Welcome to my blog!

An unemployed teacher, seeking work, I have recently developed a new hobby - foraging. Its been a long time coming and inspired by a number of awesome people in my life. From Jack G and his vegetarianism in a bid to highlight sustainability, Jo S-Band Ed C-B who have been making the most awesome sloe gin for the last four years (and sharing it with me), to my 91 year old grandfather, Peter, who first introduced me as a child to the countryside and the delights to be found there. Though brought up in the city, I have spent all my holidays in Norfolk and the West of Ireland, where I have spent many hours combing the beeches, fishing for minnows with a pair of tights, a hanger and a garden cane with cousin Claire and walking through the fields at the back of my house, wandering the boreens. Sloes have been on my mind for a few months now - I decided that a benefit of living in Devon (I moved in January 2013) might be that I could find some. Combined with the fact that I can't walk too far at the moment due to a dislocated knee (which has put a stop to my usual rambling activities) this, really, is how this new hobby has come about. I'm looking over the next few months with what I can forage (responsibly, I might add) and what I can make from it. I hope to share my adventures here.