Rosemary Fletcher | March 19, 2019
It was self-service at Persabus on Sunday morning. With no guests requiring one of the Happy Farmer’s delicious cooked breakfasts he made the terrible mistake of opting for a lie in. Lie in and farming are not words that ever go together. It would have been seen as an absolute sin in bygone eras. Farmers [...]
Rosemary Fletcher | March 12, 2019
The Happy Farmer has had to have a very serious word with the ‘ladies’ on the farm. This morning on his daily feeding rounds they gave him great cause for concern. We had been away for a weekend of mainland living. Shops, restaurants and rugby. As we left the city behind, the calm grey landscapes [...]
Rosemary Fletcher | February 23, 2019
At Persabus Farm we pride ourselves on offering a warm Islay welcome. This week it has been a bit of a chaotic, haphazard kind of an 'Islay welcome'. I have had a career change. It’s that time of year again. A window between guests and I have been working away as painter and decorator. Painting [...]
Rosemary Fletcher | February 14, 2019
The Hebrides have a certain ‘pull’. A uniqueness and energy that is both powerful and special. The wild and rugged landscape coupled with the friendly hospitality of the people and strong community spirit make these islands very special indeed. Our guests on the farm and visitors to the pottery are always intrigued as to [...]
Rosemary Fletcher | January 25, 2019
It was not a mission for the faint hearted. The Haggis hunting season is here. With Burns night upon us the Happy Farmer has been out on the seasonal Persabus Haggis hunt. It began with ‘pre-hunt refreshments’ in the new Persabus stable for the Happy Farmer and his small cohort from the farming contingent, all [...]
Rosemary Fletcher | November 28, 2018
I always refer to the Happy Farmer as part of the fixtures and fittings of Islay. He is from one of the oldest families on the island. The Fletchers have been farming on Islay close on 500 years. If you have ever had the pleasure of meeting him, you will know what a character he [...]
Rosemary Fletcher | November 21, 2018
The Happy Farmer has been ‘heuching and cheuching’. We’ve been away for a short break of mainland living. Shops, restaurants, trains, mountains, museums, galleries, Christmas lights, fireworks and rugby. It was lovely to get away and lovely to return home. When you step off the plane the crisp cold air envelopes you. You can breathe [...]
Rosemary Fletcher | October 31, 2018
I exit to the mainland, leaving the Happy Farmer to ‘sail the good ship Persabus’. There are the usual tasks, changeovers to be organised. Breakfasts to be cooked. Pottery orders to be posted out. Kiln firings to be completed, together with farming duties, oh and a shelter to be built for the horses. In my [...]
Rosemary Fletcher | October 16, 2018
The lobster pots that were residing in the front field have long gone. They have been busy collecting a plentiful supply of lobsters deep beneath the sea all summer long. The ‘lobster pot rent’ for their short stay at Persabus appears to be ongoing though. It is rumoured we missed out on one of the [...]
Rosemary Fletcher | October 1, 2018
Times are changing. The houses that were once home for the workers at Bunnahabhain Distillery have nearly all been demolished. Building work has begun. Bunnahabhain was a thriving village when the Happy Farmer was a young boy. It had a school, a village hall, post office and shop. It was once home to some twenty [...]
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