The Launch of Seasons to taste

Julia Cook, manager of FLC, speaking at the launch event

Thank you to all those who attended

We were very pleased to welcome to Blackwell Hall Farm so many of the contributors to our brand new book, Seasons to taste. Staff, volunteers and contributors enjoyed a very special event to celebrate its launch on Thursday, 16^th October 2008, held inside a marquee within the farm courtyard. Some of the photos, taken by Damian Hughes, can be seen futher down this page.

Appropriately, a sumptuous array of refreshments was provided by three ladies with close ties to the local farming community: Lesley Shaw and Liz Wragg from Little Hucklow, and Lesley Howard from Eyam. Lesley Shaw made a lot of effort to source as much of the food locally as possible. The beef was from her own farm, the ham was from Critchlow’s Farm Shop in Bakewell, Peak District Dairy supplied the cream, and the cheese and chutneys came from Tindalls in Tideswell.

Guests were not only able to preview the newly published book, but could also hear extracts from some of the interviews on a specially commissioned ‘audio-point’. This device makes it possible to listen to the original recording, either on a handset or through a loudspeaker. It is hoped that further material will be made available on such audio-points sited in and around Bakewell and Buxton.

We were all delighted with how well the event went. People are very enthusiastic about the book. We are so pleased the project has been such a success and are grateful to all the volunteers, interviewees and those who contributed photographs. We hope future generations will benefit from the memories we have collected, and we intend to keep an archive of the material at The Farming Life Centre for future use.