A Stormy Day at the Farm
Have you heard the one where you go out to find a venue for running courses and come back with a new office? Yep, that was me a little over a week ago.
I have some clients who I am going to need a new venue for, one where we can be undisturbed all day. I went out two weekends ago to look at village halls, plotted my journey on a map marking out a particular village as the furthest point, and found my piece of gold.
Without realising it, this tiny village that doesn’t even have a pub, was one I’d gone through a few months ago when I got lost going to pick up a camera. I’d been charmed by it then, yet didn’t have time to stop and hadn’t been back since. This time I wandered all around the country lanes in my car, then went back to check out a business centre on the village farm.
The signage once on the property was poor, though that was to my advantage; instead of seeing the business centre turn off to my right, I climbed the hill in my car and headed down a mud track. I knew I was wrong, however photographers’ instinct kicked in that it was worth driving slowly down this rickety track.
I passed ponds on my left and right hand side, cows and sheep and rolling fields either already harvested or full of crops, either side of the track. Eventually I came upon a wood some of which was being thinned out and before that, wide banks of wildflowers lining the fields. It was stunning.
I turned around and explored the business centre which comprises of barns divided up into units. The light coming through into one of them was perfect. The unit is south west facing with a window facing onto the old milking yard. I fell in love, went home and asked my boyfriend to come back with me to make sure that I wasn’t seeing it with rose tinted glasses. All I was interested in was the 170 acres of conservation land for all types of courses, that the barn was big enough and the cost of the rent; which is a steal.
Back we went the following day, my boyfriend is a bricky, so the very best person to look over a building that is still being converted. The building got the ok with a few things needing doing here and there. Next it was on to a grilling of the landlord with all things business related with regards to the lease and my responsibilities. I’m so grateful to my boyfriend for coming with me, he asked all the questions I wouldn’t have thought of until I was signing the lease.
Did I mention the buzzards that live in the trees nearby? I think that sealed the deal for us both and after driving away to the nearest hostelry to do some figures, neither of us could find any disadvantages to taking this place on.
I am so excited. I finally have somewhere that will be mine, most importantly, the only thing that will change are the clients. I’m no longer beholden to hotels and when they can fit me in and their fees. When people now ask me when my next course is I can tell them without first having to have accrued a minimum amount to cover hotel fees.
I have found a local caterer for lunches and a hotel for any clients who prefer to stay the night. Luckily, I found that on the same day last year when I went to pick up the camera courtesy of a thought, ‘I wonder where that road goes.’
So it’s been full steam ahead in finding chairs, kitchen cupboard and working out what pictures to hang. Then I had to reign myself back in a bit and realise it doesn’t have to all be done in the first few days!
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Living in the beautiful rural county of Yorkshire it was perhaps natural for Ruth to have an affinity with the countryside and its wildlife. Creativity is Ruth’s driving force finding an outlet in television & radio she worked for many years as producer for BBC & ITV.
However a love of photography and for being surrounded by nature called her to go back to her photography training and bring pleasure and joy to people through her connection with our planet.
Staying in the moment when taking her images allows her to experience the natural magnificence unfolding before her eyes. It is this moment of mediation, of gratitude, that she evocatively conveys through her images.