New Breakfast Bar

Well, at last we have completed the new Breakfast Bar at Tom's Field. We have developed what was the original shop that Tom Bower opened with his dad back in 1950s. We have called it The Bower after Tom.
It will be open most Saturdays and Sundays when we can, it won't be fast food but a good breakfast which may be useful to some people staying on the campsite.
The Breakfast Bar will be open from 8.00a.m. to 10.a.m. 

The aim is to stock with Fairly Traded items like tea, coffee and sugar and local sausages and eggs etc.

Here ia picture of our very first customer who allowed me to use his picture

Art, lots of art

This has been the first week of Purbeck Arts Week, well it is two weeks and is now called a festival as there are many other events that are taking place beside the Open Studios of Purbeck Artists. Last week I took the opportunity to go to several events including a talk by Pennie Denton about the sculptress Mary Spencer Watson. Mary had lived and worked in Swanage area until her death a few years ago. After the talk there was a showing of the film Isadora Duncan which had Vanessa Redgrave starring.

I also visited a fascinating project of animation by The Gaslight Group led by animator Katy Shepherd at Rempstone. Her work will be shown  May 28th to 30th and 4th and 5th June. There is so much to do and see it is hard to choose where to go!

The campsite is looking good. The goldfinches have really taken to the recent feeders and are around in abundance. The 'Herbs on the Terrace' are coming along very well too.

It is a busy week everywhere in Purbeck and the weather is not bad at all, windy but promises to get even better in the week.

Purbeck Arts Weeks Festival

This is a reminder that Purbeck Arts Weeks Festival has started today for two weeks . A great variety of exhibitions and events. Here is a link to the website http://www.purbeckartweeks.co.uk/

Great Crested Newt arrived!

This week,on a lovely sunny day, the new sculpture arrived at Tom's Field Campsite. We are delighted with it. The piece has real character and lends itself to being touched . The stone is Purbeck Thornback and has some polished parts and some interesting textures.

Why a Great Crested Newt? About a year ago we had a species survey done by Dorset Wildlife and we were told that there could be Great Crested Newts on the site as the Purbecks are well known as one of the more southern areas where the newts live. Although there is not a pool of water on the site there is a dewpond near Priestway just above the site.

Midge Bullock, who made the piece, is a tutor at The Burngate Stone Carving Centre which is just up the road from Tom's Field and is a fascinating place to visit.

May

It is hard to believe how many weeks have passed since I last wrote. Since that time there have been two sets of bank holidays and the end of May holiday week will be with us in about three weeks. It has been a busy time and with wonderful weather. The campsite has been looking very pretty with hawthorn bushes covered in delicate white blossom.

The new map that we commisioned from Tony Kerins is in place outside the shop on the terrace , this offers visitors a bird's eye view of the campsite and The Isle of Purbeck in Tony's very individual style. we are also looking forward to another piece of sculpture this time by Midge Bullock and based on the great crested newts that are to be found around Langton Matravers.

Last time I looked at the wild flower area that we planted last year in the Hiker's Field it was in flower and has progressed well.

Had some excellent walks to Dancing Ledge in the stunning weather, it is such a pleasant walk with a great deal to be seen on the way. We are producing some special, individual walk leaflets that will be available soon.

Purbeck Weeks Arts Festival starts on May 20th, this is a must see event, details to follow!!

Open!

The site has now been open for nearly a week. The weather has been mostly beautiful which has meant that much of the outstanding winter work has been completed. The best bit is the new shower/toilet facility for The Stone Room. It is really very nice and will make staying in The Stone Room even more pleasant .
The live Bird Watch is on in the shop. Not a great deal happening but there are visiting sparrows inspecting the nest. It was very interesting that the birds decided they did not like the stretchy yellow man that staff members had put in the nest for a 'jape' last year. He was summarily disposed of and was found flat out on the terrace below.

Spring!

It is, amazingly, only two weeks before we open. It has been warm and spring like for the last couple of days and the daffodils are out at Tom's Field. The winter work is well on and all is looking good albeit a little muddy in some places, that won't last as we are so lucky in the land draining off quickly.
We went to Burngate Stone Centre for a Have- A- Go session. Tremendous fun, we were taught the basics of stonecarving and everyone made a piece to take home. .
Stone is a feature at the moment as we are having some walls renewed soon. The campsite is surrounded by quite ancient dry stone walling, a lovely  aspect and home to quite a few little creatures and some nesting birds.

Sheep on the Field

The sheep arrived a couple of weeks ago, they will give the first cut of the season. It helps the grass and helps the sheep.
Tom's Field does not look very pretty just now as there is a great deal of work going on. The intention is to make a toilet and shower room that can be used for the Stone Room customers. In order for that to happen the builders had to make way for the waste pipes through very dense rock. We remembered Tom telling us years ago that you could never get through this Blue Rag stone which is very dense. It was indeed extremely difficult .
 Now trenches are being dug with a view to laying cables for more electric hook ups in the Family Field.
The first bee hive is on it's way. We will be keeping the bees at home and not on the site and we are looking forward to the first residents in the spring.

Save the Bees

 We are looking to get our hives in the next few weeks [ not on the campsite ] and so are very aware of the threats to our bee colonies, I have had this link to a petition which is a step to take some action about the plight of the bees so have taken the opportunity to spread the word here, this is an extract from an email:
'Silently, billions of bees are dying off and our entire food chain is in danger. Bees don't just make honey, they are a giant, humble workforce, pollinating 90% of the plants we grow.

Scientists increasingly blame one group of toxic pesticides for their rapid demise, and bee populations are recovering in four European countries that have banned some of these products. But powerful chemical companies are lobbying hard to keep selling these poisons. Our best chance to save bees now is to push the US and EU to join the ban -- their action is critical and will have a ripple effect on the rest of the world.

We have no time to lose -- the debate is raging about what to do. This is not just about saving bumble bees, this is about our survival. Let’s build a giant global buzz calling for the EU and US to outlaw these killer chemicals and save our bees and our food.  Sign the emergency petition now and send it on to everyone and we’ll deliver it to key decision makers:'or visit the website avaaz.org

Happy New Year

We had a great Christmas with family and friends , just before Christmas John and I fitted a walk in around the area of Spyway Barn Farm  and here is a picture of a piece of sculpture done by Mike Bisley which is almost hidden behind a stone wall.  I gave John a voucher for a stone carving lesson at The Burngate Stone Centre in Langton Matravers. Jo gave us a beautiful stone bowl made by Val Quinn so stone seems to be the theme! We have commissioned a new piece of sculpture by Midge Bullock a Great Crested Newt, this will have a place outside the shop at Tom's Field Why a Great Crested Newt, well these are around in Langton area.