I finished the polytunnel on Monday, with a little help from Annabel and Sarah. This involved digging the remaining weeds, scrubbing the the polytunnel plastic clean, inside and out with a broom and soapy water, to allow more light to reach the plants, and planting salads whilst Annabel and Sarah planted salad seeds, broad beans, carrots and cabbages. Seeing it all completed brought a huge sense of achievement – the polytunnel had changed almost beyond recognition from when I first saw it! However, work here is never done – not only is there another polytunnel, there is a huge garden that needs attention. Monday evening was fantastic fun, the Irish musicians were great “craic”! They brought out the mandolins, flute, Barón drum and tin whistles and started a “trad” session in the kitchen, playing traditional Irish ... read more

After almost 20 hours of travelling and less than an hour’s continuous sleep, I arrived in Bantry, County Cork, South West Ireland. To make matters worse, the moment I stepped off the bus, it started raining. I wasn’t put off - from the wall I sat on I had a good view of a small harbour, which contained a few sailing boats, and the peninsula behind it. To the left of me was the town square and behind that, the colourful buildings of the town itself, including pub that obviously sold a lot of Guinness. When I turned round, I could see the mountains behind me. I decided I had come to the right place. Annabel discovered me a few minutes later; whilst I was admiring my surroundings, she had been waiting at the other bus ... read more