Visitors

It's been a week of comings and goings!

Visitors to RectoryReserve from the European branch of the family staying, so we thought to take them to visit our outlying family. First to Woodlands Farm to say "Hello" to Gavin and Stacey (their visitors chose the names!?) who roused themselves from their slumbers and came trotting over to see us. We remarked how very well they looked, despite (or maybe because of) their little escapade a few weeks back.

Interestingly, we noticed that their coats seemed to have developed a slightly chestnut tinge. "Odd" we thought, since Gavin and Stacey come from 100% Blonde stock.

Too much sunshine? This year? Couldn't be. Perhaps something in the soil - or maybe the organic vegetables they find in their dish?

Anyway, we stayed a while and chewed over the fat with them. Handsome pair. Just as well as they are to be the foundation of the Woodlands Herd of curly coats. Can't be too much longer before the patter of tiny trotters is heard in that neck of the woods.

Another day; another adventure. This time up to the north of the county to visit our chaps up at Pink Pig Adventure.

They too were slumbering in their ark when we arrived but, seeming to recognise familiar voices, stirred themselves and came ambling over to the fence to check the visitors out.

They told tales of the spitting Alpacas in a nearby field, the very smelly goats and the noisy geese across the way - not to mention the Gloucester Old Spot X Berkshire piglets just up the track. Sometimes, they said, their sleep was disturbed by the sounds of children playing (loudly) on the nearby climbing frames. On the whole, though, they said there was always plenty of entertainment - never a dull moment.

We'd been told they were named Rhubarb and Custard when first they arrived but a competition was held to select more appropriate names for them. "Now we're known as Curly and Worley" they said, rather lugubriously.......

We couldn't help noticing that they too had developed rather distinctive colouring. The hair round the edges of their ears was decidedly dark - almost black. Similarly on the top of their necks the hair was black tipped. Quite different from Precious and Butch who have remained here at the RectoryReserve. It could be that Mangal's colouring is coming through in the hogs (although, in that case, Butch too should be going darker) or maybe it is something to do with their diet? Or something coming through from the minerals in the ground?

Very interesting.

Anyway, we bade our fond farewells and left them chewing the undergrowth.

And then the following day at RectoryReserve we had unexpected and unknown visitors whilst we were entertaining family and friends at home.

"What was that red umbrella that just went past the window?" said the boss

"I'll go see" said I

"Would this be the home of the curly coat pigs?" said the stranger in the doorway.

"It certainly would" said I.

"Terribly rude of us to just drop in unannounced but I don't suppose we could possibly see them could we?"

"Well, of course, let me just grab a coat and some wellies" said I.

And off we all - Red Brolly man and wife, brother and sister in law - traipsed to visit the piggies. Turns out the chap with the Red Umbrella had come all the way from L.A., USA .(To visit the pigs!!!!?)

Well... actually, he'd heard about them whilst visiting family not too far from RectoryReserve who'd taken them to visit Elsham Hall, where they'd picked up a leaflet about curly coat pigs and had come in search of same. "Couldn't possibly come all the way to UK and not see these unusual creatures" said Red Umbrella man.

Well, quite right too. His family were 'into' pigs for many a year - been butchers too. He'd "escaped" to The States 45 years ago!

Red Umbrella man's wife took lots of photos.

They all departed smiling. Content that they had seen "the strange woolly pigs...."

The brother and wife will be back - they said - for the Open Day and sausages at the end of this month or the next piglet Open Day ....or both......