Farm opens its gates for a day of family fun, discovery

The former dairy farm owned by the Jee family covers some 120 vergees and this was only the second time that it had hosted its autumn on the farm event.

Merrie Jee said it was even bigger than last year’s.

Alongside farm animals, including a young cow that was bred from the pure-Guernsey genes of a bull that died in the 1970s, there were donkeys, sheep, goats and rather shy pigs to be seen, games to play and stalls to browse.

Miss Jee’s mother-in-law had provided a pair of miniature Shetland ponies for the event, too, while the farm’s nature tent had been set up for the first time to show examples of trees and pictures of wildlife that lived on the farm.

A 1950s tractor that had belonged to Miss Jee’s grandfather was one of four available for youngsters to sit on and there were several old-fashioned games of skill on offer.

Pride of place, however, went to another pallet-maze built by Nic Jee, which was a lot bigger than his first one from last year and comprised some 200 pallets stood on-edge and joined together to create a maze that perplexed adults and children.

Every hour children were treated to a tale under the ‘story tree’ while the energetic ones could ride around a paddock on one of several home-made ‘hobby donkeys’.

Lauren Philips and children Summer, 2, and Arlo, 6, had done just that, with young Summer doubling up with mum.

‘I’ve never ridden a real horse,’ said Arlo. ‘I wouldn’t want to.’

He had enjoyed the maze most of all. ‘It was great fun.’

Also enjoying the maze were the Batiste family – mum Georgia with Joel, 1, Faith, 4, and Grace, 7.

‘I liked going on the tractor,’ said Grace. ‘But I wouldn’t like to drive one, I’d get too dirty.’

Both Faith and Joel wanted to see the pigs, although they might have had a bit of a wait, since the animals had taken shelter out of sight due to a shower.