The Wid is getting the garden ready for Easter Monday TOFT Alpaca Open Day...

Young Lordy was out on the farm yesterday rescuing wind fallen daffodils with his Gran and making an Easter bouquet for Mummy...numbers collected were his priority not condition of bloom...he's his fathers son and all of 2 1/2 !!!!

We need all the help we can get to get ready for the TOFT Alpaca Open Day on Easter Monday. One likes to look ones best!

TOFT Studio heaving with alpaca Joy...

Congratulations to TOFT talent Kerry Lord and her magnificent team of yarn elves who worked tirelessly for for the TOFT Xmas opening day. 

Closely followed by a huge TOFT welcome to Jenny and the Cornflower Cafe fairies who kept all comers well fed and watered.

 A massive thanks to Elf and Safety ( Scott and his Uncle Keith)  worked the hundreds of cars on and of the temporary car parks with a smile and the efficient authority and a quiet confidence which only comes with experience. 

A big hug for Aunty Lorna who met and gret all our visitors with her best a smile and a warmth which set them on their way to a great day. 

Huge hugs for the herds women  team of Freya and Linda who braved a fierce wind all day to breathe confidence and joy into all the halter walkers, whilst Whoopy Daisy walked and talked crowds of people through the pleasure of our alpacas. 

And let's not forget  the indominatable Auntie Sandra who took on looking after the little TOFT people in the form of young Lordie whilst his parents worked the room. 

And of course to the old folks Myra, Audrey and John who got well into the Christmas spirit and sprinkled their happiness over everyone they met along with a new addition to the Team in the form of Scott's new girlfriend Cissie who dropped into the TOFT alpaca experience like she was born to the job adding a very attractive international aspect to the proceedings.

We thank you one and all for another hugely successful and memorable day on the Manor where all our visitors one and all were made welcome and got to share a little of the TOFT alpaca joy.

I was so busy I didn't have time to get a photie of you all so please forgive if I missed you - more to follow as we slowly catch up with ourselves coming back the other way over this festive period. Unfortunately I only got into the Studio when the day was calming down. One day I'll make rush hour!

On behalf of Shirley and myself and all our visitors I thank you for your time and talents. I hope you had as good a time as we did and have a great Christmas and a Joyfull New Year.. bless you and and all.  xxx

Now TOFT on tour in Spain

What a week! We flew out to Santander at the crack of sparrowfart this morning to take part in Fibratex   2014 over the weekend where Shirley is judging fleece and I am giving some classes on fibre etc

For a man who told his French teacher when he was ten that ' there is no point in doing this Miss- we go to Scarborough for our holidays!' I am loving every minute of our international adventures in Europe. Yeah, so we are not on holiday but who needs holidays. Give me a reason to be there and I will be there. In my day job for years I used to get to see the cities, work in the dark and get sent home as soon as the job was done. 

Now I am in the countryside on alpaca adventures making friends that last a lifetime  with an interest that is just as all encompassing and enthralling. Thank you Jesus ...and a massive belated apology to my old French teacher, now deceased,  who I put through so much pain. She was right and I was wrong but I still wish we'd learnt Spanish instead!

Well done Team Toft

Here they are - the full Toft team, minus my good self, seconds before the Toft Easter Monday Farm Open Day.  Apologies for the darkness of the photo but the cars were already arriving as I was taking this and we didn't have time to shuffle the gang into the light. The Herbert in the high vis vest who is supposed to be greeting the people and parking the cars is busy posing like he's in the cast of Oklahoma and it would have ruined the moment and delayed the day to shift him.

Joking aside, we had a fantastic day on the Manor. The Toft Team ran the event with a precision and professionalism that would have made. Swiss clockmaker cry. The cars got parked and left without incident. The workshops created and crafted. The Pop up Cornflower Cafe went down a treat. The people were alpaca walked and talked. The Knitters were able to touch and feel in a unique atmosphere created by all the  Toft Team, who pulled their puddings out to make this a memorable day for all the attendees. Long may the Team Toft continue to bring joy in abundance to these special Days on the Farm. Thank you all and well done Kerry Lord for pulling it all together and making this a very special Alpaca event.

And a very special thanks to all those who came along to enjoy our alpacas on Easter Monday. I was very appreciative this morning when I went on my walk round to find not one single piece of litter on the Farm. I thankyou all for your responsibility and respect.

The Cornflower Cafe will be popping up again soon at Toft. In two weeks time it will be popping up in the TOFT Studio from Thursday through Saturday right though the summer. So make a date to get along get some great coffee and cake and take in a little alpaca. The babies start arriving in three weeks time.

Heart of England Alpaca Group Shearing and Showing Day

A terrific turnout of owners on Saturday at Toft for the Heart of England Alpaca Group Shearing and Showing day. 

 Shirley and I took members of the Heart of England Alpaca Group through an alpaca Shearing  and Showing day, focusing on preparation and organisation for shearing, skirting and sorting of Alpaca Fibre, dissecting and assimilating the practical application of the British Alpaca Society Shearing guidelines and shearing manual in relation to the realities of the UK. I know it doesn't sound like fun but it truly was. We had a lot of laughs and covered acres of  information and discussion as we shared our practical experience of the past 17 years with the attendees.

A great turnout and very reassuring to so so many new faces. Thanks for your attendance, good humour and patience and we hope you took away a lot more than you arrived with from the day and look forward to seeing you all again in future!