Spring cleaning up here at Poachers Hideaway

Spring cleaning!

Its been a busy week spring cleaning, Destiny a Poachers Hideaway resident offered a hand to scrub the moss off the sign. We also sadly picked up much litter from a few feet around our entrance!

Litter :(

 In cleaning the sign we noticed a bit of wear and tear so we had an idea...

Competition Time!

We would like you to design the image for a new sign, an image that best depicts Poachers Hideaway.
Full details of the competition will be detailed on Facebook and in next weeks diary. The prize will be a two night stay for two in one of our beautiful cottages! And of course having your amazing artwork on permanent display on the main Horncastle to Louth road... get yer thinking caps on!


Many people have often remarked on how they would so much like to live in our part of the world, the tranquility the walks the views, fishing and an excellent pub, the Bluebell, just a walk away.
Well now is your chance! We have a delightful one bedroom cottage available on a long term let...
Please contact us for further information if you are interested. www.poachershideaway.com / damian@poachershideaway.com

To Let

 The Lions Club have arranged a tractor run on the 12th May this year, there will be many tractors up here at Poachers Hideaway, as they will be stopping off here for their lunch. These runs are great to see and are for very worthy causes, why not join in! not got a tractor? well we have one for sale...

A David Brown 25 D, ripe for restoration but runs well, a lovely piece of history which one can have hours of fun with. Great for a tractor run with the aid of a duel seat to share the experience with a loved one, or other... drop us a line if interested 07836 746865

For Sale David Brown 25D bought from a farm sale at the Rectory South Ormsby, belonged to the Vicar. 

Another big development coming this year are activity holidays up here at Poachers Hideaway.
More details to follow over the next few weeks starting with a photographic course, watch this space!

Photographic holidays coming soon at Poachers Hideaway.

A diamond offer

School House Coffee Bar Horncastle

Big technical problems this week! The Poacher laptop went down, but thanks to Ivan Reed from Reedtek IT Support & Consultancy all is fixed, a big shout out goes to Sean Cutting our website guy from Mevell Web Design also, for helping me get the emails all up and running...

In order to retrieve the laptop back, I had to pick it up from Ivans wifes cafe in Horncastle, School House cafe on Church lane...

Poachers Hideaway resident Leah enjoying a banana milkshake at School house cafe

 Another treat for Leah this week was her official enrolment into 1265 Sqn ATC. This was part of a very enjoyable awards evening in the main church in Horncastle, St Mary's. Leah also won the award for best attendance!  This is a fast growing Squadron with over twenty members now! they are very much in the public eye and are keen fund raisers, from bag packing in Tescos to stalls on local events...

Mick & Pauline

Someone else enjoying a treat this week are our weekend guests Mick and Pauline, they are celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary and Micks birthday! They are awaiting a card from Her Majesty the Queen... not for Micks birthday! for their anniversary.

Offer............


Come and stay at our cute little cottage The Snug! There is free fishing attached to this cottage and we have an additional offer of stay for three nights and pay for two over easter weekend, book up early as this is the only cottage we have left over that period... www.poachershideaway.com

Easter offer!

Viking Cottage

We have an offer on... Come and stay in Viking over easter weekend, pay for two nights and get the third free! Book this lovely little one bedroom cottage with amazing views through our website www.poachershideaway.com

Around this time last year

Well what glorious weather we have been having this week, very unlike this time last year when the Beast from the East hit us! we were snowed in for a couple of days, only 4x4s could get us out for supplies, and to take photographs!

Lots of ground work being done up here at Poachers Hideaway this week from new fencing to disabled access to our heavily stocked ponds. We are constructing easy access fishing jetties and re-landscaping some of the pond areas.

Easy access to Willow Lake

Foundations for one of the jetties

Driving fence posts in up high at Poachers Hideaway

A few geese passed us by earlier in the week.

Poachers at Poachers

Ready to be ridden...

This, very wet, Saturday bought the Poachers Pre 65 Classic Trials Club to Poachers Hideaway... where it all started over thirty years ago!

"In 1988 six members of the Lincoln Section of the AJS Matchless Owners Club with a passion for all things British and a keen interest in Classic Trials Bikes from the 50's and 60's staged it's first observed trial on the hillside above the Wolds villages of Scamblesby, enjoyment and friendly competition were the order of the day with some of the sections being 16ft wide! and not quite as technical as todays hazards. 

Over the next couple of years the clubs popularity grew, with an increase in rider numbers the club hosted six trials per year."

http://www.poacherspre65trials.co.uk

The "Sign up" van under cover in the big barn.

Despite the weather it was a very good turnout, the tractor had to come out and tow a couple of the competitors support vehicles out of the usual grass carpark because of the soft wet ground! But
a new parking area was found on hard standing and pretty soon the familiar sound of vintage motorcycles revving up filled the complex...

Briefing.

On the off!

To the course.

A number of courses were set out in various areas of Poachers Hideaway and all the off roaders were eager to get started despite the rain, a great social feel to the whole event!

Studying the course.

A Great day had by all.

Nomads to Snowdrops

Braving the blizzard

Its been a cold week up here at Poachers Hideaway! We got some snow, but luckily not much... yet! Our Pheasants who have sought refuge here were out in force last Friday to mark the end of the shooting season, I watched them stumbling through the short lived blizzard like Nomads in a sand storm.

One of the resident barn owls has also been silently flying around the hills looking for prey.

The owl knew I was snapping away and kept looking my way to see how close I was getting... he kept his distance!

Well aware of me!

The ponds fully froze over a few days ago.

A wonderfully crisp morning.

We have another offer on here at Poachers Hideaway! book for six nights and stay for a week, yes the seventh night is free! Please email us at enquiries@poachershideaway.com to secure your booking.

All this cold weather is making us think of spring, not long now! well ok maybe a couple of months...

In April I will be running beginners photographic courses making full use of our beautiful surroundings and nature, oh and lunch at the Bluebell, watch this space for more details or feel free to contact me on damian@poachershideaway.com and I can put you on the mailing list for this and other courses/events happening here at Poachers Hideaway.

For more info on me and my work www.damianfurlong.com

This weekend there is a unique experience taking place at South Ormsby Estate, a country estate near us... A snowdrop walk with the owner of the estate, this is an exclusive event for Friends of South Ormsby Estate, a chance to see beautiful privately owned grounds. You can become a friend  by visiting their website www.southormsbyestate.co.uk or call Leanne on 01507 311446

Snowdrops (Galanthus)

From Baltimore to Belchford

 ZK563 (ROYAL AIR FORCE) CHINOOK-HC6

While washing the car on Monday there was a familiar sound getting nearer and nearer so I grabbed the camera, this Chinook was fast approaching. I have often heard them above near Poachers Hideaway but this one flew right above.

Flypast

After doing some research apparently this particular chopper was the last of the current batch of Chinooks being delivered to the RAF back in 2014, and was handed over in a ceremony in Baltimore Maryland USA, on the 35th anniversary of the 1st Chinook being delivered. This delivery brings the RAF's compliment of Chinooks up to 60.

Here is an interesting RAF link about these amazing aircraft.

https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircraft/chinook/


Having been in one and extensively photographed them in the Amazon Jungle I have a soft spot for these extremely capable and highly versatile aircraft.

Trumps old Chopper

The Chinook above was once owned by President Donald Trump, he kitted it out with a drinks bar and flew "VIPs" from JFK Airport to his casino in Atlantic city.

Columbia Helicopters bought it, as it was costing the Donald to much to run! and it spent the rest of its life heavy lifting for oil companies, mostly in South America. Sadly it crashed and burned in the Peruvian Jungle a few months after I took this photo...

Some flyaway

Others prefer to walk!

Friday the 1st of February marks the end of the shooting season, Poachers Hideaway has ironically been somewhat of a haven for many game birds this year! You can't get down our drive without seeing pheasants and partridges, both English and French.

Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)

Last weekend was the RSPB big bird watch, the above was one of the more colourful visitors that was put on the list...

Here is the list of birds we saw in an hour around Poachers Hideaway-

1 Robin / Erithacus rubecula

2 Goldfinch / Carduelis carduelis

3 Great Tit / Parus major

4 Blue Tit / Cyanistes caeruleus

5 Pheasant / Phasianus colchicus

6 Red-legged Partridge / Alectoris rufa

7 Fieldfare / Turdus pilaris

8 Carrion Crow / Corvus corone

9 Common Seagull / Larus canus

10 Mallard / Anas platyrhynchos

11 Moorhen / Gallinula chloropus

12 Wren / Troglodytes troglodytes

13 Chaffinch / Fringilla coelebs

14 Rook / Corvus frugilegus

15 Blackbird / Turdus merula

16 House Sparrow / Passer domesticus

17 Dunnock / Prunella modularis

18 Kestrel / Falco tinnunculus

We had a big freeze a few days ago and a threat of heavy snow, but nothing too serious, yet... It was Mid February last year that we were snowed in for a few days.

A frosty Bluebell wood 

The ponds didn't quite freeze over but close!

Alan from Heating and Plumbing solutions.

We had to call on the services of expert plumber Alan, from Heating and Plumbing Solutions today to fix a leak in the emersion heater in Juice Trump! All back and running perfectly now and awaiting our next guests...
If you have a problem, give him a call! 07863 100143

Heavenly glory to majestic flight and preparing for a country stroll...

Blood wolf moon over Poachers Hideaway

An early morning wake up call the other morning to get a shot of the blood wolf moon... A rare phenomenon, caused in part by a lunar eclipse, makes the surface of the moon appear a reddish hue while seeming brighter and closer to earth than normal. Sadly a little cloudy, and cold! but shined the way up the drive nicely.

Frosty view down the valley.

We had our first hard frost of the year up here at Poachers Hideaway this week, this helped to get some lovely photos around our little piece of the Lincolnshire wolds.

Breakfast.

I interrupted breakfast on Monday morning with Poachers Hideaway residents, the Shire horses, they have the run of the forty acre pasture we have here. They are working horses and have had lots of commissions carting bridal carriages and looking very elegant.

Ploughing.

Andrew has been busy on the land this week. The little international tractor has been out ploughing on the side of Park Hill in preparation of a wild flower crop, it should look fantastic in the spring, follow the diary for colourful spring photographs...

A Barn owl silently flying toward Stenigot.

One of our favourite residents here at Poachers Hideaway is the beautiful Barn Owl, they nest here in our Owl box every year, rent free of course! We will be following the activities of these amazing creatures and reporting back regularly.

Courtesy of the Barn Owl Trust.

Who the Barn Owl Trust are...

"The Barn Owl Trust is a UK charity which aims to conserve the Barn Owl and its environment. We carry out practical conservation, research and educational work, advise farmers, government and landowners. and run a free information service. We also look after sick and injured owls in a genuine owl sanctuary- a place of peaceful retreat."

We have taken some bookings this week for people coming to the Lincolnshire Wolds Walking festival. This popular event takes place in May - 18th May until the 2nd of June to be precise. We host a walk up here as well as providing top quality accommodation...

Organisers of the popular walking festival are urging organisations and businesses to contribute to their programme of walks and activities for the 2019 festival, which will run from 18th May to 2nd June. 2019 will be the 15th Lincolnshire Wolds Walking Festival, and to celebrate the programme is being extended to include some outdoor activities. Festival Co-ordinator Natalie Lunt explains: "We want to offer a rich and varied programme of walks and activities which features something for all ages and abilities and celebrates what the Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty has to offer. We are keen to inspire young people and families to take part in the festival, so along with the relaxed strolls and challenging hikes we want to offer activity walks, themed walks, tours and taster sessions. This is an ideal opportunity for local business and attractions in the area to, quite literally, get their name on the map and showcase what they have to offer!" The festival, which is co-ordinated by Heritage Lincolnshire in partnership with the Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Service, attracts in the region of 3,000 participants each year and is one of the largest and best-attended events of its kind in the UK.

Some walkers from last years Bluebell loop walk hosted and lead by Poachers Hideaway owner Andrew Tuxworth.