ODE TO A FARMER’S WIFE

James Hull, The Story Pig

As I was kneeling on my trusty kneepad, overalls soaked through on my knees, headtorch on, trimming lavenders in the misty darkness I contemplated what I should write about for February. I had an idea slowly forming under the head torch. But then as the darkness became too much I arrived in the kitchen where the radio gently burbled away and my senses were bombarded by the smell of cinnamon filling the air and I changed my mind. With it being Valentine’s Day this month I decided to write a love letter instead.

I first met Charlotte back in the winter of 2018 – she flew from Sweden to London and caught the train down to Sherborne. I remember the first time we spoke on the phone, two weeks after we knew of each other’s existence, her Scandinavian accent attracted me – it was different and made me smile. I hung in the window to get service and she was in her greenhouse, out of the wind. We chatted for an hour with no long pauses or difficult silences. From then on we chatted daily and as the beast from the east took hold she arrived on the other side of the platform at Sherborne station. I walked quickly up the corrugated walkway to meet her, a small bunch of early spring flowers in my hand.

We spent the next few days trying to stay out of the terrible wind, even feeding the pigs (I had many fewer then). She helped me as I struggled to get water to them before it froze in the bucket. It was a stressful time but she didn’t hide away and from the very start got stuck in. Jump forward to June and she moved from Sweden to Sherborne to start a new life with me here.

From day one we were inseparable and spent our time working and planning together – she had boundless enthusiasm and a vision that only complemented mine. Slowly our business grew and because there were two of us it changed and became what it is today. These days Charlotte has much less time to help me with the pigs – that’s become my job again. She has built her role of cake-making, pizza-throwing, meat-selling, organising staff, looking after me and many more and made it her own. thestorypig.co.uk

So, over the years we have realised what a good match we are together. It’s quite incredible but from music to flowers to paint colours to tv programmes, we have the same taste. We have the same vision for our future and she always supports me with my myriad of new business ideas! She makes me laugh until I can’t stop, with her jokes and impressions –she’s so funny, which I love. Charlotte’s incredibly loyal and will always offer to help me, even if she hasn’t really got time in her busy day.

Her laid-back Scandi style has become a big hit with our customers, with them often coming specially to try her cinnamon buns or her latest cake creation in the cafe. With a very limited kitchen Charlotte produces quite the most amazing food for us all. It’s not all about cakes though – she loves to help me in the garden when she has spare time. We’re really never far away from each other – as I write she is behind me throwing pizza dough around for tonight’s pizza evening. So, really there is only one thing we disagree on… I love our Henry hoover and Charlotte hates it!

Happy Valentine’s Day Charlotte!