An afternoon at Fivepenny Farm ...

Jyoti's sloe-black eyes shone - she poured out the tea into boldly patterned cups - 

She and Sophie were talking about the wedding -

Jyoti wrote down what Sophie wanted in her graceful languorous scrawl - 

I'll serve the food in copper bowls she said - I'll add something special - my family comes from the south of India - 

I remembered the twilight courtyards of spice warehouses in Cochin, the smell of cumin and nutmeg - 

Jyoti's husband makes chairs with time hallowed instruments - 

The farmhouse was built out of oak and ash - the kitchen where we sat was like a cabin in a sailing ship - above my head stretched long graceful timbers - 

Jyoti showed us round the farm - two oxen answered to their names - there was a wind up gramophone in the barn - a wheelbarrow was piled high with bottles of dizzying cider - goats stared at us with yellow knowing eyes -

One of Jyoti's four daughters lived in a caravan near the wind turbine - one daughter had the offer of a place at Balliol - 

A cat was sleeping in the porch of the farmhouse, dreaming ruthless dreams - there were banks of joyous flowers - 

Beyond the sun drenched orchard were bright fields and dark woods - above was a blue sky brimming with cloud - 

When we moved here Jyoti said - it was just a field - we lived in a tent - we did this all ourselves - 

15.30

Thursday 25 2015

Heir yellow knowing 

Fivepenny Farm

Wootton Fitzpaine

Dorset