Hot Tub at 1,000 feet

On Friday evening (26 Nov.) Chris and I were guests of Jan & Jan. They are the ace gardeners at altitude of the Blackshawhead Optimistic Gardeners - feted on wireless, internet web pages, newspapers (in fact it's difficult to avoid their growing horticultural fame). I have posted on my IET blog about them already. It really is impressive what they've achieved up there in the moorland wilds of West Yorkshire, where men go mad screaming 'Kathy!' out of mullioned windows.

So what they've installed now is a revolutionary heating device worthy of anything Harry Biscuit has dreamt up on Bleak Expectations.

Water is heated to 40C and circulated by powerful electric pumps around what one can only describe as a very large bath. Whilst the ambient night-time temperature is dropping rapidly to -7C, the bathers can luxuriate in this rural spar. The oxygenated water contains life-enhancing minerals (such as chlorine) and is kept clean by a someone with a net on a stick (actually Jan herself as she wasn't bathing this night).

This was a truly memorable evening of fine wines, beautifully prepared home cooking using locally sourced ingredients (like out of their garden) and happy conversation.

However, the above photo shows Chris and Joyce! They were first in the spar device. Then Jan joined in, followed by Chris. I did not, for medical reasons, which are obvious if you've ever seen me.
I love the photo below of Joyce and Chris looking like 'varsity undergrads on rag night!
That wasn't the half of it. Elsewhere on their land is a van converted into a drum studio. It is soundproofed, sort of, so as not to disturb their hens too much. Jan did some drumming and it was very loud. The hens objected and so we came in for more wine and food. They rent their field to a local farmer who raises lambs. Jan & Jan have one slaughtered in payment of rent. I'm reading about this practice in Frazer's Golden Bough, though nowadays it's normally confined to Westphalia and a few farms around Normanton.