before the university, into the open savannah emblematic of Wisconsins pre-settlement landscape. Likely it sprouted naturally from an acorn provided by another centuries-old bur oak nearby.

The Presidents Oak in 2006. Washburn Observatory is in the background.

Photo: Michael Forster Rothbart

It grew on a ridge with a perfect view of Lake Mendota, keeping company with nearby Native American burial mounds and witnessing visits by native people for ceremonial events.

Continue reading here:
Last stand of the Presidents Oak: A trees life remembered

Neighborhood news calendar

Countywide

Free tax assistance program available

With support from the United Way of Hernando County, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program provides free federal tax preparation assistance to people with a total income of $60,000 or less at the following locations:

Career Central, 7361 Forest Oaks Blvd., Spring Hill. 9 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Thursdays, by appointment only. Call (352) 200-3030.

RSVP/Mid Florida Community Services, 820 Kennedy Blvd., Brooksville. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays. Call (352) 796-8117.

Spring Hill Branch/Harold G. Zopp Memorial Library, 9220 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays (closed April 3). Call (352) 540-6375.

The following are needed at the appointment: Social Security or Individual Taxpayer ID cards for everyone claimed on the return; photo ID for taxpayers; all income forms, W-2s and 1099s; information for all deductions/credits; a copy of last year's tax return; proof of account for direct deposit of refund (e.g. voided check).

The VITA program also will provide assistance at several one-day sites with its mobile unit.

Explorer K-8 School, 10252 Northcliffe Blvd., Spring Hill. 4:30 to 7 p.m. Feb. 4.

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Hernando Briefs for Jan. 30

AUSTIN Now is the time to learn about ways to help landscapes and gardens perform in the hot, dry summer months that lie ahead while conserving, preserving and protecting water resources, said Daphne Richards, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service horticulturist for Travis County.

Landscaping for drought will be the general focus of a series of monthly programs to be held at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office in Travis County, located at 1600-B Smith Road in southeast Austin. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo)

Even though its still winter, the well-prepared gardener should be thinking about choosing plants and trees and pondering how to best maintain them during the summer, especially under the drought conditions that tend to prevail here in Central Texas, Richards said.

To help gardeners prepare, AgriLife Extension and the Travis County Master Gardeners will present a series of monthly seminars.

Dealing with Drought in the Landscape programs will be held monthly from Feb. to June. They will each be held from 10 a.m.-noon at the AgriLife Extension office, 1600-B Smith Road in southeast Austin.

The cost is $10 per seminar for early registration and $15 per seminar for late or on-site registration.To register, go to https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/TravisCounty.

Dates and topics for the drought series are:

Feb.12 Landscaping Basics: Learn basic landscape principles and become familiar with the native and adapted plants to incorporate into your garden. Carolyn Williams, a long-time Master Gardener who holds both basic and advanced landscape design certifications, will share her experience in landscaping designs.

March 12 Using Native Plants in the Landscape: Native Texas plants bring beauty and function to your garden while being well adapted to handle blazing sun, drought and other weather extremes. They also provide great benefits to pollinators and birds. 4-H Capitals gardening specialist and Texas Master Naturalist Meredith OReilly will guide you in choosing the right native plants for your yard and garden. .

April 9 Tree Care During Drought: Many trees are stressed by prolonged periods of hot, dry weather. Selecting trees that use water efficiently is one way to make your landscape more resistant to droughts. This program focuses on tree maintenance procedures such as mulching, proper pruning, limiting fertilization and supplemental irrigation.Lara Schuman, a certified arborist and acting program manager at City of Austin Urban Forestry will share her knowledge on caring for trees.

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AgriLife Extension in Travis County to present landscape series on dealing with drought

Tony Benny

Nick Ledgard, left, and Ray Goldring are leading the fight against wilding contorta pine in the Waimakariri Basin.

Almost 50 years after he helped plant contorta pines to control erosion, retired forestry scientist Nick Ledgard is back in the South Island high country leading the fight to stop their alarming spread.

The fast-growing - but commercially useless - pine variety is marching across landscapes from Otago to Waikato and is high on the list of pest species of many regional councils.

It is especially virulent in the Waimakariri Basin, between Porters and Arthur's passes in an area very close to where firefighters are today battling a massive fire. That area where Ledgard, along with members of Welra, the Waimakariri Ecological and Landscape Restoration Alliance, is concentrating his efforts is on the opposite side of State Highway 73 from today's huge blaze is being battled.

Nick Ledgard

BEFORE: A small patch of contorta was planted on Helicopter Hill in the Waimakariri basin near Flock Hill in the 1960s to control erosion.

As a young scientist in the 1960s, Ledgard was part of a team planting experimental plots on Helicopter Hill in the Waimakariri Basin, looking for species to control what was perceived to be a serious erosion threat.

In contorta they seemed to have found an answer; it would grow and thrive at high altitudes and hold the ground together.

But it was soon realised that contorta had the ability to spread far from the original site thanks to its light windborne seeds that could germinate on virtually any open ground.

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Fight on to halt rapid march of the wildings

SPRING HILL Fighting to preserve the citys historical significance before construction on new developments, several citizens voiced concerns during last weeks transportation study.

The meeting to discuss the proposed Crossings Circle South extension, which would extend from the Crossings shopping center to Kedron Road, was the hottest topic. Understanding the difficult balance to preserve historic battleground and create better, safer connectivity for the city was the purpose of the meeting, Assistant City Administrator Dan Allen said.

This is the study to try and look at a way to solve that issue, but thats not the only issue, Allen said. Weve got property owners who are interested in their rights and wanting to do some developments on the other side, we also have a historic battlefield.

Increasing building permits issued each year is a clear sign Spring Hills growth will continue, Allen said, and with growth comes demand for retail and increased traffic issues. For the area being considered, his presentation broke down the history of the Battle of Spring Hill, three options for the proposed road extension and the balance the city is trying to achieve to ensure the Civil War land is protected.

Weve had lots of public meetings on a lot of different issues primarily to do with transportation, Allen said. And Im thoroughly convinced the typical resident of Spring Hill has no idea we have a battlefield. Were going to start to change that conversation tonight.

The project initially stemmed from complaints regarding the Crossings single roundabout entrance and the safety issues it was causing to both citizens and city officials, Allen said. Of the battlefield that remains undeveloped, around 30 acres of the western portion, where Allan said the most intensive fighting occurred, remains unpreserved.

If approved, the road would be renamed as Luther Bradley Parkway. Bradley, a Union Brigadier General, was severely wounded during the Battle of Spring Hill. His forces held the initial hill, later named Bradley Hill, then Weaver Hill, and later Battlefield Hill.

If you build a road next to a battlefield, I just dont think its appropriate to call it Crossings Circle South, Allen said.

The city hired Volkert, Inc. and Kimley-Horn & Associates to conduct a study on the area to determine the best options for laying a new road without affecting the battlefield, if that were even possible. Brad Thompson of Volkert broke down three options, each with its own pros and cons regarding the battlefield.

The road itself would be four 11-foot lanes, separated by a 15-foot landscape median, 5-foot bicycle lanes and 5-foot pedestrian sidewalks, Thompson said.

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Spring Hills challenge: Balance past, future

Local travel - Ward Hill Reservation

For those who enjoy a brisk winter walk or hike, Ward Reservation in Andover offers a varied set of terrain options right nearby. Since the weather is fairly agreeable and the ground is devoid of snow, the three hills of the Trustees of Reservations property provide trails for walkers, mountain bikers and dog owners. Ward Reservation sits right off of Route 125 near the Andover/North Andover line. This 704 acre protected land sits curiously with a residential neighborhood on one side, some industrial parks on another, and wetlands everywhere else. The property is free to the public to enjoy. Comprised of Boston Hill, Shrub and Holt Hills, the woodland hikes, paved paths, old carriage trails and boardwalks immerse visitors in nature and tranquility, well removed from the suburban chatter that surrounds.

Not to be missed are the Solstice Stones atop Holt Hill. Marked with compass points and equinox indicators for the seasons, the stones lend a primitive air to the landscape. As the highest point in Essex County, the hill once provided a vantage point from which locals purportedly watched Charlestown burn during the Revolutionary War. The view of Boston from the hill is spectacular and unobscured. This property was the gift of Mabel Ward in 1940 in memory of her husband, Charles. The Holt name came from the mid-seventeenth century settlement established there by Nicholas Holt.

Boston Hill may be familiar to some as the namesake of a former ski area in North Andover. From 1950 to the early 1990s Boston Hill provided a small winter and summer ski recreation area serving the Merrimack Valley. Summer skiing was achieved with grass mats laid on the incline, and lubricants used to help skiers race down the hill. The Route 114 lower side of the hill has been turned into housing, but the rest of the area is part of the Reservation and North Andover conservation land. Take the Elephant Rock trail to Elephant Rock and catch yet more stunning views. Look toward the water tower and notice the vestiges of one of the ski lifts.

This reservation has one of the best signed trail systems weve encountered. While carrying a trail map is strongly recommended, each trail head and intersection has detailed information on location, distance and name. Interpretive signs provide information on the ecology of the property, including explanations of controlled burned areas and vegetation management practices. Another key feature of the Reservation is the Pine Hole Bog. Vegetation has built up over centuries, and its unique structure makes it a quaking bog. Defined by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute as wetlands that have grown across the surface of a shallow pond, the vegetation creates floating mats that make the bog look like it is quaking. A boardwalk and information panels guide visitors past cranberry, cat tails, alders and pepperbush among other species, both native and invasive.

Bundle up and give the Ward Reservation a try! http://www.thetrustees.org

Continue reading here:
A Winter Walk

SCOTTS HILL | The Pender County Commissioners didn't take a formal vote after his polished presentation, they didn't feel the need but Eagle Scout Samuel Brohaugh, Troop 234 in Scotts Hill, left this week's board meeting with the go-ahead to build a roughly 10 foot by 10 foot roofed gazebo on a concrete pad behind the new county government annex in Hampstead.

For the basic open-sided structure, Brohaugh will have to raise about $1,400 (the concrete pad has already been donated by Jeff Neeley from Freeman Curb and Gutter). If he can raise more, he would like to add porch swings on three sides and landscape the area

"I think your fundraising efforts will surprise you," Commissioners Chairman David Williams said. "A lot of people love that building."

Bill Walsh

SCOTTS HILL | The Pender County Commissioners didn't take a formal vote after his polished presentation, they didn't feel the need but Eagle Scout Samuel Brohaugh, Troop 234 in Scotts Hill, left this week's board meeting with the go-ahead to build a roughly 10 foot by 10 foot roofed gazebo on a concrete pad behind the new county government annex in Hampstead.

For the basic open-sided structure, Brohaugh will have to raise about $1,400 (the concrete pad has already been donated by Jeff Neeley from Freeman Curb and Gutter). If he can raise more, he would like to add porch swings on three sides and landscape the area

"I think your fundraising efforts will surprise you," Commissioners Chairman David Williams said. "A lot of people love that building."

Bill Walsh

Continue reading here:
Eagle Scout gets green light for gazebo