I have at last got the Land Rover's four wheel drive system working! I am very pleased indeed! Most times I have attempted to use the machine I have ended up getting stuck. Not what I expected from the best 4 by 4 by far.... Anyway a special effort of finding out what was the matter was definately needed. Took the floor plate out and had a look at the gearbox linkage system and attempted to see how it works and the whole thing just came out. How it was meant to work was a mystery so tightened it and put back together as we found it. Jacked it all up off the ground and started it up and fiddled with the front hubs and managed to get the system working. Quite exciting. Took it out to a wet patch in the field and drove into it and instantly got stuck. Pressed the four wheel drive button which had appeared to do absolutely nothing mechanically and... as if by magic the vehicle just drove out as if it was invincible! So dont quite know what we did to it but fingers crossed at last I have a 4 x 4 that works!

The Market Drayton Farmers Market last weekend was a bit quieter than I had hoped and had a barrage of many questions about the new cider duty and will it affect us. Well... of course it will as we are cider makers! Anyway I had a great weekend up with my great buddies in Stoke the night before but got caught out with the clocks changing and had to leave the house quicker than a fire drill...and left half my stuff there

Had a photo shoot up at Weston Park today which was to promote and celebrate the first birthday of the Granary Shop. A few producers which had supplied the shop from the start were invited and there maybe just maybe a picture of christhefarmer in the Shropshire Star in the next few days. I will be up at Weston Park again this Easter Saturday offering tastings of our bottled ciders to visitors.

Weather has not been brilliant at all these past few days and we have had to do a few 'inside' jobs. The ground is really wet now and it is apparently going to get cold again soon which is a shame as we had all thought that spring had actually arrived and we could put the fierce winter behind us.

Tomorrow I am hoping to fire up the chainsaw and fell a few trees to make an effort of wood supplies for next winter.

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