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Karen's Corner - Sweat & Sunshine! - 25.05.25



Welcome back to Karen’s Corner! Join me here each month to catch up with what I’ve been up to both in and out of work. Can’t wait until next time? Connect with me on Instagram www.instagram.com/karen.anderson.fossoway


Karen xx


SWEAT & SUNSHINE!


This month has felt like a tale of two energies: deep, physical graft and the kind of soul-stirring inspiration that lights a fire in your belly. And, somehow, both have felt just right.


Here on the estate, it’s been a month of getting stuck in ... the grass has been growing like wild, the weeds even wilder, and it’s taken all hands on deck to get things looking ship-shape. From mowing and strimming to fixing fences, filling potholes, and giving the potting shed a seasonal spruce, it’s been a full-on effort to bring Fossoway into its next chapter of the year. The work has been relentless but deeply satisfying and there’s something grounding about pulling on your boots and ticking off task after task, especially when the days are long and light and the soil feels alive under your feet.


The market garden is beginning to show off now. All the careful planning over winter is starting to pay off in green shoots, bright leaves, and rows that are beginning to fill in with the promise of summer harvests. The polytunnels are thriving, the salad mixes are crisp and full of flavour, and the first flowers are nudging their heads above ground. Under our Market Gardener Sally's expert eye, we’ve been trialling a few new methods this year and it’s been exciting to see it all take shape. The pace picks up now, and our days are increasingly structured around the rhythm of what needs to be harvested, watered, or supported next. With the incredibly warm, dry, sunny weather we've been having (and enjoying!), it's meant the ground is incredibly hard and our spring window for planting trees has been missed. We currently have about 500 very thirsty trees in pots waiting to be planted and we need to decide whether we risk doing that after the next rainfall or keep them ticking over until the autumn when it's a safer time to plant.



Outside of Fossoway, the month’s theme has definitely been inspiration.


Cora and I took a little trip down to the Trafford Centre in Manchester, just the two of us, and had the most fun trying on outfits, people-watching, and generally enjoying a bit of mum-and-daughter time. Cora thought nothing of getting a second ear piercing during the trip while I found the whole, putting-holes-in-my-daughter experience more than a little uncomfortable! It looks great though and Cora's a happy girl so it's all good. There’s something really special about those ordinary adventures that feel extraordinary just because you’ve made the space for them. I treasure that.


The following weekend, I jetted off to Baltimore to join John for the Fiddle Fair. What a weekend! Sun, sea, fiddle music in the air, and the most inspiring sense of community. We dined at a Michelin-starred restaurant (a rare treat) and I came home full of ideas, full of energy, and more convinced than ever that community is at the heart of everything we’re trying to do here at Fossoway Stables and with The Sieve now too.


Speaking of which ... the first ever episode of The Sieve is recorded! And not just with anyone … David Flynn from The Happy Pear was my first guest. A total dream to sit down with someone whose work has had such a profound impact on the way I think about food, values, and life. The conversation was honest, thoughtful, and exactly what I hoped The Sieve would be. I’m still learning, of course ... from mic placement to pacing ... but I’m also incredibly excited. I can’t wait to share it, along with other wonderful conversations I've been having, with you after the podcast launches on the 5th of June. Keep an eye on socials for sneak peeks and teasers in the lead-up.


John and I have also been quietly upping our wellness game ... our morning swim-and-steam ritual has expanded to include regular gym sessions now too. We’re definitely feeling the benefits already with clearer heads, better sleep, and the general sense that we’re investing in our future selves.


And in true “roll your sleeves up” style, this week has been all about prepping for our summer events starting with a stall at the Kinross Spring Market yesterday. Though I wish I'd been a little better prepared ahead of time, the stall ended up looking great, I met and chatted with lots of people and told them all about Fossoway Stables, and pretty much sold out of everything! This was the first of several events we’re taking part in over the summer, and I cam home with a list of learnings on what I could do better next time. A solid experiment and that's what these things all are at the start.


So yes ... it’s been a month of both sweat and sunshine, progress and pause, weeds and wonder. Inspiration has met action, and I’m feeling the kind of tired that comes from doing something worthwhile.


As always, thank you for being here ... whether you’ve been visiting the Potting Shed, shopping the stall, watching the vlogs, or just cheering us on from afar.


Here's a link to the latest vlog if you fancy a video catch up ...




Until next month,


Karen xx


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WHAT’S ON …


Monday - Saturday, 9am - 5pm - The Potting Shed Farm Shop is open! Come and join us for a cuppa, a cake and to purchase your home-grown vegetables and eggs. Bring your own travel mug to enjoy complimentary teas and coffees and sit a while in our potting shed garden. Play area in construction and we’re dog friendly (please keep them on leads though - the dogs that is!). Honesty system in place (card and bank transfer).


Fossoway Farmyard - Come and spend some time on our Fossoway Farmyard! Meet and learn about the animals, grow your own vegetables, play games and make new friends (furry, feathery and otherwise!). Please note, these are all individual sessions and not part of a series so the content will be repeated on each of the sessions. If your little one enjoys them though, you're always welcome to attend as many as you like! Tiny Tots  - A perfect way to spend an hour with your little one. 02/07, 09/07, 17/07, 23/07, 06/08, 11/08 ... 2pm - 3pm ... £15.00 Primary Aged - Drop them off for a few hours of learning about animals and growing food through play and exploration. 03/07, 08/07, 18/07, 24/07, 07/08, 12/08 ... 2pm - 4pm ... £20.00 To book your place, please email enquiries@fossowaystables.com


Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th July 2025 - Fiddle Weekend with John McCusker - email hello@everythingandnothingpr.com to book.


Playmakers Summer Camps - Do you have a budding performer in the family? Our Playmakers dazzle us with their stage and screen performances all year long but these popular summer camps squeeze loads in to just a week. These week long camps are suitable for primary-aged children.

Week 1 - 30.06.25 - 04.07.25 ... 2pm - 4pm ... £75.00

Week 2 - 04.08.25 - 08.08.25 ... 2pm - 4pm ... £75.00

To book your place, please email enquiries@fossowaystables.com


Sunday 14th September 2025, 7.30pm - John McCusker Trio with Sam Kelly & Toby Shaer at The Crook of Devon Village Hall. The John McCusker Trio is led by John McCusker, one of the world’s most accomplished and celebrated traditional musicians. A multi award-winning fiddle player, producer and composer, John’s decades-long career has seen him work with some of the biggest names in folk and beyond – from Mark Knopfler, Paul Weller, Eric Clapton and David Gilmour to the BBC TransatlanticSessions. Renowned for his emotive playing and genre-defining compositions, John is a vital figure in contemporary folk music.

He is joined by two of the UK’s most talented and in-demand young musicians. Sam Kelly … a

finalist on Britain’s Got Talent, BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominee, charismatic frontman of Sam

Kelly & The Lost Boys and member of the Kate Rusby band, brings rich vocals and rhythmic guitar. Completing the trio is Toby Shaer, a gifted multi-instrumentalist whose virtuosic playing on flutes, whistles and guitars has made him a sought-after performer across the UK folk scene with the likes of Cara Dillon. Together, the trio delivers an evening of world-class musicianship, combining original compositions, traditional melodies and compelling songs. With warmth, humour and a deep connection to the music they love, The John McCusker Trio offers a rare live experience … rooted in tradition, alive with innovation, and full of heart. Buy your tickets here; https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1263955778759?aff=oddtdtcreator


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