Sue Woodcock: Good cheer and an unexpected arrival

I needed to go to a Parochial Church Council meeting this week. Unusually, it was held at the beautiful home of one of our church wardens. Our hostess had provided refreshments and very nice they were too. As the meeting became positively animated, our vicar did wonder how wise it was to provide such excellent wine, but we all agreed it was a productive meeting.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Mar 2010, 15:06 BST
Updated 19th Mar 2010, 15:06 BST

I went to speak to the Townswomen's Guild at Huddersfield this week. On my journey I passed tracts of snow and then spotted a bank of colourful crocus beside the road, spring and winter in close conjunction.

I was very impressed the closer I got to Huddersfield. The geology and geography is very interesting and there are fine buildings and architecture. I found the market and treated myself to some exotic vegetables (yam, eddoes and breadfruit) which I later turned into a warming stew with some meat.

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I also found a replacement armchair at a reasonable price. My old one died this week and the seat of it is now in the barn much to the chickens' delight. At the masonic hall I gave my talk to a hall full of lovely ladies who made a generous donation to my charity. I certainly enjoyed the afternoon. I collected my chair and set off home. It has been quite a while since I have been in a traffic jam. As I waited in the queue of traffic I had time to observe the imposing hillsides and cuttings of solid rock with delicate silver birch trees perched precariously on steep slopes. In the valleys the ingenuity of the

viaducts and bridges was a magnificent monument to the builders of times gone by.

The next day I got an urgent call to my sheep at Keasden. Sadly one of them was very ill and with the help of a neighbouring farmer I had to put it out of its misery. I still felt very sad the next morning and was out feeding the sheep and birds when I glanced down. A beautiful little newborn kid was standing beside me. Its mother, Gwendoline, was very proud. She is very tame and is quite happy for me to cuddle the little billy kid which I have called Godfrey. I don't usually do cute but he is quite adorable. It did cheer me up. Now he is bouncing around as though he has springs in his legs and is investigating everything. The other older nanny goat, Dulcie, acts as auntie when his mummy is out grazing. One of the two tiny twin lambs didn't make it, but its twin seems to be improving. Soon there will be more lambs and kids cavorting around.

During the day when I am home I listen to the radio. I seldom get incensed at any programme but the suggestion that the 17 million of the population who are not regular users of the internet are too stupid or geriatric to work a computer made me so cross I had to go out and walk the fields to calm down. It has its uses but I don't have time for it. I have other things to do.

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I went to the rehearsal for the Buckden Singers where I was gently teased about my recent appearance on the TV. The weekly trip up

the dale is my form of relaxation.

On Mothering Sunday, the service at the church was great. Three generations of the same family led the prayers.

I have heard but not yet seen, a curlew. I love these graceful birds. I do not welcome however the vast excavations of moles. The receding snow drifts are displaying just how busy they can be. They obviously have a lot more energy than I do.

Related topics:Huddersfield