The Coombe Mill Annual Raft Race

This is the 5th annual Easter Raft race at Coombe Mill spearheaded by a group of lovely guests who have been returning each Easter for as many years. Every year the newcomers join the regulars for this annual tradition. Word filters round during the day and everyone sets to work building, construction, taping and painting from the ornate to the practical. I snuck round with my camera to capture the work in progress outside various properties, our house included.

Guy's train ride with our newly returned train was a chance for the 1 hour warning for anyone still unaware. (More about the train from Guy next week).

At 6pm everyone and their crafts made their way towards the starting line, the footbridge to the farm. The race was to be from here to Coombe Bridge downstream, not far but with a river that meanders and plenty of river banks to cause obstruction it is not every vessel that will cross the finishing line. As always there were some real masterpieces and some proud raft builders, parents included!

In the past we have waded into the water for a start line but this year we decided on a launch from the bridge with a countdown to start.

The anticipation and excitement reached fever point as the count ran down from ten back to zero and launch. No sooner were they in the water than everyone was dashing down the river bank cheering on their creation. A few tears along the way as some ran aground early, but there was always someone to free them and set them on their way again.

Long before the rafts arrived people were gathering on the finishing bridge seeking out and cheering on their own creations. To watch the finish line you would swear you were standing on the line at the grand National, such was the noise!

The oldest raft that is loving kept and returned each year by our guests came second with Team Guy coming in first place. Everyone was still in high spirits and raft races turned into jumping in the river. Round and round they they squelched, jumping off the bridge and splashing into the freezing water while Guy surfed up and down collecting passing rafts.

Dinner was late in every household that night, but sometimes having fun takes precedence. 

Joining in with Country Kids

Country Kids is live every Saturday to Thursday and is about leaving sofas and screens and enjoying time outdoors in any way you like. Playing, crafting, day trips and learning can all become an adventure in the great outdoors. Every week here on the linky there are some wonderful posts of families taking time out together. If you have a post to share please grab the badge and link up. Do please check out the others here too, it might just inspire your next activity.

Just a few of my favourite posts from last week:

I am a huge cycling fan and loved the posts by Lakes Single Mum and Belle Du Brighton  

Geocaching is one I am yet to try but Fun as a Gran makes it into an adventure

The freedom of mud play by Family Fever and Mummy to Boyz is so very Country Kids

Remember you can join Country Kids here on the linky as well as:

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Summer Fun

Now that the weather is warming up and the days are drawing out it is wonderful to be able to enjoy outdoor time without the layers of winter. The grass is greening up, the plants springing into life and the longer evenings make outdoor play after school a possibility as well as at weekends and holidays. It is always a joy here to see all our guests making friends together during the week. The morning tractor rides are a catalyst to meet and friendships are then cemented during the day around our play areas and on the evening train rides. My own children love to mix with holiday guests and age becomes unimportant with children from 3 to 16 joining in with holiday farm life together.

Organised Games

When the lovely Katie from Little Big Sports asked if I would like to review one of their beach rounders and cricket sets over the Easter Holidays I jumped at the chance. I have known Katie for a long time and admired her website with its wonderful range of sports equipment and clothing from tots to older children and knew something from her range would be perfect for our farm holidays. Knowing how well the guests were all interacting together I thought an organised game of rounders towards the end of the week would be perfect. My hunch was spot on. The day the beach set arrived I suggested a meet up for a game on the front lawn to test it out. I must have had 15 children all join in and parents too. The train ride carried on around the game and children came and went as rounders changed to cricket but the fun continued late into the evening.

About the Beach Set

The beach set comes with soft ball, cricket bat, rounders bat and the four rounders posts which double up as cricket wickets. A perfect 2 in one game all in a zip up carry bag all for £26.99 on the Little Big Sports website. 

It is perfect for taking out to a park, the garden, the beach or for any family or group gathering. We now have our set in our reception shop for our guess to borrow at any time for a game here on the farm or at the beach.   

Child led Inspiration

It wasn't long before my children had the beach set back out from reception and in the garden for a little home inspiration. They had walked up to the village shop and invested in a packet of balloons. Their plan soon became clear as they filled them with water from the outside hose and used the cricket bat to hit them. Clearly a miss involved a water soaking. A great way to enjoy the summer sun and improve coordination all in one!  

Win your Beach cricket set with Coombe Mill

If you would like to win one of these sturdy yet portable beach sets just follow the instructions below. Good luck to all taking part. It really is a great set for some summer family fun.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was sent my beach set to review for this giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A tale a week on the farm this spring.

No sooner had we settled the new kid goats into their trailer home in Nick's shed, than we needed it for a farm emergency. One of our lambs had given birth in the early morning down near the lake. The very same lake the children had been playing in during the week. It isn't deep, well unless you are a new born lamb that is! Mother and one lamb were safe on the bank but some of our guests were up early and walking their dog round the lake admiring the ducks when the baa-baa they heard coming from the lake was clearly not matching up the quack quack they expected to hear! They followed the sound and couldn't see anything but could just make out rustling down by the reeds and brambles at the edge of the lake.

Alarmed by the sound they raced back to ring us at reception. Farmer Nick was up early and just doing the VAT paperwork when the call came. The first I knew something was up was as I came down to make a cuppa and saw Nick running up the garden path shouting for everyone to help. I can assure you Farmer Nick doesn't do running so I knew it was serious. I grabbed my wellies and camera, more important than clothes, and ran after him in my pink fluffy dressing gown! Guy and Ally were soon there too. Tying a rope to the tractor we lowered Guy down the rope to see if he could see and rescue the lamb.

There was a huge cheer as he came back up, scratched from all brambles but with a soggy little lamb under his arm.

Farmer Nick brought out the new stock trailer, the goats looking very comfy in the old one, and the plan was to put the soggy lamb, Mum and the other twin all inside together in the hope that Mum would take to her lost lamb, feed and nurse her and prevent pneumonia setting in.

The fear was that if we didn't keep them all together, and quickly, Mum would reject the little soggy bundle. We were already worried that the lake would be rubbing off her new born scent. The plan was sound and Ally had the second lamb in seconds. Capturing Mum on the other hand was far from easy. Nick thought he had her and was just feet from dragging her into the trailer with her lambs when she pulled back so hard it snapped her horn and she was off. This time it was harder as Ally and Nick tried to catch up with her and grab onto her coat. Meanwhile time was ticking for our poor little lamb that was cold and wet. They managed it, it was probably only a minute, but it felt like an hour. A lack of photos as I was still hanging onto my modesty in nothing more than a dressing gown whilst trying to block off Mums escape route past the trailer!

All safely aboard it was off to Nick's shed. Here we added a good bed of straw, a bucket of water and some hay which Mum tucked into while Nick sprayed her head with antiseptic spray where the horn had ripped away.

I grabbed a nearby towel and rubbed down the lamb placing her quickly back with Mum while Nick rigged up a heater pointing into the trailer. 

From here it was time to hope and pray that fifteen minutes alone before the morning feed run would see both lambs bonding with Mum. With just enough time to dash home, dress and make Ebony's milk up before the tractor ride we warned the guests they were in for an interesting feed run! As the tractor chugged to a stop at the shed we were delighted to see both lambs curled up with Mum. The guests peered in as we told the tale of the early morning drama and Nick went about his usual duties with iodine on their cords. We left tagging for another day as we felt they had had more than enough to deal with for one morning.

We are so grateful to the foresight of our guests to call us straight away. It might all have been very different by the time we came round on the morning tractor run. My guess is the lamb would have drowned; we would have found the mother and assumed she only gave birth to one. How wrong we would have been. 

To see them together just a few days later out in the field is a joy.

A little sun and my kids go wild

We had a weekend with some wonderful sunshine. It puts everyone in high spirits and brings out the adventurous side in the children. We were hard at work on the farm preparing for the Easter holidays, the children had been working hard on the farm and deserved some free play. Thank goodness for a ready made playground here at coombe Mill, except that they declared it too hot to be running around. I'm not sure how they will cope when summer really arrives! In true Coombe Kids style they took matters into their own hands. I followed the sounds of shouting and laughter this is what I found:

I looked up and smiled at my adventure seekers who were cooling off in their own way. 

Needless to say it lasted just minutes before they were frozen and made a dash for home. However the idea had inspired the others and I suggested if they wanted to play on the lake wearing their wet suits might be a good idea. This prospect appealed to Guy and Clio too. Jed ran off to collect the quad bike having struggled carrying the surfboard back and forth and they all suited up.

The island at the far end of the lake became the target with the surfboard acting as a Ferry. Quite a lot of teamwork and a few squabbles along the way and a plan was hatched. 

Still keen to continue their adventure they all piled aboard the surfboard. There were a few man overboard episodes along the way. Their destination was the Coombe Mill crocodile for more imaginary play and fun.

Finally chilled to the bone I pealed their wet suits off on the doorstep and ushered them all into a hot bath while I rinsed off their suits. Another happy day here on the farm and a hungry bunch for dinner. 

It turns out their adventures had not gone unnoticed by our guests who were quick to follow their example the following day borrowing our wetsutis from the shop and playing in the river. My own soon joined in with the surf board and laughter and shouting reached epic proportions as they jumped, surfed and dared one another until well into the evening, cementing some great Easter holidays friendships.  

Joining in with Country Kids

Country Kids is all about enjoying some fresh air in any shape or form and giving children time away from screens and sofas. Keeping active is good for mind and body and the outdoors gives the freedom and space that children need. Please join me here on the linky with family days out, crafting, playing or any other outdoor adventure. There are some wonderful posts each week and a thriving community on Pinterest and Google Plus. If you are not already part of these please join me there.  Please grab the badge and showcase your fun here on the linky, be sure to stop by others, it could inspire your next adventure.

Just a few of my favourite posts from last week

The Reading Residence share a Coombe Mill Feed Run.

City girl gone coastal shares some stunning photos of a beach walk at sunset while Mummys Memories shares holiday day time fun.

Redpeffer show how much fun at day at a National Trust property can be while and then the fun began shared a great family day out at Hobbledown.

For preschool adventure this trip to the forest has it all going on by Takoma Park school. 

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