Is the Kettle on?
Gulmswell Farm, Combe-In-Teignhead, Devon
Is the Kettle on? By Daisy Boyd
Gulmswell Farm has been the centre of everything for my family for over 6o years. My Grandparents moved into the farm and raised their five children there as well as all their friends. Thirty years ago, when the first set of my generation was born my grandfather past away, leaving my grandmother to look after the house. For her, Gulmswell was where she had raised her children and was now watching it be a second home for her grandchildren and later her great-grandchildren. It meant the idea of ever leaving Gulmswell was impossible for her, even last year when the idea of moving into a care home was something that she despised and would not let it part of the conversation. With her passing this July, the importance of Gulmswell and the actual reason it felt like home to my whole family was the memories we all have there but also Granny herself. Much to her believe that people only came down to Devon to see the house and not her, has proven ever the more untruthful. ‘Is the Kettle on?’ is a nod to my grandmother and her constant need for a fresh cup of tea and a hot water bottle.
Always