Free Publication
Winter 2021
A magazine for Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park
EXCLUSIVE CELEBRITY INTERVIEW
Simon Reeve
Merry & bright GO MAD FOR MADAGASCAR Get set to see our new lemurs
times ahead GET TH AT
FESTIV FEELIN E G WITH US THI S WINTE R
The Good Life Cover Winter 2021.indd 1
24/11/2021 09:40
Inspiring academic excellence, building self-belief and nurturing talent www.stmaryscolchester.org.uk Ads.indd 2
24/11/2021 15:40
Wi nte r I s s u e
Welcome
It’s hard to believe that we’re already about to say goodbye to another year and welcome in a new one – and we’re ending 2021 as busy as ever and hugely excited about what’s coming up! I couldn’t be prouder of my team and what we have achieved over the last year. From using those uncertain lockdown times to make Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park bigger and better…to reopening safely to you, our wonderful visitors…to welcoming new animal species and continuing with our breeding and conservation work. Early in the year, we saw the arrival of our first group of Barbary macaques after building an amazing new home for them and we’re now taking in our second group of cheeky monkeys. Our lowland tapirs, Tiptap and Teddy, became parents to Suffolk’s first baby tapir, Tobias, and our rare breed Suffolk Punches, Annie and Annabelle, are both expecting in the new year. We said hello to three Grant's zebras and now we can’t wait for you to meet our new lemurs and see the brilliant new abode we have built for them, indoors and out.
@jimmysfarmmag @jimmysfarm @jimmysfarmmag @jimmysfarmhq follow Jimmy too: @jimmysfarm @jimmysfarmmag @jimmysfarmhq @jimmys_farm_weddings
There’s also a massive, brand-new outdoor adventure area for you to explore…Wow, what a year, and 2022 looks like it’s going to be just as fast-paced and exciting! I’m absolutely delighted and honoured to have been asked by The Prince’s Foundation to become involved in a fantastic new initiative, Food for the Future, to encourage young people to be champions for the planet by educating them about sustainability and food waste. And we have ambitious plans to push our breeding and conservation work further by helping endangered animals in other parts of the world. Watch this space! Thank you all so much for your support in 2021 and I wish you all a very happy and healthy Christmas and New Year!
Jimmy 03 Jimmy's Farm Welcome 2021.indd 3
www.jimmysfarm.com
24/11/2021 10:19
“
Forward-thinking and committed to maintaining a high staff-to-pupil ratio, high teaching standards and a jam-packed list of clubs. Good Schools Guide
Contact prepadmissions@ipswich.school to register for a place Ads.indd 4
20/11/2021 18:16
Wi nte r I s s u e
Contents
14
06 Shopping
32 Celebrity interview
12 Exclusive Membership Offers
40 No insectinction
Pick up a gift for a loved one or spoil yourself at the fabulous shops here at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park.
Treat yourself to a year’s membership and amazing discounts off entry to a host of major attractions.
14 Mad for Madagascar 18 Food for the Future
Jimmy Doherty teams up with The Prince’s Foundation to encourage young people to be champions for the planet.
24 Roll on, 2022!
Jimmy reflects on a non-stop year and looks forward to exciting times ahead.
28 A Christmas to remember
50 Free Publication
Winter 2021
A magazine for Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park
EXCLUSIVE CELEBRITY INTERVIEW
Simon Reeve
Merry & bright GO MAD FOR MADAGASCAR
times ahead
Get set to see our new lemurs
GET TH
AT FESTIV FEELIN E G WIT H US THI WINTER S
The Good Life Cover Winter 2021.indd 1
24/11/2021 09:40
EDITORIAL EDITOR AT LARGE Jimmy Doherty EDITOR IN CHIEF Michaela Doherty EDITOR Anna-Marie Casas CONTRIBUTOR Lauren Andrews ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE Chantell Keston Debbie Taylor
Celebrate this special season at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park with Santa, our magical grotto and party nights.
30 Oh deer!
Find out about our fantastic reindeer and why they’re so perfectly suited to life in the cold.
PRODUCTION ART DIRECTOR Lee Thomas MARKETING CREATIVE MARKETING MANAGER Dominic Littler PUBLISHING PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Clara Deeks MANAGING DIRECTOR Allistair Hunter OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Tracy Norton-Mead
05 Jimmy's Farm Contents 28 2021.indd 5
We take a look at the plight of insects with the charity, Buglife, and get busy with our new bees.
44 Winter in the garden
We can’t wait to introduce you to our new lemurs who will be the stars of our Madagascan Exhibit in 2022.
32
Explorer, TV presenter and bestselling author, Simon Reeve, talks about his journey from depressed teenager to fulfilled father and the epic adventures along the way.
Time to get pruning with our seasonal tips for your garden.
46 There’s no place like home
Find out how our friends at Chapelstone have been building dream abodes for the animals here at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park.
50 Dream weddings
Discover why our weddings are totally unique and wild – book your event for 2022!
54 Super sprouts
Not just for Christmas…find out why these vitamin kings are so good for you.
57 What’s cooking?
Get the baking mitts out and try our delicious winter recipes.
60 Cool and eco
Check out our hand-picked selection of gifts.
CONTACT Jimmy’s Good Life Magazine DS Media, 7 Faraday Close, Oakwood Industrial Estate, Clacton-On-Sea, Essex CO15 4TR Advertising Enquiries: 01255 221322 Editorial Enquiries: jimmysfarm@thedsgroup.co.uk Jimmy’s Good Life Magazine is published by DS Media on behalf of Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park. The contents of this magazine must not be reproduced without permission. Jimmy’s Good Life Magazine is available at selected Waitrose and John Lewis stores throughout Suffolk & Essex. Jimmy’s Good Life Magazine is also available FREE to all visitors at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park, Pannington Hall Lane, Ipswich IP9 2AR
www.jimmysfarm.com
24/11/2021 10:20
S h o p at J i m my ’s Fa rm
Shopping Find the perfect gift for a loved one this festive season or stock up on some tasty food and drink for the big day at The Farm Shop, here at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park. Drop in to The Farm Shop this festive season – there’s something for the whole family, including your pets! The Farm Shop has recently reopened in our beautiful 18th century barn and opens seven days a week. There is an array of goodies on offer, from groceries to local and national cheeses, scrumptious jams, and carefully curated and locally brewed beers and wines. Don’t forget the animals this Christmas with our range of Hay Pigs enrichment and feeders for your small pets. Also for our doggy friends, as we’re dog friendly, the handmade Jimmy’s dog biscuits and Wrendale dog bowls are a must-have!
www.jimmysfarm.com
Jimmy's Farm Shopping pages.indd 6
Pig (12cm)
£4.95
06 24/11/2021 10:22
loading treat yourself to a very special new year's eve 31st December 7pm - 1am £99 per person
Tickets include Canapés & Drink on Arrival Luxury Two Course Dinner DJ Entertainment Light Evening Buffet & Drink to Toast in New Year
jimmysfarm.com/events
Jimmy's Farm Shopping pages.indd 7
24/11/2021 10:22
S h o p at J i m my ’s Fa rm
Shopping Complete your family day out with our unique boutique experience via our onsite shops and eateries
Large brown bear, 45cm
Large polar bear, 45cm
Piggies Sweets & Toys Stocks a wide range of animal plush toys along with pocket money end-of-day items, with prices from £1.95. www.jimmysfarm.com/piggies (All products shown are Living Nature)
Sloth, 30cm
Dachshund, 25cm
Fox, 40cm
Cocker spaniel, 18cm
08 Jimmy's Farm Shopping pages.indd 8
24/11/2021 10:23
S ho p at J i m my ’s Fa rm
Shopping LET’S GET COSY
Corbridge Waxed Jacket – Rustic, £239 Constructed from Barbour’s versatile 6oz Sylkoil waxed cotton, the Corbridge Waxed Jacket features a lightweight nylon lining quilted to 50g wadding for additional warmth. Finished with a corduroy-lined funnel collar with adjustable toggles.
Plum perfection
Sea for yourself
White Stuff Abstract Funnel Jumper – Plum Multi, £59 Adorned with an eyecatching colourblock design, the Abstract Funnel Jumper is crafted from soft lambswool. Warm and stylish, the jumper features fluted sleeves and ribbed detailing to the neck.
Seasalt River Sea Coat – Moorland, £150 Cut to a relaxed but feminine fit, the River Sea Coat from Seasalt is designed in quilted polyester for a soft and cosy feel. The blend of organic cotton and recycled nylon give the coat a soft, peachy feel, while the sleeves are lined in polyester so it’s easy to slip on and off. This fully waterproof coat is finished with a two-way zip and an adjustable hood with a tonal cord.
Clarkes Country Stores
Stockists of premium lifestyle country clothing, footwear, gifts & accessories Frugi Puddle Buster Coat – Springtime Geese, £22.50 Made from recycled plastic bottles, the Puddle Buster Coat from Frugi is fully waterproof with welded seams. With a reflective print for safety and a soft fleece lining, the coat is finished with elasticated cuffs and a zip and popper fastening.
Splash
Ted Half Zip Fleece – Falun Red/Indigo, £36-£38 The Ted Half Zip from Frugi features protective woven shoulder panels as well as a zip guard. The fleece is complete with a badge detail to the chest and a colourblock design.
out
PLENTY OF WELLY
Bede Wellington Boot – Olive, £64.95 The classic Bede Wellies from Barbour are offering a classic silhouette and feature a hard-wearing design with script binding to the top line and finished with a Classic Tartan lining.
www.clarkesofwalsham.co.uk
09 Jimmy's Farm Shopping pages.indd 9
Zip it
www.jimmysfarm.com
24/11/2021 10:23
JIMMY’S FARM
15% OFF* OFFER CODE: JFWINTER15 FREE CLICK AND COLLECT Order online and collect in store See the full collection at JOULES.COM
*Available only at Joules of Jimmy’s Farm and on full priced items. Please ask in store for further details.
Ads.indd 10
20/11/2021 18:20
S ho p at J i m my ’s Fa rm
Shopping 3 1
2 5 4
www.joules.com 1. Cherington Showerproof Longline Padded Coat, £189.00 Keep yourself snug and stylish with this Cherington coat that’ll have you looking forward to the colder weather. It has a detachable hood with a removable faux fur trim so you can choose your level of cosiness, and is chevron quilted throughout for a huggable layer of warmth. 2. Fairwell Checked Wool Scarf, £24.95 A classic checked scarf is just as important during
winter as log fires, long walks and hot chocolate. This new style is adorned with checks, has timeless tasselled ends and is super soft. Perfect for keeping by the front door and wearing with everything from the moment you feel that first chill in the air. 3. Winslet Long Sleeve Shirt Dress, £79.95 When the colder seasons start to set in, we find ourselves falling in love with this Winslet dress all over again, and who can blame us? Its floaty
silhouette paired with long sleeves, a button down collar and midi-length skirt are simply a match made in heaven, making it perfect for dressing up or down for any occasion. 4. Melford Padded Gilet, £119.00 Add a layer of luxury to your outfit on cold days with this padded gilet, perfect for dog walks, woodland strolls and any manner of outdoor expeditions. It has a detachable hood with a removable faux fur collar so you can decide how
11 Jimmy's Farm Shopping pages.indd 11
much extra warmth and comfort you need, and has been designed to flatter with a slim-fit, elasticated side panels and speciallydesigned barrelling. 5. Chantelle Intarsia Jumper, £64.95 Put a little sparkle to your wardrobe with the Chantelle jumper! New for the season, metallic lurex details have been added to the jumper’s fun and colourful intarsia artwork to make it even more eye-catching.
Joules’ little gem of a shop is situated at the heart of the farm next to Jimmy’s restaurant
www.jimmysfarm.com
24/11/2021 10:24
Me m b e rs hi p
Get the perfect gift this Christmas! UP TO 50% OFTF AT 13 TOURISS ATTRACTION
Check out! jimmysfarm.com/membership/ to see where else you can benefit! & Become a member at Jimmy’s Farm s! Wildlife Park and reap the reward und Annual membership giving year-ro 's 11p a that – d chil a for £40 just access is s £35). day – and £55 per adult (concession ive Not only that – you will also rece of st mo ss acro ts oun disc amazing off 50% to up and ite ons the outlets rist tou or maj er oth of t hos entry to a lia. Ang t Eas ss acro attractions n Enter your membership details whe . booking at other partner attractions Visit jimmysfarm.com/ membership for more details
www.jimmysfarm.com
Jimmy's Farm Memership card 2021.indd 12
12 24/11/2021 10:34
Me X xm x xbxexrsxhi x xp There’s so much to do at Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens, from encountering endangered species to exploring history. You can see: Sumatran tigers / Red pandas / Reptiles Leopards / Meerkats / Gibbons Otters / Alligators & Crocodiles / Birds Get close to the animals Explore the park using a unique network of walkways. You can follow the bridges across the lake, climb the Jubilee Tree Walk to get magnificent views of the park and venture into the Tiger Tunnel. There is also a Tiger Tree Walk which takes you directly over the tiger enclosure, and the Tiger Machan Viewing Platform where you can be inches away from the magnificent Sumatran species. Walk through the tree tops with the gibbons and follow the walkway around the trees over the leopard enclosures. Discover Cats Cloisters, explore the Pool Garden and enjoy the Aviaries. Play Areas Youngsters can burn off their energy in a large play area which includes a 3D Adventure Maze, climbing frames, a large slide and pyramid climbing frame. There is also a separate Tree Ropes play area plus another maze alongside a play area and slide that is suitable for younger children. The large front lawn of the hall provides plenty of space for children to run around and play. And then you can take a well-earned break at the Cockatoo Café and browse the Gift Shop after a day of fun. History Thrigby Hall was built in 1736 by Joshua Smith Esquire. It is likely that Thomas Ivory, who designed the Norwich Assembly Rooms, was the architect of the Hall and the Summer House. The grounds were laid out in the style of William III. In 1876, the hall was remodelled by the then owner, Squire Daniels.
WILDLIFE AND WONDER
Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, offers visitors amazing animals in a historic setting.
13 Jimmy's Farm Memership card 2021.indd 13
After returning from Malaya where he had been a rubber planter, poisonous snake farmer and crocodile keeper, Ken Sims opened Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens in 1979. Info mail@thrigbyhall.co.uk 01493 369477 Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens Filby Road, Thrigby, Great Yarmouth Norfolk NR29 3DR For further information and prices, go to www.thrigbyhall.com
www.jimmysfarm.com
24/11/2021 10:35
News
Mad for Madagascar We can’t wait to introduce you to our new lemurs who will be the stars of our Madagascan Exhibit in 2022.
I
n October, two of our rangers travelled more than 300 miles to Scotland to rescue five animals that needed a new home. Once the animals had travelled back and were settled, we were delighted to announce the arrival of our new black and white ruffed lemurs and ring-tailed lemurs! Black and white ruffed lemurs are ‘Critically Endangered’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and ring-tailed lemurs are listed as ‘Endangered’. Both species need
www.jimmysfarm.com
Jimmy's Farm News 2021.indd 14
protecting as their population in the wild is dropping significantly. Lemurs are primates – just like our Barbary macaques – and are native to Madagascar, which is the only place in the world where they are found in the wild. They are herbivores, eating a diet of fruit and vegetables, and are very sociable animals, living in large groups where the females are dominant over the males. They communicate often and even use scent as a way to converse. Our lemurs were rescued and both species lived together before they
came to Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park, so we have kept them together. Both species get on well and our rangers have observed that the black and white ruffed lemurs are dominant over the ring-tailed Lemurs. Unfortunately, the group had a poor diet before they came here and were fed high calorie food that was unsuitable for them. They are overweight and our rangers are working on getting them adjusted to the right food and bringing their weight down naturally as they explore their massive new enclosure.
14 24/11/2021 10:36
News
Did you know?
IN NUMBERS
Ruffed lemurs are the only primates to build their nests in trees
105
There are 105 species of lemur
30
With a body length of 9-11cm (tail length 12-14cm) and an average weight of 30g, Madame Berthe’s mouse lemurs are the smallest known living primates, while the largest is the Indri, weighing about 7kg
20
Lemurs usually live between 16 and 20 years
1
Lemurs only live in one place in the world – Madagascar
2000 15 Jimmy's Farm News 2021.indd 15
Until shortly after humans arrived on the island of Madagascar around 2,000 years ago, there were lemurs as big as a male gorilla!
24/11/2021 10:36
News
Meet our new ranger Name:
James Page About me: I have a young family; it’s me, my partner, my daughter, Thea, and baby son, Alfie. Thea is crazy about animals like I am, and she loves days out to see what Daddy does at work! How I became a ranger: I didn’t go to college full time. Instead, I completed voluntary work and worked my way up for 17 years! I studied as I worked and learnt on the job.
If you have visited us recently, you may have noticed that our Butterfly House has been closed with lots of developments happening inside and out. This is for our lemurs! The Butterfly House will become a Madagascan exhibit with our lemurs and other Madagascan species coming soon, such as frogs, birds, and butterflies! Our acting goldfish, that were in Spider Man: Far from Home (but cut from the final take) have been
www.jimmysfarm.com
Jimmy's Farm News 2021.indd 16
living in our Butterfly House for quite some time and will remain. We can’t wait to open our Madagascan exhibit to show you the fantastic work our grounds team has done and introduce you to our new species. We need to wait a bit longer to make sure our lemurs are happy and adjusted before we allow visitors in, but we hope to open the exhibit for the start of 2022. And don’t miss our brand-new, expansive adventure playground!
16
Why I love my job: I love seeing the animals thrive and our rescues enjoying a better life. I feel privileged to be a part of these animals’ lives, working alongside them and making a positive impact. Favourite animals: I have always worked with exotic animals, so I do like our newest addition – lemurs! I also like having the chance to work with farm animals, which is something I haven’t done before. I’m enjoying learning more about the husbandry of farm work. The cows are great – there’s just something about them I love. Maybe it’s their feisty character!
24/11/2021 10:37
we
animals...
Located near to the city of Chelmsford, Writtle University College offers a range of industry focused apprenticeships, college, degree and postgraduate courses in the subject areas of: • Animal Welfare and Conservation • Animal Science • Animal Management • Veterinary Nursing • Animal Care and Welfare
Putting science into practice
WRITTLE.AC.UK/ANIMAL Ads.indd 17
24/11/2021 20:12
Su s t a i na b i li ty
Food for the Future The Prince’s Foundation teams up with Jimmy Doherty and Jamie Oliver to launch programme that encourages young people to be champions for the planet. Photography by Guy Hinks
www.jimmysfarm.com
Food 2021.indd 18
18 24/11/2021 11:00
Su s t a i na b i li ty
The Prince’s Foundation has unveiled Food for the Future, a unique food education programme developed with Jimmy Doherty and Jamie Oliver, which aims to champion sustainability and combat food waste. To celebrate the launch, HRH The Prince of Wales, President of The Prince’s Foundation, attended an event at Dumfries House estate where he met Jimmy and his wife, Michaela, and teachers and pupils taking part in the pilot. Aiming to give young people a greater understanding of how the food system works, how it impacts the environment and how to better champion sustainable practices, the programme will initially include 48 pupils from four participating secondary schools in Scotland – with an aspiration for it to eventually be rolled out nationally. Over the course of the programme, which will run throughout the academic year, pupils will have the opportunity to learn from experts in farming and cooking, including Jimmy and Jamie.
They will also be given the opportunity to improve their skills and confidence in the kitchen with Jamie’s expertise in food education to guide them. The programme will help equip students with the right skills to prepare a range of seasonal, nutritious dishes while minimising food waste by using ingredients creatively to make every dish go further. Food For The Future has been developed as part of The Prince’s Foundation’s wider Making Food Go Further initiative. The launch of the programme comes at a vital time for the environment, when limiting food waste plays a key role in reducing household carbon emissions.
Hands-on experience
The programme will engage pupils in hands-on horticulture and farming activity, including industry visits and the opportunity to explore the inner workings of factories and meeting rare breeds of animals like those reared on Jimmy’s Farm.
19 Food 2021.indd 19
www.jimmysfarm.com
24/11/2021 11:00
A FLOCK ABOVE THE REST
*Get a FREE bag of Hi-Energy No-Mess bir food when y d o purchase theu National Tru st Conqueror
Use code
JIMMYSFARM22
*Only when purchasing a National Trust Conqueror. This offer is valid until 31.03.2022, excludes the purchase of Gift Cards and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.
Visit www.birdfood.co.uk or call 0800 731 2820 Ads.indd 20
23/11/2021 22:48
Su s t a i na b i li ty
EDUCATION AT JIMMY’S FARM & WILDLIFE PARK We are passionate about sharing our environment and knowledge here at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park because we believe that educating young people and providing good quality visits are vital for the future of farming, the natural environment and the whole world.
Time for action now
A staggering 70 per cent of all food wasted in the UK stems from within the home and, for each of us, the food we eat accounts for about 25 per cent of our greenhouse gas footprint. Currently, 1.3 billion tonnes of food are wasted every year around the globe – around a third of all food produced – and tackling food waste offers the opportunity to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by up to 10 per cent. Food For The Future is funded by Sainsbury’s, Richemont, and the players of The People’s Postcode Lottery. The programme is also supported by Hellmann’s, which is committed to reducing food waste and whose recent behavioural change study conducted in Canada provided invaluable insights on the reduction of household food waste. Jacqueline Farrell, education director for The Prince’s Foundation, says: “Sustainability and nature-based learning are the common thread that runs through all the education programmes delivered by The Prince’s Foundation. Through our programme, Food For The Future, we hope to inspire young people to think about food and waste in a completely different way. “After immersing them in the practical process and science related to food production systems from the ground up, we will challenge them to come up with their own sustainable solutions to tackling food waste before providing them with the support needed to
We promote these aims by presenting knowledge of native wildlife and plants, the ecology, farmed and exotic animals, and the understanding of where our food comes from and how it is produced and prepared.
become food champions at home, at school and in their communities.”
We all have a part to play
Jimmy comments: “Tackling food waste has never been more important than it is right now, which is why I’m proud to be collaborating with The Prince’s Foundation, Jamie Oliver and The Soil Association on this very exciting education project. We all have a part to play in reducing food waste – whether that be through individuals making more informed choices, supermarkets choosing to stock food with a longer shelf life or demonstrating good modelling in terms of sustainable farming and growing practices through programmes like Food For The Future.” Sarah Gowanlock, The Soil Association’s project manager for community food hubs and programme adaptation, adds: “We have just completed a six-month research project on community food hubs, which has shown there is clear potential for schools to engage more and to help increase access to healthy and sustainable food as well as developing cooking and growing skills in the local community. “As a result, we’re delighted to support The Prince’s Foundation’s Food for the Future programme through the Making Food Go Further partnership to inspire and educate pupils about food and sustainability and empower them to make positive change in their own lives, their schools, and their local food system.”
21 Food 2021.indd 21
We offer fantastic visits where students can get close to our animals with talks from our ranger team - get in touch today! For more information, visit the website: jimmysfarm.com/education/
ABOUT THE PRINCE’S FOUNDATION
The Prince’s Foundation provides holistic solutions to challenges facin g the world today. It champions a sustainable approach to how we live our lives and build our communities , runs a diverse programme of education and training for all ages and backgrounds, and regenerates and cares for places where communities thrive and that visitors enjoy. The charity works nationally and internationally, but at the heart of the organisation is the heritage-led regeneration of the Dumfries Hou se estate and its wider community, whe re its principles and philosophies are explored and put into practice.
www.jimmysfarm.com
24/11/2021 11:02
Su s t a i na b i li ty
‘Sustainability begins in the home’ Jacqueline Farrell, Education Director for The Prince’s Foundation, tells us all about the Food for the Future schools programme and how everyone can play their part now.
How much awareness do you think young people currently have of how the food system works and how it impacts the environment? At the moment, I think young people are aware of the issues around environmental impact, especially now these are so high on the agenda due to events like COP26. However, they probably haven’t directly considered food systems as being either a force for good or as having a detrimental impact on the planet. This is exactly why the Food for the Future programme was instigated. What we do know about working with young people is that if you tell them the problem and how it can be fixed, or better yet give them opportunities to help fix it, they will enthusiastically run with it, so we have a responsibility to ensure they are exposed to these learning opportunities. What does HRH The Prince of Wales and The Prince’s Foundation hope to achieve with the Food for the Future programme, both in the short-term and longer term? Through the programme, we hope to inspire pupils to think twice about wasting food and to challenge them to come up with their own sustainable solutions to tackling the issue of food waste. We’ll do this through immersing them in the practical process and science related to food production systems from the ground up. In the short term, I’d love to see the pupils involved in the pilot go on to become confident food champions at home, at school and in their communities and, in the long term, I’d love to see the programme rolled out further.
www.jimmysfarm.com
Food 2021.indd 22
and why, then make a plan for how to reduce this the following week through buying less, using leftovers efficiently, and composting what can’t be eaten.
Please explain why The Prince’s Foundation teamed up with Jimmy Doherty and Jamie Oliver for the launch of this ambitious initiative. We are delighted to have partnered with Jimmy Doherty and Jamie Oliver on the launch of Food for the Future. They are both pioneers in their respective fields and share our vision for educating the next generation about where food comes from, how it’s grown and the impact it has on the planet. The school pupils have been excited about their involvement and find them really inspiring.
In addition to this, I’d encourage families to use apps such as Too Good to Go and seek out their nearest Community Fridge, like the one we have here at Dumfries House, as these help repurpose food that would otherwise go to waste. Generally speaking, people don’t mean to waste food – it happens as a consequence of lack of planning and understanding.
How hard do you think it will be to engage with youngsters in the social media era, to gain their interest and desire to play a part? At The Prince’s Foundation, we encourage pupils to step away from technology and engage in nature-based learning. It truly is amazing to see what can happen when young people are taken out of their usual environment and given the opportunity to engage in handson activities that help bring their classroom learning to life, whether that be through getting up-close to rare breed farm animals, harvesting vegetables in our education garden or learning how to cook in our purpose-built kitchen classroom.
Finally, I would encourage everyone regardless of location to do some edible planting. Whether it’s one pot on the windowsill with lettuce seeds you regularly harvest, or using balcony or garden space to become more adventurous, it’s so easy to grow your own fresh seasonal produce. It’s good for the mind and body, too!
What can families/young people do now to start making a difference for the benefit of the planet? Sustainability begins in the home. One of the easiest things people can do if they want to start making more informed choices is to start a food diary. They can use this to track how much food they buy, how much of it is wasted
What would you like the legacy of Food for the Future to be? If I had one wish for the project, it’s that it would become part of the school curriculum. All schools would have a working garden and a farm, and the pupils would be involved in looking after the animals and tending to the vegetables. I would like pupils to be inspired to make positive changes in their home lives as well so that the idea of reducing food waste, caring for our soil and caring about the planet become second nature to them, and not something they do as extra.
princes-foundation.org
22 24/11/2021 11:02
party like an
! l a m i an
Image credit natasha hurley
Something to celebrate? Birthdays Anniversaries Baby Showers Family Get Togethers Christenings
OUr restaurant celebration tent or hay barn are all available to hire for private get togethers For more information on booking your celebration contact events@jimmysfarm.com Image credit twenty-six films
Food 2021.indd 23
24/11/2021 11:03
I nte rv i ew
ROLL ON
2022!
We catch up with Jimmy Doherty as he reflects on a non-stop year and looks forward to exciting times ahead with a big focus on conservation and sustainability.
Image courtesy of Channel 4
www.jimmysfarm.com
tv work 2021.indd 24
24 24/11/2021 11:04
I nte rv i ew You’ve been very busy as always – tell us about some of the work you’ve been doing over the autumn and what’s coming up? We’ve just finished a Christmas special for Food Unwrapped – that’s when all the usual presenters come together as we’re all in different parts of the country and we celebrate with a Christmas dinner. That’s always good fun and a popular show, so I really enjoyed that. Away from television, I’m now Patron of Suffolk New College and working closely with the team there to see what facilities we can offer to help their students in their careers. We’re working with agriculture and animal care students, but also some of the construction students who will be working with our team to build animal enclosures. We’ll also be working with some of their media students and plan to create a YouTube channel based at the farm, which will be totally scripted, filmed and edited by the students, which is really exciting. I’m also writing a book, which tells the story of the farm going from a rare breeds farm to a rare breeds farm and wildlife park; where the farm is today from where we started, as next year will be 20 years since it all began. In December, I’m also launching a podcast about how we can all engage with the natural world – food, farming and the environment – how we can all be a bit greener, and the importance of everyone doing their little bit. It can be anything from building a wildlife pond or planting wild flowers to getting involved with conservation organisations, or recycling more, or eating better.
Main image: Jimmy poses with friend and engineer Jimmy de Ville with his Green Goddess campervan which was converted for Builds on Wheels; insets: (top) before the ambitious project and (bottom) inside the renovated vehicle. Images courtesy of Discovery+
But I want to do it in a way that’s inclusive, a little light-hearted and fun. We are in a tricky situation when it comes to climate change and biodiversity loss, but I want to show that it doesn’t all have to be negative and there are positive things everyone can do. There are going to be little stories about the farm as well as interviews with celebrities, scientists and politicians – one of the first ones will be Sir Tim Smit, who created the Eden Project. You’ve been on the road recently for filming of your latest TV series for Discovery+, Builds on Wheels – what did you enjoy most about making this series? It was an extraordinary series – a real journey. Not only converting my 1950s Green Goddess fire engine into a campervan, but
25 tv work 2021.indd 25
www.jimmysfarm.com
24/11/2021 11:05
I nte rv i ew also visiting other people who were on that same journey and seeing the reasons behind why they were doing it. For some, it was just going away for the weekend or having a vehicle to go to a festival, but for others it was about healing themselves, getting away and having a form of escape. Or it could be totally changing their life – they’ve sold their house, no looking back. It gave me some great ideas for my own campervan and a chance to see some incredible parts of the country. Lots has been happening at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park over the last year – what have been some of the main challenges and highlights for you? Uncertainty was the biggest challenge – when we had to close due to lockdown and, suddenly, we didn’t know what was going to happen, and we had all these animals to care for and all our staff. We went through the same traumas and rigmaroles like so many other businesses around the country, particularly in the tourism industry. But out of the chaos and turmoil, we tried to look at the positives. Without the general public around, we could build things and expand – it made us stop, assess what we were doing and where we want to be. Since then, we’ve had the arrival of monkeys, zebra, we’re planning a brand-new rare breed area, recovering the butterfly house, the lemurs have now arrived, and there’s a massive new outdoor adventure area – it’s been endless!
Do you have big ambitions in the new year in furthering the conservation work at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park? Yes, I do. The farm has been heavily involved in the conservation of rare breed livestock. When it comes to the wildlife park, we’ve rescued a lot of animals, but we are also moving more into the realms of conservation. I’m looking into the possibility of creating a breeding facility for Asian fishing cats and I’m already talking to a couple of charities in Sri Lanka to see if we can breed them here to be released back into the wild. They are finding it very difficult because of habitat loss through agriculture, rice paddies being created, and forested areas being cleared. Where there are reserves, they are often being trapped, so hopefully we can help bolster the population. Tell us about your involvement in The Prince’s Foundation’s Food for the Future programme. HRH The Prince of Wales is Patron of the Rare Breed Survival Trust, of which I’ve been President for a long time and now Vice-President. He is obviously very keen on rare breeds and particular ways of producing livestock, so he invited me up to Dumfries House to be part of the launch. It’s all about education from the grassroots
up and getting kids to appreciate the raw materials that go into agriculture, to appreciate their food. Once you do that, you reduce waste massively. We need to do it because food waste is a huge problem – it’s much more polluting than plastic waste, for example. Children’s understanding of the importance of the natural world has increased massively and it’s a great foundation that we all need to build upon, but there needs to be a much more holistic approach and it needs to be throughout the curriculum. We have to understand what natural wealth is – what it means to the economy is huge and when we put a value on it, we preserve it – and that’s essential. If this scheme is rolled out nationally, we would like to become one of the hubs, to bring the work that’s being done in Scotland down here. It sounds like there’s going to be a lot going on in 2022? Yes, absolutely! We’re even talking about restarting our yearly festival but with a big environmental focus. People would still come to the festival for a good time, but we’d plant a tree for every single person that comes, so that as a farm we have a massive, positive impact.
I can’t wait for visitors to see the new lemur enclosure – they have a massive outdoor enclosure with a lovely big oak tree to climb and their indoor enclosure has been created using a big part of the butterfly house with a pond full of fish and banana trees, so people can view them from inside in the bad weather along with the butterflies. Under threat: The Asian fishing cat
www.jimmysfarm.com
tv work 2021.indd 26
26 24/11/2021 11:05
Eve nt s
A Christmas to remember
Celebrate this special season at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park – tuck into breakfast with Santa, step into our magical Christmas grotto and don’t miss our fabulous party nights!
o H HoHo
Breakfast with Santa Join us for a bustling festive morning in The Barn Restaurant & Coffee House where Santa’s helpers will be on hand to serve you a delicious breakfast as you eagerly await the ‘Big Man’ himself! Santa will greet everyone in a fully immersive, magical experience which includes: • Breakfast • Meet and greet with Santa – every child will receive a gift • Entry to Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park
Price: £25 adult, £30 child Book now to avoid disappointment! Please email: enquiries@jimmysfarm.com if you would like to request a highchair or space for a buggy. We will do our best to accommodate but please be aware that we have a limited supply of highchairs.
www.jimmysfarm.com
Christmas Experience 2021.indd 28
28 24/11/2021 12:02
Eve nt s
Christmas Grotto Step into our magical Christmas Grotto, meet Santa and his elves, and receive a lovely gift.
Christmas Party Nights Get ready to launch into the festive spirit as we provide the perfect backdrop for your Christmas party.
Bookings
Dates
Price: £10 child
Enjoy a festive feast with colleagues, friends and family like no other in our warm and inviting 18th century barn. Our venue can host any size of party and provides a beautiful setting for the first turkey dinner of the season and a cheeky mince pie.
Entrance to the park is not included – check in at Customer Service. (Please note the gift included in our Breakfast with Santa and Christmas Grotto experiences are the same.)
You will enjoy a fantastic meal from our ‘farm to fork’ menu that will leave you feeling festively plump, and what better way to burn off some calories afterwards than by dancing the night away?
Guests should arrive at 7pm to be seated for dinner at 7.30pm. Carriages/tractors pick up at 11.30pm, unless later by prior arrangement.
For bookings, go to jimmysfarm.com/shop/
Leave all the organising to us, just come and enjoy yourselves. Dates are selling fast so don’t delay – book your tickets today!
Please book your child’s time slot online - you can arrive anytime within that period. Purchased tickets are per child and adults are FREE when attending with a child and do not need to book.
For bookings, go to jimmysfarm.com/christmas-party-nights/ Price: £55 per person Various December dates are available.
Exclusive Hire
If you would like to hire the restaurant exclusively for you or your company, or if you require further entertainment or any additional dates, please let us know as soon as possible – we will do our best to make it happen!
Times
Full payment is required at the time of booking. A final menu will be circulated in advance of your reservation with a deadline for pre-orders. Please email any queries to enquiries@jimmysfarm.com
ple menu Christmas saBLm ES
NIB b Butter. d, Whipped Her ea Br e Farmhous STARTERS and Truffle Soup, Hazelnut sh ua Sq d Roaste tter. Bu d, e Brea che. Pesto, Farmhous y, Toasted Brio ne ut Ch se ou H e, in rr Te se. ee rk Salad, Cream Ch Jimmy’s Farm Po nnel and Herb Fe , on lm Sa d Citrus Cure MAINS rry ed Leg, Cranbe ey Breast, Brais rk Tu y. ze av on Gr , Br ns y’s ee m Gr Roast Jim Vegetables, Potatoes, Root tables, Stuffing, Roast toes, Root Vege ta Po t as Ro t, as Ro t Nu n y. ga av Ve rry Sauce, Gr Greens, Cranbe rout Tops, to Fondant, Sp ta Po , lly Be rk Po y eam. isp Cr Cr g, Aspall Cyder ted Bacon, Cracklin as Ro , es to , New Pota Baked Sea Bass g. in ss re D r pe Ca Vegetables, DESSERTS . Poached Berries ocolate Mousse, Ch te p. hi ru W Sy d e an in W Dark, Milk uce, Mulled ing, Brandy Sa , Christmas Pudd Cheeses, Grapes sh iti Br e re tives. Selection of Th es ig D y, ne ut on Ch Celery, Red Oni s Alburgh Sorbet Three Scoops of ). on m Le , go (Raspberry, Man ER AFTER DINN to Truffles et ar Am d an e Chocolat Christmas Experience 2021.indd 29
24/11/2021 12:03
A ni m a ls
OH DEER!
Synonymous with Christmas, reindeer are incredibly resilient animals that are well adapted to life in weather that’s cold enough to make your nose go as red as Rudolph’s!
The smaller reindeer with fluffy horns is Maple who was born earlier this year!
Did you know?
Here at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park, we have four reindeer: Dolph, our male; Mistletoe and Rowan, our females; and baby Maple, who was born earlier this year! Dolph enjoys having a herd of females around him and can be seen strutting proudly around his enclosure, keeping a watchful eye on his ladies! www.jimmysfarm.com
Deer 2021.indd 30
30 24/11/2021 12:08
A ni m a ls Found in the Arctic, and subarctic regions of northern Europe Siberia and North America, reindeer are constantly on the move, covering huge distances of up to 3,000 miles in a year. These majestic creatures can live in huge herds comprising over 50,000 individuals and are well designed for life in extreme temperatures with a thick, double-layered coat to keep them warm. Their shaggy outer layer provides insulation, similar to the fur of a polar bear. Reindeer hooves expand in the summer when the ground is soft and shrink in winter when it turns hard, acting like snow shoes to dig through the ice and find food beneath – they can even lower the temperature of their feet in extremely cold weather, preventing loss of body heat!
18,000
The oldest known rock art in the UK depicts a reindeer on a cave wall in the Gower Peninsular, Wales, and is thought to be between 13,000 and 18,000 years old Dolph: Photo by @wezjones
50
9
The number of reindeer that help Santa each year – Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and not forgetting rednosed Rudolph!
Reindeer eyes are very sensitive to ultraviolet light, helping to enhance their vision during long, dark winters. Listed as of ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN Red List, the reindeer diet consists mainly of lichen – especially reindeer moss – leaves, sedges and grasses.
Deer 2021.indd 31
IN NUMBERS
Reindeer may not be able to fly in real life, but they can run pretty fast and are capable of reaching speeds of up to 50mph
You may also notice that reindeer make a clicking sound when they walk. This is the noise of a tendon in their foot rubbing over a bone and is thought to be a herd’s way of harnessing sound to keep together in poor visibility. It may even play a role in reinforcing social hierarchies.
Both male and female reindeer have antlers. Each year they develop velvet on them before shedding it in the breeding season. They then lose their antlers altogether with males discarding them first and before the Christmas period, meaning Santa’s reindeer are actually female. Now that’s girl power!
15
Reindeer have a lifespan of between 12 and 15 years
51
A male’s antlers can grow to a staggering 51 inches long (1.3m), while a female’s antlers can reach up to 20 inches
31
www.jimmysfarm.com
24/11/2021 12:09
I nte rv i ew
‘Embrace life every day and live in the moment!’ Explorer, TV presenter and bestselling author, Simon Reeve, talks candidly about his journey from depressed teenager to fulfilled father and the epic adventures along the way.
Main photo, Simon Reeve filming the TV series 'Burma' (photo by Ruth Mayer); top right inset, on his Tropic of Cancer journey in western Burma (photo courtesy of www.simonreeve.co.uk); left inset, Simon filming the series 'Caribbean' (photo by Craig Hastings)
www.jimmysfarm.com
Celeb interview 2021.indd 32
32 24/11/2021 12:10
You’ve been busy writing your latest book, Journeys to Impossible Places – tell us a bit about it and why you wrote it. I’d been badgered a while about writing another book. I thought it was a bit mad to be honest, but then I thought it was a bit mad to write the first bit of my memoirs, Step by Step, which was pretty successful, to my astonishment. I was quite overwhelmed by the reaction to the mental health challenges, struggles, nightmare that I’d had when I was a teenager, in particular – it seemed to resonate with a lot of people who had assumed that because I’m on the telly, everything must have always been perfect in my life. During lockdown, I didn’t have a lot else going on and that got me thinking about the journeys I’ve been on. I’ve always felt that when my journeys really started on the telly, they were all impossible, ridiculous, incredible and wonderful, and I should never have been allowed to do them – it’s always felt like an utter privilege and a blessing. I suppose I also felt much more happy about talking about other aspects of my life which have also been, frankly, an impossible journey, most notably my path to being a dad.
33 Celeb interview 2021.indd 33
www.jimmysfarm.com
24/11/2021 12:10
I nte rv i ew
Filming the TV series 'Australia' (photo by Craig Hastings)
Going back to your childhood, what are your overriding memories of experiencing the great outdoors and adventure? What was around me was grey streets. I grew up in west London, at the edge of the inner city really, and my world was very small. I suppose it grew quite dramatically when I got my first bike. A few of us then started going to a local cub group and I remember when we went on a camp near Beaconsfield, which was not the most exotic journey ever…I was jumping off some old pallets that had been left at the edge of the woods, I landed on another pallet that had a huge, old, rusty nail through it which went right through my foot.
In your previous book and Sunday Times bestseller, Step by Step, you describe how your teenage years were filled with feelings of hopelessness before a life-changing adventure – what happened on that journey? I was 17 when I went on a little adventure to Scotland – that was probably the first time I’d been out of London on my own. It was an experience that really changed me because I’d never done anything like it. I climbed a ridge in Glencoe at a time when I was physically, emotionally, and mentally very, very low and depressed, and that helped to transform me.
Whenever I got involved with the outdoors, accidents seemed to happen to me. It felt much safer just to hang out on the streets. I did not really have much awareness of nature then – Acton Park was the closest I got to nature, a small urban inner city park.
I was unemployed, I’d flunked out of school, I had no qualifications, I had no job, I was on the dole claiming benefits. I’d been on the edge of a bridge – I was a whisker away from committing suicide – I’d cry myself to sleep most nights or wake up drunk. I was really lost as a lad.
It was only really into my teens that my mum and dad started forcing me to go on a few walks in the countryside that I started discovering a bit more of the world. But it was only really as an adult that my horizons properly began to expand.
I got to a point where I realised that the only way to get out of this was to test myself a little bit…I went on this adventure which really took all the bravery I had left within me, and I did it very much, bit by bit, step by step. I ambled around
www.jimmysfarm.com
Celeb interview 2021.indd 34
and then started climbing up to the top of this ridge as the sun was setting – a stupid thing to do and I was lucky not to have needed to be rescued by the mountain rescue team. But I made it up there and it gifted me a huge amount of self-confidence. I think we need to remember the benefit of the wild outdoors in more of our lives, but particularly the lives of young guys now who are really suffering terribly with mental health problems. Getting them out, getting them moving, getting them walking, getting them challenged in doing something memorable and special has very powerful effects. More than anything, it was me being pushed out of my comfort zone and embracing a little bit of risk, doing something physical, that was a fundamental challenge. Sometimes it doesn’t take much – it doesn’t have to be climbing Everest or Kilimanjaro – when you are really, really low, just making it up a hill is an awesome achievement and so it was for me. The physical challenge and completing it made me feel just a tiny bit of a success, which is something I hadn’t felt for a long time at that age.
34 24/11/2021 12:11
I nte rv i ew
Photo by Westley Hargrave
“Sometimes it doesn’t take much – it doesn’t have to be climbing Everest or Kilimanjaro – when you are really, really low, just making it up a hill is an awesome achievement and so it was for me.”
35 Celeb interview 2021.indd 35
www.jimmysfarm.com
24/11/2021 12:11
www.parkviewcarehome.co.uk
We Build Great Gardens
§ All landscaping tasks undertaken § § Specialising in water features and driveways § § Perfectly based on the Suffolk/Norfolk border but covering all of the UK §
Vandenberg-Hider LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND CONSTRUC TION
Park View Care Home CQC overall rating
– CARE HOME –
Contact Dawn on 01379 854848 or dawn@vandenberghider.plus.com for a free initial meeting and quotation. Please see www.vandenberg-hider.co.uk for further details.
October 2017
Are you taking steps to look for care for your loved one? Established 1993 Independent Jaguar Land Rover Specialist Take the next step to Park View Care Home www.dsautomotive.co.uk
Park View is a state of the art, luxurious care home overlooking the magnificent gardens and grounds of Chantry Park near Ipswich. Our philosophy is quite simple; to provide the very highest standard of care and quality of life to each person at Park View.
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙
We provide residential, nursing and
Servicing specialist dementia care to elderly ladies and gentlemen, this full MOT complement of services means that Diagnostics elderly residents changing needs can be met throughout their stay with us. Timing Belts Air Conditioning Mechanical Repairs
• State of the Art Development • Residential, Nursing & Dementia Care • Private Dining/Hospitality Services • Short & Long Term Care Approved Petronas Oil • Beautiful Accommodation ThroughoutPartner • Individualised Care Plans • Specialist Care Design Features • Internet Wifi • Activities, Hobbies and Clubs • Stunning Landscaped Gardens Please contact Sharon Bowen Customer Relations
Telephone 01473 228 890 T 01702 421730
JLR Service History Updated Online
1 chantry close, london road, ipswich ip2 oqr customerrelations@parkviewcarehome.co.uk 31 Rutherford Close, Progress Road Ind Est, Leigh on Sea, Essex SS9 5LQ Ads.indd 36
20/11/2021 18:54
I nte rv i ew Photo by Freddie Martin
You have travelled to more than 120 countries, many of them incredibly dangerous – what made you want to follow that path and which journey has been the most ‘impossible’? I can’t say I wanted to follow that path. I didn’t set out with any plan or scheme. I was never moving the chess pieces around to try to get this life. I’ve been very, very lucky and I really recognise the importance of that – and I know a lot of people could have done this and better. I travelled all the way around the Tropic of Cancer a number of years ago, and there were so many individual adventures and exotic experiences within that. But I think probably travelling from the coast of Africa across the Sahara Desert was the most ludicrous, impossible, bizarre journey that I’ve undertaken. Everything about it was mad and wonderful, sometimes at the same time. A moment I will never forget…we were in the desert camping, baking bread in the sand, the sun had gone down. Out of the shadows, this nomad appeared in his billowing robes and sat down next to us by the fire and just looked over at me and nodded, not remotely concerned by the fact that we were strange, foreign travellers. We shared our food and water with him. Our guide said, “Where have you come from?” And he gestured behind to say, “Over there”. And then the guide asked, “Where are you going?” And he gestured the other
way to say, “Over there”. It was just so surreal and impossible, and I loved it. What are the biggest lessons you have drawn from your encounters and experiences? I think one of the biggest is to live in the moment. Embrace life every day, do everything you can to live a rich and fulfilling life. Seek it out, grasp it, enjoy it. Life is so short, and we live at a time when there are immense challenges, immense problems, absolutely. But still, it’s a time of wonderful opportunities as well, and we live in a country where fresh water comes out of a tap and, for that alone and all the other privileges, we need to be deeply thankful and acknowledge that we’re some of the luckiest human beings who have ever existed. Embrace life – I’ve seen how swiftly it can end in my own family, amongst people I’ve met on the road, who are suffering terribly and have lived short, difficult, painful lives. So, if you have a chance at enjoying your existence, for goodness sake, do it. Lift your gaze, get up, get out there, and enjoy planet Earth. You are credited with unmasking Al-Qaeda with your book first published in 1998, The New Jackals, which warned of a new breed of international terrorists – at the time, did you have any idea that you were writing something
37 Celeb interview 2021.indd 37
that would go on to have such monumental global significance? I think in some ways I did, theoretically, but I could never have understood what that would mean practically. I knew this group wanted to launch apocalyptic attacks, I knew they were trying to get hold of weapons of mass destruction, and I knew they were capable of horrific atrocities, the like of which we really hadn’t seen. The attack of 9/11 wasn’t just a ripple on a pond, it was a tsunami that is still shaping the planet politically to this day. So no, I could never have understood the full chaos of what would be unleashed, but I worried when I was investigating them what they were capable of and what they would attempt to do. Could I have known that we would be where we are now? No, definitely not.
“We live in a country where fresh water comes out of a tap and, for that alone and all the other privileges, we need to be deeply thankful and acknowledge that we’re some of the luckiest human beings who have ever existed.” www.jimmysfarm.com
24/11/2021 12:12
I nte rv i ew You’ve achieved so much – what are you most proud of? I’m most proud of my lad by a long, long way. He is by far my greatest achievement. He’s mine and he’s given more joy, more fulfilment and meaning in life than any of the travels or work I’ve done – they all pale into insignificance compared to the emotions and feelings I have for him. What’s the most important lesson you’d like him to learn? I’d most like him to feel confident and happy in his own skin. I want him to be able to dance wildly at a party. I want him to feel happy maintaining eye contact with someone when he’s talking to them. I want him to feel able to walk into a room and not like he needs to slink around the edge. I want him to feel confident that he’s capable of doing almost anything, anywhere. Because that was very much not what I felt, and I was massively held back as a result. How do you like to spend your spare time with your wife and son when you get it? I haven’t been travelling much for the last 18 months, but when I do I try to keep it to manageable levels so I can find that crucial balance between earning and living. I’ll generally travel four months a year, but I try to time the journeys around the big landmarks in my son’s life. When I’m back, I live a pretty normal life. I live in a remote part of Devon in Dartmoor National Park. We have lots of woods around us, we have two big dogs now, I have a son to play with endlessly…Nerf wars, wrestling, football, laser quest; it’s like a constant theme park existence but it’s absolutely wonderful and a privilege. If I’m not doing that, I’m chopping wood – my green gym – I have to chop about 10 tonnes of wood a year to keep us in hot water and heating, and that keeps me outside and maybe holds advancing age a bit. What’s coming up that you’re particularly excited about? I’m hoping to be able to get back to South America because we were filming there when the pandemic hit, and we came home as planned after filming
On location for the TV series 'Australia' (photo by Luke Gribble)
one part of a journey. In 2019, I had a series out where I travelled through North America from Alaska down to Costa Rica. South America was going to be next. It’s been basically impossible to travel there since, but it’s becoming viable again and we’re getting the passports out and dusting them down. In November, I have a TV series on BBC2 called The Lakes, which we filmed this year and is all about the Lake District in Cumbria. There’s a lot about farming in the Fells; the struggle for the future in farming, and how valuable our farms and farmers are. How we steward our land going forward is going to be one of the big challenges for the rest of this century, so we have to get it right. We have to invest in and respect our farmers, and possibly pay them a bit more for what they are producing. Looking back on your amazing life so far, if you could offer one piece of advice to your teenage self, what would it be? I would say to my teenage self, it will get better. There will be light at the end of the tunnel. Hang on in there and don’t let it all get you down. But the problem is, I wouldn’t have listened. I had love around me when I was a teenager…but,
39 Celeb interview 2021.indd 39
ultimately, I needed to find the salvation myself, that light on my own. I needed to embrace the fact that life would offer me something. I couldn’t be told it or shown it even, I had to discover it for myself. I do think that if the possibilities and opportunities were put in front of me, I would have benefited in some way from that. And just small things; like let’s go for a walk or a wander – we don’t even have to know where – let’s just see where it takes us.
Journeys to Impossible Places by Simon Reeve, published by Hodder & Stoughton, is out now. www.jimmysfarm.com
24/11/2021 12:12
Nat u re
NO INSECTINCTION We take a look at the plight of insects with our friends at Buglife, the only organisation in Europe devoted to the conservation of all invertebrates.
Recent studies paint a grim picture of the decline of insects across the planet. A well-publicised review recently concluded that current rates of declines could lead to the extinction of 41 per cent of the world’s insect species over the next few decades. Butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, and dung beetles are among the most at risk. A small number of unfussy, very mobile and pollutant-tolerant species are able to cope with the damage that humans are doing to our planet. These generalist species are replacing the rich diversity of species that make up the fabric of life on Earth. www.jimmysfarm.com
Insects 2021.indd 40
It is becoming increasingly clear that our planet’s ecological balance is breaking and there is an urgent need for an intense and global effort to halt and reverse these dreadful trends. Insects make up over half the species on Earth; our planet’s health depends on them. The rate of loss of insect life is much faster than that of higher profile wildlife like birds and mammals – the local extinction rate for insects is eight times higher! There are many causes, and they all need to be addressed, but the evidence is clear: we will not halt the crisis without urgently reversing habitat loss and degradation,
preventing and mitigating climate change, cleaning up polluted waters, and replacing pesticide dependency with sustainable farming methods. We believe that there should be sustainable populations of all insects. ‘No Insectinction’ is Buglife’s response to the current crisis – a prescription for healing our planet, by restoring our depleted and devastated insects. We can stop, and reverse the global declines in our insects, but only if everyone pulls together to do their bit. Small steps can have a huge impact if they all fall at the same time.
40 24/11/2021 12:14
5 top tips 1. Use alternatives, for peat’s sake
Peatland is an ancient habitat, formed over thousands of years. It forms one of the most important global stores of carbon, but exploitation of peat as a growing medium in horticulture damages these peatlands and releases harmful carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. By using alternatives to peat in your garden you can help reduce carbon dioxide emissions and slow the impact of climate change on our environment.
2. Put away the spray
Over past decades our reliance on pesticides has increased. These substances, designed to kill insects and other bugs, are often indiscriminate in their action. Yet they are common place in our gardens, houses and even on our pets. By eliminating or reducing our use of these chemicals we can stop the slaughter of thousands of insects in an instant.
Nat u re
“For many years biologists and conservationists have been talking about the ‘Sixth Extinction’; a cataclysmic event of anthropogenic origin that is bringing our ecosystems to the brink of collapse. But while we all switch on to the tragedy of the bushfire-blighted koala, the perils of the polar bear and the disintegration of the ice caps, the truth is that we as a society are yet to grasp the implications of a quiet decline, with far greater consequences.” Steve Backshall MBE
3. Be less tidy
One of the major factors affecting insect populations is habitat loss and fragmentation. Insects don’t like manicured lawns and, while cultivated double-flowered plants look lovely in the garden, they typically don’t produce pollen and their nectar is hidden deep inside their flowers. You can help the insects in your garden by letting the grass grow longer and sowing some wildflowers. If every garden had a little patch for insects, collectively, it would probably be the biggest area of wildlife habitat in the world.
4. Watch your footprint
Climate change is a growing threat to a wide range of wildlife, including insects. While this is a big issue that needs big action to tackle it, there are still some things you can do to make a difference. Buy your food from local suppliers, use your local shop, or grow your own vegetables
5. Watch out for stowaways
Billions of pounds’ worth of plants and trees are transported around the world every year. They may bring colour to your home and garden but with them they can bring unwanted stowaways. Non-native species such as flatworms can wreak havoc on native wildlife. By buying home-grown plants, you can help to prevent invasive species reaching your garden and our countryside. For more information on how you can help, go to www.buglife.org.uk
Insects 2021.indd 41
“If the invertebrates were to disappear, the world’s ecosystems would collapse.” Sir David Attenborough Imagery courtesy of Buglife
41
www.jimmysfarm.com
24/11/2021 12:15
Nat u re
We’re buzzing! We have welcomed a colony of 15,000 honeybees for our new conservation programme, delivered by our friends at The Bee Centre. The organisation, which is a centre of excellence for bee-related education, breeding and husbandry, visited Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park recently to install a hive and train our team.
And we look forward to hearing about his honey crop next year.” Our hive of bees can be seen to the left of the wedding marquee in our beautiful gardens. Why not take a look when you next visit?
Male bees are only born in mating season – only females are born outside of mating season All the bees in our hive are currently female
Anne Rowberry, Chair of the British Beekeepers Association, says: “We are pleased that Jimmy is adding to the diversity of the pollinators on his farm and joining the beekeeping community.
Insects 2021.indd 42
There are around 270 types of bees in existence Worker bees and drone bees live for 6 weeks, while Queen bees live for 3-5 years
Jimmy Doherty is a patron for the British Beekeepers Association and highlighted the plight of these incredible insects in his Channel 4 documentary last year, ‘Jimmy’s Big Bee Rescue’.
www.jimmysfarm.com
Did you know?
It takes 12 bees to make one teaspoon of honey in their lifetime
42
A male bee’s genitals explode in mid-air when they mate. Ouch!
24/11/2021 12:15
For a professional caring service • 24-hour hospitalisation and emergency care provided on-site
CARE & EDUCATION FOR 0-5 YEAR OLDS IN IPSWICH
• Advanced diagnostic imaging including CT scanning service • Veterinary referral services • Physiotherapy and hydrotherapy • Pet behaviour counselling, dog agility and training classes
EARLY YEARS CARE AND EDUCATION FOR 0–5 YEAR OLDS
• Pet shop and grooming lounge.
An Independent Veterinary Practice with a personal approach A member of
Tel: 01473 555 000 enquiries@ipswichvetcentre.co.uk www.ipswichvetcentre.co.uk 1 Donald Mackintosh Way, Scrivener Drive, Ipswich, Suffolk IP8 3SU
Ads.indd 43
- LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE BOOK YOUR CHILD'S PLACE NOW
01473 601178 - www.peartreekindergarten.co.uk
23/11/2021 22:50
Ga rd e ni ng
Winter in the garden Gemma Marriage, Estate Manager at Jimmy’s Farm, gives us the lowdown on what she will be up to over the colder months and some seasonal tips for your own garden. When the nights draw in and the temperature drops, you know winter has arrived. Many of the plants and animals are either dormant or hibernating, and it is tempting to do the same yourself. However, this is a really important time for many outdoor jobs, so find yourself some thermals and get out there! Here at Jimmy’s Farm, we have a wide variety of outdoor areas, from the herb garden and orchard to raised beds and formal gardens, not forgetting all the animal enclosures. I always make sure any tasks we do are working with nature rather than against it.
Leaves
One of the most time consuming jobs for us is dead leaves. We need to make sure that paths and walkways are clear, because as the leaves decompose, they can become a slip hazard. However, where they land on a bed or border, we will leave them as a natural mulch – any that we do rake up go straight on the compost heap, ready to provide some good soil nutrition once they have broken down. Mulching the soil adds organic matter, which not only provides nutrients for your plants to grow healthy, but also helps www.jimmysfarm.com
Gardening Tips 2021.indd 44
then have the winter to start growing their anchoring roots, giving them a head start for next season.
retain water, saving this precious resource in the hotter months.
Trees
Winter is the best time for any tree work that needs doing as the trees are dormant, saving their energy for spring. This summer, I labelled and recorded all of our 62 fruit trees – a mixture of apples, pears, plums and cherries. January is the perfect time for some restorative pruning, including removing any crossing branches that could introduce disease through chafing. We make the most of everything we grow, in the farm shop, restaurant, farm and zoo, so a good harvest is essential. We have a few trees that are not thriving, so I'm looking to replace these with some Suffolk heritage varieties such as the St Edmund’s Russet, to increase the range we offer and support local biodiversity.
Protection
Planting 1000 trees may seem daunting, but they can easily be slotted into the ground with a spade and firmed with your heel, taking no time at all. We are lucky to have a lot of wildlife around the gardens, however, the rabbits do like a good snack on our plants. So, we will make sure to protect the new whips with spiral tree guards in the first few years until they are strong enough to withstand the occasional nibble!
Odd jobs
When the weather is really
bad and you just can’t face being outside, there are still jobs to be done. It’s a great time to give your shed or greenhouse a good sort out, fix that spade and sharpen those secateurs that you’ve been meaning to do all year.
Seeds
I also find it very exciting to have all the seed catalogues arrive in the post and start planning what to grow next year. Remember to keep an eye on any produce, seeds or plants that you have stored. We have a family of voles which love to take up winter residence in our polytunnel, so have to make sure anything we don’t want eaten is stored out of their reach!
Hedges
Alongside putting in new fruit trees, we are also planting 200m of hedge with a mixture of native species including Hawthorn, Blackthorn and Field Maple. These will come as bare root whips, which is the most cost-effective way to plant significant lengths of hedging. The plants can
44 24/11/2021 12:16
THE WORLD’S FIRST EVER PLANTABLE TTABLE CHILDREN’S BOOK
Seeds embedded in the pages
AS SEEN ON DRAGON’S DEN
WILLSOW.C WILLSOW.COM W OM W.C THAT A S RIGHT. YOU READ THE BOOKS, AT KS, PLANT THE PAGES K P GES PA YYES YE S, THATS AND GROW REAL VEGETABLES VEGETABL T TABL ES & HERBS
1009-JimmysFarm-93x133mm-PWS.indd 1
29/09/2021 15:12
NOW THAT’S BETTER THAN BREAD! WildThings Swan and Duck Food is an environmentally friendly alternative to bread as it helps prevent the pollution caused when un-eaten food sinks to the bottom of the lake and rots. Be at one with nature this winter and get outdoors with our easy and convenient Swan and Duck food in 175g pack.
Enter JIMMYSFARM10 at checkout on www.wildthingsfood.co.uk for 10% off all Swan and Duck Food Pack Sizes
@wildthingswildlifefood
Use JIMMYSFARM10 for 10% OFF!
@wildthingsfood
Offer applicable on www.wildthingsfood.co.uk only. Offer ends July 31st 2022. WT _ Jimmys Advert.indd 1
Ads.indd 45
17/11/2021 16:08
23/11/2021 22:55
A ni m a ls
We catch up with our friends at Chapelstone who have been building dream abodes for the animals here at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park.
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME www.jimmysfarm.com
Partners 2021.indd 46
46 24/11/2021 12:28
A ni m a ls
Tell us a bit about Chapelstone and the services you offer… Chapelstone Developments Ltd started in 2003, primarily constructing timber buildings. One of our trading arms, Chapelstone Equestrian Construction, focuses on stables, arenas and other facilities for the equestrian sector – the name is a bit of a giveaway! We also trade as Chapelstone Outdoors, and through this arm of the company we build and install bespoke garden rooms and supply and install bespoke luxury sailshades. We can supply glass balustrades, patio heaters, and air conditioning units. We’re very excited about all this as the last couple of years has, we think, reminded everyone that it’s great to be outside. Gardens have become an extension of our living spaces, and we offer people a way to take advantage of that, all year round. It also means that with a garden building, people can work from home, meaning less time commuting and more time spent with family.
You’ve been carrying out some projects at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park – how did that come about? Stevie Sheppard, Jimmy’s general manager, contacted us because they needed a new building for their Suffolk Punches. Chapelstone are well known in East Anglia for our stables, so one of our directors went out to meet Stevie and discuss the project. From that first meeting, we’re pleased to say that a great relationship has developed, and we’ve been trusted to work with Stevie designing, constructing and installing many other buildings. What has the work involved and what have been the main challenges? Building a stable block for the Suffolk Punches was a continuation of the type of work we do day in, day out. Over the years, we’ve had to accommodate every type of equine, from the tiniest Shetland pony to enormous, 18-hand gentle giants. But as we continued to work with the team at Jimmy’s, we found ourselves learning about some of the other residents. These have included the reindeer, the tapirs and those cheeky meerkats.
47 Partners 2021.indd 47
Top, Suffolk Punches Annie and Annabelle; Insets, the new meerkat enclosure being built by Chapelstone
www.jimmysfarm.com
24/11/2021 12:29
A ni m a ls
We’re all animal lovers here, so discovering the habits and the needs of all the animals has been a joy. But of course, although the health and wellbeing of all the creatures is paramount, we knew that visitors would need to have a good view of them too. Plus, we had to be mindful of opening hours, site safety for visitors and staff, and working as tidily and efficiently as possible in order not to interfere with the animals’ daily habits or with the enjoyment of visitors. So, under Stevie’s direction, we have balanced these expectations to give everyone the best experience possible. How has the meerkat enclosure been built to consider the animals’ specific needs? The meerkats are possibly the best known of all the wildlife at the farm. That great escape artist, Steve McQueen, now has a brand new home and can jump as much as he likes, he’s not going anywhere!
But the two species live quite happily together, so they can interact. We are on the final stretch of the build, and by the time this magazine is out, it should be complete.
We’ve built a whole new enclosure for them; housing and an outside area, where they can socialise during the day (they are very sociable animals). It is natural for them to dig, so we found a way to enable them to do this without actually escaping. The new build also incorporates housing for the Sorcata tortoise, and we have designed it to ensure that they won’t go into the meerkats’ ‘bedroom’ pods.
How do you feel now it’s all done? As we continue to work with Stevie, Jimmy and the rest of the team at the farm, we’re feeling proud – proud as Punch – of the work we’ve done so far. There are other projects under discussion, but all we can say about those at this time is that we’re pretty sure that these will reinforce the passion and the vision that Jimmy has had since day one.
www.jimmysfarm.com
Partners 2021.indd 48
Chapelstone are based just over the border in north Essex, so are local enough that some of the staff here were taking their children to the farm when it first opened. Those children are now fully grown, and we have a younger generation of our team at Chapelstone now introducing their offspring to Jimmy’s and giving them the opportunity to learn so much about animals, food production and country living in general. We live in a beautiful part of the country where some amazing and visionary people live. We’re honoured to be involved in work that promotes that. chapelstone.co.uk
48 24/11/2021 12:29
EvEr wantEd to go sElf-sufficiEnt? HErE’s your cHancE to givE it a try!
FO
RJ
IM
10 O %
DI
MY
’S
SC
FA R
Fun, easy to play, award-winning family boardgame
M
UN
RE
T
AD
ER
Use your wheelbarrow to “We’ve move around the board really enjoyed to collect fruit, veg, playing the game, pigs and chickens. and hope that you do The winner is the first to fill really well with it.” their garden and allotment. Seems simple. HUGH FEARNLEY It is. But the ‘Green Fingers’ cards turn up WHITTINGSTALL’S RIVER unexpected twists and turns... So you’ll have to protect your chickens from foxes, sell your crops and livestock at the village fair and avoid drought, bird flu, and your animals escaping.
COTTAGE
www.thegoodlifegame.co.uk Enter ‘sm’ at the checkout, to qualify for
Contain organic peat-free compost.
your 10% discount.
THE
GOOD
LIFE
woodEn Playing PiEcEs
ALLINGHAM GAMES
100% compostable starch and natural fibre based shell. Filled with necter-rich wildflower seeds.
Now, are you ready for ‘The Good Life’?
*£26.95 INC. P&P
S*
You co uldn’t bring you to slau rself ghter your p ig. Give G reen B a 2 hayb ales to nk vegeta b rian p uy izzas
an easy way to grow wildflowers to help save bees and other pollinating insects
www.thegoodlifegame.co.uk
muddypuddles.com
Ads.indd 49
23/11/2021 22:56
We d d i ngs
FOURTH TIME’S THE CHARM!
After having to postpone their wedding three times, Kate and Isaac finally tied the knot on Thursday 8th July 2021 at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park. Tell us about the proposal; was it expected, discussed or entirely spontaneous? I: Whilst on a short break to Napoli, on the last night in a quaint wine bar by day/restaurant by night, I popped the question. K: I burst into tears immediately, as I didn’t expect it at all. During the proposal, our waiter walked over with the champagne we had ordered. Eventually all the restaurant staff came over and showered us in hugs and kisses. What made you choose Jimmy’s Farm for your big day? Pretty much straight after we got engaged, we went to visit Jimmy’s Farm – the first place we had looked. We were very much on the same page with what we wanted in a wedding and made our decisions pretty quickly! I: We knew straight away this would be the one for us. Kate was adamant we couldn’t book the first place we saw. After meeting with [wedding planner] Natalie, we booked the first place we saw! www.jimmysfarm.com
Jimmy's Farm Weddings 2021.indd 50
26th March 2020 29th October 2020 29th April 2021 8th July 2021
K: We had always loved coming to Jimmy’s Farm with Isaac’s daughter and watching many a series on TV. We simply loved the idea of a countryside wedding that embraced our love of the outdoors and animals. How was planning your wedding during the pandemic? Our original wedding date was the 26th March 2020, and the country went into full lockdown on the 23rd March 2020. We had to rearrange four times, and we cannot thank Natalie and our other vendors enough for making that so easy! Natalie was always at the other end of the phone to check in and offer support, with
Top 100 pla to get marrieces d the world. in
updates about all the changes and regulations we had to follow.
Was there anything special you incorporated into your ceremony? K: A Jimmy’s Farm first as Isaac is Jewish and we had a Jewish wedding ceremony. I: Incorporating many elements of a traditional Jewish wedding, along with many contemporary elements too. Kate managed to smash the glass on our third attempt. This was all overseen by our amazing Rabbi Lisa Barrett.
50 24/11/2021 12:31
We d d i ngs
What did you do to make your wedding personal to you both? We changed up the order of our day, rather than going with the traditional day. We decided that we wanted all the formal wedding parts done before we visited the farm, this meant having our speeches during our drink reception. We knew that if we, and some of the others giving speeches, had to wait till after the meal, we would not be able to eat! It worked perfectly for us and then we had the rest of the day to relax!
What was on the menu? K: Our wedding breakfast was incredible, as you would expect at Jimmy’s Farm. With Isaac being Jewish, there were certain foods we couldn’t have, pork included (ironic for a farm known for its rare breed pigs!). But the kitchen team were amazing in ensuring that our needs were catered for: • Starter – Salt Beef Croquets • Main – Roast Beef (Kate’s favourite) • Dessert – Red Wine Poached Pear and Homemade Donut. What entertainment did you have? We had our evening reception in the Celebration Tent, which we had decided pre-COVID, and which ended up being the perfect decision. This meant no-one had to wear masks as we were all outside and we had an additional outdoor area for social distancing (of course) foot tapping. The entertainment was the awesome Fox and Braces, who DJ’d for us all evening and ended with us having a Drum and Base session at the end of the night.
Jimmy's Farm Weddings 2021.indd 51
Where are you planning to go on honeymoon once lockdown is lifted? So, we have had to postpone our honeymoon twice now, due to restrictions in Israel for tourists. We have now booked to go to Seattle in April 2022. What was your favourite wedding purchase? K: It was the materials to make our chuppah. A chuppah is a key part of a Jewish wedding ceremony and we decided that we wanted to make ours. With help from one of Isaac’s best men and our friend, James ‘P’ Partner, who built the structure for us. We then put it together and decorated it the day before the wedding. What was your most memorable part of the day? It was exchanging the rings under the chuppah. After waiting about 16 months to finally be able to get married, that moment of exchanging rings and knowing we had made it, having all (nearly) our family and friends there, was just incredible. Do you have any tips for future couples? “You do you!” – it has been said time and again that the wedding day is all about you as a couple, but it really is true. The only thing you’ll regret is not doing what you want to do.
Totally wild, totally unique weddings The farm hosts the most amazing wedding celebrations across East Anglia. On such a momentous day, you deserve nothing but the best of local food and a little bit of countryside living. A relaxed and beautifully rural venue that offers everything you dream of and now taking bookings for 2022 and 2023 For more information, ideas, and inspiration head over to our Instagram page @Jimmys_Farm_Weddings For a tour, email Natalie on weddings@jimmysfarm.com
Suppliers
Jimmy’s Farm: Weddings@jimmysfarm.com @jimmys_farm_weddings Celebration Tent: @StretchTentProduction Luxury toilet & additional structure: HEROS Site Solutions www.herositesolutions.co.uk Photographer: Blue Lilly Weddings www.bluelilyweddings.com Celebrant: Suffolk Registrar & Rabbi Lisa Flowers: Miss Fleur Floral Design www.fleurfloraldesign.co.uk DJ: Fox and Braces www.FoxandBraces.co.uk Hairdresser & makeup artist: Vanessa Essex Hair and Make Up www.essexweddinghairandmakeup.co.uk Bride’s dress and accessories: Dress and veil – Abigail’s Collection Bracelet – mum’s Hairpiece – made by a friend, Jenny www.abigailscollection.co.uk Groom’s suit: John Lewis Groomsmen’s suits: Next Cake: Krispy Kreme Donut Tower & bride’s mum
Photo by Megan Duffield Photography
Meet our wedding planner Natalie Deeks studied at Colchester Institute and trained in the CHEF Centre, which was opened by the late Gary Rhodes. Achieving a National Diploma in Hospitality Management, from there she worked in her family-owned bakery and internet café. Since then, Natalie has gained a very diverse range of skills working in hotels, fine dining restaurants and finding her passion in event management. With 14 years under her belt in wedding and events, including three years consulting at Jimmy’s Farm, she has now come on board as our permanent Wedding & Events Manager.
51
Collectively, what we have achieved for wedding and events at the farm is nothing short of amazing, which now includes Natalie being awarded ‘Wedding Coordinator of thewww.jimmysfarm.com Year 2020’, ‘Highly Commended Wedding Venue of 2020’ and being in the running for ‘Unique Wedding Venue of 2022 – East of England’.
24/11/2021 12:40
Te a m B u i ld i ng
IT’S TIME TO WORK ON THE WILD SIDE It’s not just our weddings that are special – our corporate and team building events are truly wild and unique. Move away from mundane, square rooms and experience a day with a real difference featuring competitions and animal enrichment activities. In partnership with Team Building With BITE, we have created fantastic packages harnessing the practical, social and communitive skills within your workforce. There’s space to host 10 to 200 delegates, excellent fresh food and produce straight from our farm, free parking and great regional travel links. Our team building events really do stand out from the crowd and are ideal for company fun days or combining with conferences and meetings. Packages from £55 pp for conferencing and £85 pp for full days with activities. Only at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park can you really let your team go wild. To discuss our packages, email the team at enquiries@jimmysfarm.com
www.jimmysfarm.com
Jimmy's Farm Weddings 2021.indd 52
52 24/11/2021 12:41
Beautifully, hand crafted Eco gifts for people who care about our planet
Handmade in Suffolk
www.bevsecoproducts.co.uk sales@BevsEcoProducts.co.uk
Situated in Frinton on Sea, a small and nurturing school with high academic standards. Please call to arrange a visit on 01255 674492 www.stphilomenas.com
Ads.indd 53
20/11/2021 19:47
Fo o d
Nutritionist Jenna Hope explains why sprouts are not just for Christmas but provide essential nutrients for optimum health all year round.
Super sprouts www.jimmysfarm.com
Sprouts 2021.indd 54
54 24/11/2021 15:37
Fo o d
B
russels sprouts are traditionally saved for Christmas dinner and, even then, they tend to split the table! However, these green gems can be really beneficial for our health and there are many reasons why we should actually be consuming them throughout the year and not just on Christmas Day. Firstly, Brussels sprouts are a good source of protein, with 100g providing around 2.9g of protein. Protein plays an important role in muscle repair and recovery, hormone production and cell growth to list just a few of its many roles. Protein also contributes to satiety, leaving you feeling fuller for longer. As an increasing number of people are consuming more plant-based diets, it’s important that they’re not missing out on sources of protein. Sprouts also contain around 2.6g of fibre per 100g. Fibre is
4
IN NUMBERS An 80g serving of sprouts contains four times more vitamin C than an orange
vital for maintaining a healthy gut profile and helping to sustain the good bacteria within the gut – 100g of sprouts contains nearly 10 per cent of the recommended 30g of fibre per day, making them an ideal addition to your meals. They also contain potassium, which is really important for maintaining fluid balance and reducing blood pressure. High blood pressure can contribute to the risks of cardiovascular disease. Additionally, being aware of your salt intake, stress, sleep and lifestyle habits can also help to moderate the risks of cardiovascular disease. Alongside potassium, sprouts are also rich in manganese, a nutrient which isn’t spoken about as much. However, manganese contributes to normal psychological function and energy metabolism, while supporting bone health too. As many of us are more focused on our immune function as of late, it’s great to know that
110 2 jennahopenutrition.com
There are more than 110 different varieties of sprouts
3240 750,000,000
25 per cent of the whole year’s sprout sales are in the two weeks before Christmas
An area covering this number of football pitches is used to grow Brussels sprouts in the UK
55 Sprouts 2021.indd 55
sprouts are particularly high in Vitamin C, which plays a role in supporting the production of white blood cells. White blood cells help to fight off unwanted pathogens in the body. They also contain B-vitamins which help with maintaining energy metabolism. Finally, sprouts are a phenomenal source of Vitamin K, a nutrient which is required in blood clotting and supporting bone health via transporting calcium from the blood into the bone. There are many health benefits of Brussels sprouts, so including them into your diet throughout the rest of the year can be a great way to increase your nutrient intakes. Remember you don’t have to boil them to eat them! Try roasting them, adding them into stews or even making them into a tasty soup.
Supermarkets sell approximately this amount of individual Brussels sprouts at Christmas time!
www.jimmysfarm.com
24/11/2021 15:37
Thomas Mills High School Framlingham A popular, high performing school offering a high quality free education to boys and girls from an extensive area of Suffolk
“Thomas Mills is an outstanding school” (Ofsted) - Exam results significantly exceed national standards - Extensive extra-curricular activities - Successful Sixth Form with a wide range of courses - Excellent record of Oxbridge and Russell Group university entries - A strong emphasis on pastoral care and guidance To download a copy of our prospectus please visit www.thomasmills.suffolk.sch.uk or to arrange a tour of the school please call 01728 723493
Thomas Mills High School, Saxtead Road, Framlingham, IP13 9HE
FRAMLINGHAM
MOTORHOME HIRE PRICES FROM JUST
£300
Motorhomes for Hire Swift Suntor 590RL Auto-Roller 707 Chausson Flash02 Joint150 Chausson Flash09 Chausson Flash08
01728 746238 framlinghammotorhomehire.co.uk
Ads.indd 56
24/11/2021 15:27
Fo o d
What’s cooking?
If you’re in need of some comfort food as the weather gets chillier, try these tasty seasonal recipes for a perfect night in!
Wild Game and Pork Pie This recipe works as a great main course with some potatoes and veg, or in a large chunk with some homemade chutney and a glass of red! Ingredients For the pastry 575g plain flour 200g lard 220ml water Pinch salt ½ tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp garlic powder For the filling 700g minced mixed game 400g minced pork belly 300g minced bacon dice 3 onions diced finely 1 bulb garlic 1 handful rosemary 1 handful curly parsley 2 tsp salt 3 tsp ground pepper 1sp fennel seeds Method Place the lard and water in a small pan and bring to the boil before pouring onto the flour and the remainder of the dry ingredients. Stir the mixture until it cools enough to get your
hands in, before kneading the mixture until smooth. Roll out the pastry on a floured worktop, use the pastry to line your desired baking tin – you can make one large pie (22cm) or 4-5 smaller ones. Reserve a small amount of pastry for the lid. To make the filling, mix together all the pork and game before adding in the chopped herbs, diced onion, crushed garlic, and spices. Carefully fill the pie with the meat, squishing it into all the corners, before covering the pie with the reserved pastry. Poke 3 small holes into the top to allow air to escape and bake at 180C for 25 minutes before reducing the temperature to 140C for a further 2 hours, or until the centre is cooked through fully. (This is for one large pie, halve the times for smaller pies.) Allow to cool before eating. Enjoy!
57 Recipe 2021.indd 57
www.jimmysfarm.com
24/11/2021 13:50
Fo o d
Ingredients For the pudding 600ml water 340g pitted dates, roughly chopped 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 120g unsalted butter 340g caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 4 eggs 340g self-raising flour For the sauce 600ml double cream 340g dark brown sugar 140g unsalted butter 200g clotted cream to serve Method Preheat the oven to 160C, lightly grease a medium non-stick cake tin and dust with flour.
S ticky Date Pudding, Toffee Sauce, Clotted Cream
Bring the water to the boil, add the dates and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until soft, add the bicarbonate of soda and set aside to cool. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy, gradually beat in the eggs. Carefully fold in the flour followed by the date mixture. This will seem wetter than a usual cake mixture, don’t worry. Pour it into the tin and bake for 30 minutes, insert a metal skewer into the centre, this should come out clean if the cake is ready. For the sauce, place half of the cream in a pan along with the sugar and butter, boil until it turns a nice dark brown, then add the remaining cream to stop the cooking. Serve the pudding with plenty of sauce and a scoop of clotted cream.
www.jimmysfarm.com
Recipe 2021.indd 58
58 24/11/2021 13:51
2021 11 Jimmys Farm Winter Golf.qxp_133mm h x 93mm w 09/11/2021 10:55
We Build Great Gardens
WINTER WARMER 18 holes of golf and a FREE treat
from £35 per person
As it’s getting colder outside, we will include a cup of tea, or coffee, and bacon bap to warm you up for FREE!
£35 per person Monday - Thursday £45 per person Friday - Sunday & Bank Holidays Available from 1st November – 28th February 2022. Telephone booking essential at least 24 hours in advance. Subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply.
Why not add a buggy for just £20?
§ All landscaping tasks undertaken § § Specialising in water features and driveways § § Perfectly based on the Suffolk/Norfolk border but covering all of the UK §
Vandenberg-Hider LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND CONSTRUC TION
Contact Dawn on 01379 854848 or dawn@vandenberghider.plus.com for a free initial meeting and quotation. Please see www.vandenberg-hider.co.uk for further details.
t 01394 382836 w www.uffordpark.co.uk Yarmouth Road, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 1QW
SPARKING CURIOSITY.
IGNITING WONDER. From Nursery to GCSEs To book a visit please contact admissions@holmwood.house
Ads.indd 59
20/11/2021 20:05
S ho p o nli ne
Give a gift that’s cool and eco!
Check out our hand-picked selection of presents to wish your loved ones a merry sustainable Christmas and happy green New Year!
Sow readable Your little ones won’t want to wait until bedtime to get their hands on the world’s first plantable children’s book. Read the incredible story and then plant the book to meet the main character! It’s fully sustainable and biodegradable, even containing 500 non-GMO seeds. Inner pages are made of post-consumer waste recycled paper and printed with eco-biodegradable and vegetable-based inks. Stitched with 100 per cent natural cotton to avoid the use of harmful metal staples or toxic glue. Willsow, a gift for Christmas, to plant in the new year. £9.99 www.willsow.com
Go quackers
WildThings Swan & Duck food is a small, dry pellet that will float on water, remaining accessible on the surface for much longer. While providing much-needed nutrition for your local wildfowl, it also helps prevent the pollution caused when uneaten food sinks to the bottom of the lake and rots. While carbohydrate-rich foods, such as bread, can seriously harm the health of wildfowl, this is an environmentally-friendly, wholesome and tasty alternative. £7.29, 1.5kg bag / £1.60, 175g pack www.wildthingsfood.co.uk
THAT’S HANDY
These toasty hand warmers from Bev’s Eco Products in Woodbridge are made locally from 100 per cent linen and filled with Suffolk grown wheat and lavender. The perfect stocking filler, simply microwave and pop in your pockets for that crisp winter walk. You can also stick them in a plastic bag in the freezer and chill to use as eye pillows! Available in teal, lavender, ochre and natural. £10 per pair www.bevsecoproducts.co.uk
LIVE THE GOOD LIFE
Has lockdown made you hanker after a self-sufficient, sustainable way of life? Here’s your chance to give it a try with The Good Life, an award-winning board game. Use your wheelbarrow to move around the board collecting fruit, vegetables, pigs and chickens. The winner is the first to fill their garden and allotment – but watch out for cards that throw up unexpected twists and turns. And you’ll have to protect your chickens from foxes, sell your crops and livestock at the village fair, avoid drought, bird flu, and your animals escaping! £29.95. www.thegoodlifegame.co.uk
ON YOUR MARKSE, N! GET SET, GO GRE
Bird’s eye brew The Bobux Seedling is a new environmentally-minded, super comfy trainer, produced with natural textiles that both little feet and the planet will love. Made with one of the softest fabrics on earth, the bambooknitted shoe is super lightweight, breathable, durable, and designed to support free movement. No socks needed, just lace up and go! Available in three gorgeous hues – Indigo, Turmeric and Rosa and sizes EU18-33. From £47 www.bobux.com www.jimmysfarm.com
Jimmy's Farm Shopping pages.indd 60
This gorgeous Wetland and Meadow Bird 12 Mug Set offers an exclusive collection of wildlife mugs that makes the perfect gift for a nature lover who loves a brew! The mugs have been designed by illustrator Elwin van der Kolk and features a selection of popular wetland birds. £39.99 www.birdfood.co.uk
60 24/11/2021 12:39
TH PERF E EC GIFT T
Anglepoise type 80 desk lamp £199
MOST AR O P PUL
Gingerlily London pure silk eye mask £40
Neom Pod Diffuser £95
Celtic Herbal Christmas Cwtch Candle £12.50
Flying Santa and Train snow globe £59
Celtic Herbal Lavender reed diffuser £29.50 GREAT ING STOCK E L FIL R
Perfect Christmas gift ideas in store & online www.barretts.co.uk Tel. 01394 384300 40 THOROUGHFARE WOODBRIDGE SUFFOLK IP12 1AL CARPETS & FLOORING • BEDS & BEDROOM FURNITURE • LIVING & DINING FURNITURE FABRICS • CURTAINS & BLINDS • BED LINEN & TOWELS • LIGHTING • WELLBEING & GIFTS
Ads.indd 61
23/11/2021 23:41
S ho p o nli ne
Treat your feet to these gorgeous, cosy long alpaca bed or lounge socks from Perilla. Alpaca has higher insulating properties than any other wool fibre and keeps feet at a perfect temperature, whatever the weather. Plain and striped colours in three sizes, which can all be beautifully gift boxed. £22 perilla.co.uk
PLAY AWAY ALL YEAR
‘A Year of Nature Craft and Play’ is filled with fun crafts, gardening projects, games, art activities and science experiments, all designed to inspire kids to get creative with nature. There are 52 activities – one for every week of the year – with easy-to-follow instructions and colourful photos. Each activity uses materials you can easily find in nature, so they’re simple to organise, low cost, and eco-friendly. £12.99 growingfamily.co.uk
Sock it GIVE BEES A CHANCE to them A gift with a difference Trying to find a gift for the animal enthusiast in your life? Or maybe you just want to give a gift that is a little bit different. Here at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park, we offer a range of truly memorable experiences where you can get up close to some of our charismatic animals.
Get busy and help our bees by growing nectar-rich wildflowers and providing a home for weary wings with the Bee Block Hotel and Seedbom gift set from Kabloom. The hotel, designed and made by Green & Blue using up to 70 per cent waste material from the Cornish China clay industry, makes a great gift for the environmentally-conscious and keen gardeners who love design – and the small size makes it a perfect gift. Combined with Pollinator Beebom Seedboms, produced from 100 per cent compostable materials, pollinating bees will be buzzing! £28.00 www.kabloom.co.uk
Each experience is unique, and your dedicated ranger will talk to you to learn how they can tailor the experience to make your dreams come true. Why not take one of our three donkeys for a walk around the park? Or meet Suffolk’s first baby Tapir and give him a tummy tickle? jimmysfarm.com/christmas-presents/
Muddy Puddles makes waterproof kit to protect children up to 12 years from the elements so they can enjoy the great outdoors, whatever the weather. Their waterproofs are designed for all-day play in heavy rain with plenty of extra tech features. Plus, they’re made in a planet-friendly way, with the majority of the collection being made from recycled plastic bottles. The ScampSuit is its best-selling 3-in-1 waterproof snowsuit, the perfect gift for an outdoor loving child. £75 www.muddypuddles.com
RAIN, SHINE OR SNOW www.jimmysfarm.com
Jimmy's Farm Shopping pages.indd 62
62 24/11/2021 10:26
Offer valid for openings up to 2.6m wide & inc: 2 remote controls, 55mm white slats, internal manual override.
07537 149 128
We Build Great Gardens
Looking for a unique Christmas gift? Sampson
§ All landscaping tasks undertaken § § Specialising in water features and driveways § § Perfectly based on the Suffolk/Norfolk border but covering all of the UK §
Sponsor a rescued horse or donkey from Redwings for a whole year from just £15! Upgrade your gift! We have a gorgeous selection of Adoption Star merchandise available in our online gift store
Vandenberg-Hider
We are one of the UK’s leading independent schools for boys and girls aged 3 to 18 with a history spanning almost 500 years. www.redwings.org.uk/adopt
www.redwings.org.uk/shop
LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND CONSTRUC TION
Contact Dawn on 01379 854848 or dawn@vandenberghider.plus.com for a free initial meeting and quotation. Please see www.vandenberg-hider.co.uk for further details.
0870 040 0033
Book a tour today
Ads.indd 63
23/11/2021 23:41
S ho p ne a rby
Shopping A quirky table lamp, featuring a simple dark green velvet shade, which will bring a touch of stylish fun to any area of the home. D26xW16xH61 cm Previously £149 Sale £125
Cielo This elegant statement mirror comprises a cluster of circular mirrors set in a matt black framework. Hang horizontally or vertically. W99 x D3.5 x H57.5 cm Previously £175 Sale £145
Giraffe Table Lamp Established in 1886, Hatfields remains a family owned local retailer, providing quality furniture, flooring and home accessories
www.jimmysfarm.com
Jimmy's Farm Shopping pages.indd 64
This beautifully rich artwork features a stunning Heron as the centrepiece and is printed on a deluxe textured fine art paper for a quality and vibrant finish. W77 x H52 cm Previously £179 Sale £149
Hatfields is just 21 miles away from Jimmy’s Farm… Monday - Saturday, 9.30am – 5pm Sundays, 10.30am – 4.30pm Bank Holidays, 10am – 5pm Hatfields Furniture & Interiors, Peartree Road, Stanway, Colchester, Essex CO3 0LA www.hatfields.com With a built-in shapely headrest and sumptuous seating, you can sit back and relax in comfort. Add an instant pop of colour with a choice of Gold or Navy fabric. W72 x D92 x H90 cm Previous Price £719 Stock Sale Price £539
‘Kilim’ Rug by Louis De Poortere This classic Moroccan nomad pattern uses special yarns and dye effects. Available in 6 colours and many sizes. Priced here as 240 x 170 cm in Riad Orange. Previous Price £625 Stock Sale Price £495
Louisiana Heron – Luxe Framed Print
‘Raphael’ Armchair
64 24/11/2021 10:27
Layla Sofa Collection
Winter Sale Starts 27th December
Discover Quality Furniture, Flooring, Beds & Accessories In-Store!
Naples Dining Collection
Empera Rug
Auburn Bedroom Furniture
Peartree Road, Stanway, Colchester, Essex CO3 0LA
01206 765444 www.hatfields.com
Ads.indd 65 Magazine Winter 2021-22_A4.indd 1 Jimmys Farm
Tag us on Social Media #HatfieldsAtHome
20/11/2021 18/11/2021 23:38 16:45
I nf o rm at i o n
Map @jimmysfarmhq @jimmysfarmhq follow jimmy too: @jimmysfarm @jimmysfarmhq
COMING SOON MADAGASCAN EXHIBIT
Dogs Welcome
www.jimmysfarm.com
Map 2021.indd 66
Pig (12cm)
£4.95
66 24/11/2021 13:07
CO-EDUCATIONAL BOARDING AND DAY 2½ TO 13 Open Morning Saturday 5 February 2022 Additional private tours available on request
INSPIRED TODAY, PREPARED FOR TOMORROW ORROW
Ads.indd 67
20/11/2021 23:43
FOR CHILDREN FROM 21/2 TO 11 YEARS OLD www.littlegarth.org
01206 262 332
Horkesley Park, Nayland, Colchester, CO6 4JR Ads.indd 68
20/11/2021 23:45