Synopsis:
To make her dream come true Lorraine Turnbull dragged her new husband and reluctant children away from Glasgow to live the ‘Good Life’ on a smallholding in Cornwall. Sheep wrestling, making cider, dealing with maggots and a demented mother and all under the pressure of the dreaded Agricultural Occupancy Condition. Lorraine shares the story of the delights and disasters of living off the land in Cornwall and how she finally triumphed over adversity.
Author Bio and Image:
Lorraine Turnbull was born in Glasgow where she lived until 2015 when she and her family moved to a tired bungalow and an acre of land with an Agricultural Occupancy Condition on it in Cornwall. She started a smallholding from scratch, retrained as a horticultural tutor and also worked as a Skills Co-ordinator for The Rural Business School. She began commercial cider making in 2011 and until recently ran a profitable small craft cider business.
In 2014 she was recognised for her contribution to sustainable living by winning the Cornwall Sustainability Awards Best Individual category.
After removing the Agricultural Occupancy Condition on her home she relocated to a smallholding in France.
What Did I Think:
This book is somewhat different to my usual reads but the blurb interested me enough to give it a go. I mainly read fiction so it was a nice change to read a true story. From gardening in Glasgow to farming in Cornwall we follow the authors engaging tale - incorporating plenty of characters along the way.
I am in awe of Lorraine following her dreams with all its up and downs along the way. But it is a totally engaging story warts and all. Part of me would like to take the leap and do something different - but I'm not so brave.
A lovely easy read.
