Latest news with #AlisonThemans
BBC News
07-08-2025
- BBC News
‘I'm proud no sheep have escaped this week': Inside England's farming community
Update: Date: 08:41 BST Title: 'Crops circles are very clever but still criminal damage' Content: Will Pope, who has a farm in Dorset, has told us about the 'pain and aggravation' of finding a spider-shaped crop circle on his land. 'It's a lot of damage, a lot of cost and a lot of stress,' he says. He was alerted to the crop circle on his land last year when images of the farm in Sturminster Marshall started circulating on social media. Will says he found a 'family in the middle having a picnic' when he went to cut the crops. He suggests the culprits approach the farmer with their ideas before causing 'criminal damage' - that way they might be able to come to some arrangement and still be able to enjoy the crop circle. This video can not be played BBC reporter Steve Harris speaks to Will Pope about the financial impact of crop circles Update: Date: 08:32 BST Title: 'We're determined to start again after fire' Content: Peter and Alison hope to be open in time for Christmas Peter and Alison Themans had spent 20 years building up their Wenlock Edge Farm Shop business in Much Wenlock, Shropshire, but the buildings were destroyed in just a few hours, leaving only their home next door. On 26 May, a fire caused by an electrical fault tore through the shop, butchery and charcuterie. "We went to bed the night after the fire and I couldn't stop thinking about the scale of work ahead of us," Alison says. "I asked Peter if he was certain he wanted to start again, but we both felt we were not ready to retire." Update: Date: 08:27 BST Title: 'Arson has left us too scared to leave our farm' Content: The fire at Egghill farm near Birmingham Farmer Rob Charles says his family is now scared to leave their Worcestershire home unattended after a fire - believed to be arson - caused damage totalling £160,000. The blaze, which broke out at Egghill Farm near Frankley in August 2024, destroyed two barns, two trailers and hundreds of bales of hay. Rob says the fear of it happening again has left a lasting impact on his family, who haven't taken a holiday together since the incident. "We were insured for the physical costs, but it's the emotional impact that stays with you," he tells the BBC. Update: Date: 08:19 BST Title: 'Rural crime has a serious impact' Content: Lauren WoodheadData journalist We've been hearing about what makes farming such a special job, but it's not without its challenges - including the threat of being targeted by criminals. It is an issue that farming-focused insurer NFU Mutual tracks closely. According to its data, rural crime cost £44.1m in 2024 - down about 17% from the year before. It saw drops in the theft of GPS units, quad bikes and all-terrain vehicles, but tractor theft and trailer theft rose by 17% and 15% respectively. NFU Mutual's data also painted a picture across the UK, with Wales being the only place to see the cost of rural crime rising. Rachel Hallos, NFU vice-president, said such crimes 'have a serious impact on farming families, from the financial cost of stolen equipment to the emotional distress caused by livestock attacks'. Update: Date: 08:08 BST Title: At one with the farm animals Content: Across England, our reporters and presenters are making new friends on the farms they're visiting. In Wimpole, Cambridgeshire, goats and cows are the star attraction this morning - but they're a little shy on the microphone. These goats are a little sheepish in front of the microphone In Wimpole, Cambridgeshire, this cow is making the most of the attention on the farm This cow is milking its time in the spotlight Update: Date: 07:58 BST Title: A day in the life of a farmer Content: While most people are still snug in bed, farmers like Rebecca Wilson are already hard at work - checking on livestock, tending to newly-hatched chicks and making the most of every daylight hour. Rebecca, who runs a farm in the outskirts of Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, says: 'We could be working until midnight this evening, but it's amazing how quick the time passes because you are always busy.' BBC York reporter Hannah Sackville-Bryant went along to find out more. This video can not be played Hannah Sackville-Bryant spends the day with farmer and podcaster Rebecca Wilson Update: Date: 07:50 BST Title: 'I put a bow tie on a llama... and suddenly we were booking weddings' Content: While farming is a family tradition for some, others come to it later in life. Celia Gaze decided to start a business on her husband's farm after being signed off from work due to stress. The Well Being Farm in Bolton is a passion project which saw her swap the office walls of the NHS for open fields... and llamas. "One day I decided to put a bow tie on a llama and suddenly everyone wanted to come and visit the Well Being Farm," she said. "We got countless bookings for weddings and people coming from far and wide to see them." She has since dedicated different areas to regenerative farming, and hopes to inspire others to reflect on the trajectory of their lives. Update: Date: 07:35 BST Title: 'Dad had a passion for old-fashioned farm animals' Content: Farming has always been a source of joy for Countryfile's Adam Henson, whose Cotswold Farm Park attraction in Gloucestershire was founded by his dad Joe in 1971. "Dad had a passion for keeping old-fashioned farm animals," he says. "Breeds such as the Old Gloucester Cattle, Gloucester Old Pig and Cotswold Sheep were going extinct, so dad decided to start keeping them. "Eventually he had 50 different breeds, so to pay for them he decided to open the farm up to make it work. "He was very much ahead of his time allowing visitors to bottle-feed a lamb or hold a chick." Update: Date: 07:21 BST Title: 'We are proud to be farmers' Content: It's not just the BBC celebrating farming life today. The team at Farmers Guardian are hosting their annual #Farm24 campaign too. They've been asking farmers to share what makes them proud about the job they do. Yorkshire farmer Rebecca Wilson joked she was just proud no sheep had escaped this week. "On a serious note, I am proud that every day I get to do a job that feeds people," she said. "Whether it is looking after livestock or checking crops, we're out here doing our bit to produce food sustainably." Here's what Rebecca and others had to say: This video can not be played 'I can't see our lives ever being without farming' Update: Date: 07:10 BST Title: Breakfast on the farm Content: Early starts are part and parcel of farming life - and that's something the team at BBC Breakfast know all about too. They're spending the morning on a farm in Wiltshire that's going to have a big role to play in our coverage as the day goes on. BBC Breakfast presenter Tim Muffett reporting live from Malmesbury Update: Date: 06:57 BST Title: Welcome to Farmwatch 2025 Content: As the harvest comes in, we're taking you behind the farm gates to meet the people who shape the countryside and feed the nation. Our teams at BBC Local radio stations are turning the spotlight on farming communities throughout England with 24 hours of coverage which began at 6am. For the next 12 hours, we'll be bringing you some of the highlights from the day and our coverage across the BBC. You'll find more on our social media channels, including with the #BBCFarmwatch hashtag Stay with us to hear first-hand from farmers about the passion they have for their work as well as the struggles they face. We'll also have insight from the team at Farmers Guardian whose #Farm24 campaign is taking place today too. This video can not be played
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Much Wenlock farm shop owners determined to rebuild after fire
The owners of a farm shop that was "completely destroyed" in a fire have said they are determined to rebuild their business "bigger and stronger" than before. Peter and Alison Themans have owned Wenlock Edge Farm, near Much Wenlock, for two decades, however on Monday the couple woke up to find their farm shop on fire. The blaze was caused by an electrical fault and damaged 95% of the building, emergency services said. Despite the their heartbreak the pair are determined to stay positive, with Mr Themans saying the business was "definitely going to come back". "There's no point being negative, it doesn't get you anywhere," he said."We've had a long, long discussion with our family and our staff and I think everybody wants to come back and grow again."He hoped the rebuild would be covered by their insurance, however he said he was very aware of inflation and rising building costs. Mr Themans added that the business was a "big employer" in the small hamlet and everybody who worked there had been "hit-hard"."I think the staff value the fact that their work is on the doorstep and they don't have to travel miles to work," he said."They seem very invested in it [the business]." He said the support the team had received from the local community had been "fantastic"."I just didn't know so many people would be upset by it," Mr Themans added that he had been humbled by the number of people who had reached out and offered their support. "We're going to do our best to be back as soon as possible," he said. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Much Wenlock farm shop owners 'heartbroken' after fire
"How your day can change in an hour, it's unbelievable."On Monday morning, everything changed for Peter and Alison Themans when they woke up to find their Shropshire farm shop on blaze, which was caused by an electrical fault, "completely destroyed" Wenlock Edge Farm in Much Wenlock, emergency services said."Bizarrely you think at the start 'I can put it out', but it was roaring and you couldn't get near it, it was so intense," Mr Themans said. The couple said that their neighbours had been knocking on their door to warn them about the fire in the early hours of the said they were "heartbroken" by the fire which had destroyed all the work they had put into the farm over the last two decades."It's not something you expect in the middle of the night, but these things happen. We're very shocked and upset," Ms Themans said. Mr and Mrs Themans said that the fire had been moving through the building at "such a pace" but thanked Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service for responding so couple plan to rebuild the farm shop and start all over again after speaking to their insurers. Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said that crews managed to isolate electrics during the fire and dampened down the area to ensure it was safe. Crews from Shrewsbury, Tweedale, Much Wenlock, Craven Arms, Church Stretton and Bridgnorth tackled the fire. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
