GUEST speaker at the October meeting of Sandford Women’s Group was Janet East of Yellingham Farm, near Honiton, a smallholding of 40 acres with award winning B and B accommodation. 

Janet is a very entertaining speaker and we laughed frequently at some of the trials she faced pursuing her dream of being a sheep farmer of rare breed Jacob Sheep.

She brought some beautiful fleeces and wool products for us to admire. 

Janet acquired a local mentor who advised her to get a sheepdog.

Her description of learning how to control the dog was very amusing, and we then learned of her tribulations when her mentor advised her to enter the dog at sheepdog trials - not a success. 

As many farmers have, she needed to diversify to supplement her income and decided to convert some buildings for use as a B and B.

Allowing children to help feed the animals, she was surprised to find that for a couple of hours each morning she became a child minder while the children's parents relaxed.

And then there was the lovely lady who announced that she had just been released from prison and would send her payment later - which she did.

The speaker at our meeting at Sandford Cricket Club at 2.30pm on November 14 will be Tony Gale whose talk entitled “Patriotic Girls are We” is about women’s war work in agriculture. Everyone welcome. 

Linda Griffin