Bluebell Jones – the porcine Bridget!
From Chez Bluebell (OK, the sty in the top yard) I have a full view of everything going on at Farm Animal Sanctuary, snouting out rumours and being admired by many. Join me for a monthly round-up of gossip and guidance…
As the matriarch of this menagerie, I am forever being sought for my experienced insights into love, life and love-lives. Now we’re in the 21st century I’m extending my warm embrace to you web-surfing saps. Do you need any advice on going veggie? Are you making a mess of your relationship? Can’t work out the meaning of life? Contact ‘Dear Bluebell…’ – my new online letters page – for no-frills or swills advice from your favourite Ms Piggy! bluebell@adoptafarmanimal.org.uk
January 2008
2007 was the Year of the Pig, but it wasn't very auspicious for me! I've had terrible trouble with my arthritis, and was in so much pain we all thought it was the end for me. But with a little help from Janet and the vet, I became a guinea pig for the day and am now well enough to potter round the yard again. My new friend Babe is helping to keep me up to date with all the gossip; she was left by the gate in November and has settled in very nicely - she's already starred in the Nativity play (although I'm sure I heard her snoring half-way through!).
We have two other new porcine princesses - the piglets Rose and Georgina. Having developed a taste for freedom very early, Rose escaped from her farm, whereupon a veggie couple found her and arranged for her to come and live here. Of course, we couldn't leave her lonely, so Georgina came to join her from the same farm. You'd be forgiven for thinking that they are half-mole, considering how many fences they're managed to tunnel under already!
Stan and the other poultry have gained a few new mates as well - some of the turkeys from the annual live bird auction at Henley Market have come to live with us. They were very stressed after their ordeal, and told us harrowing tales of their friends' fates, but happily they are safe here.
Some of our younger rams seem to think our neighbour's ewes are the bees knees - they have been wrecking fences and hedges, (and anything else in their path!) to get to them. We've had to subdue them in the stable for now, it was getting quite wearing having to round them up and bring them home all the time...
The new superfood popular with the sheep at the moment is porridge! With nothing but the best golden syrup, naturally. It's a shame they don't seem to be able to keep it in their mouths, preferring instead to decorate each other's faces...
Janet is always thinking of ways to raise money to fill our big gobs, and the latest idea are some snazzy T-shirts. They come in green or white with golden text - if you'd like to wear one in support, email her on jantaylor.sanc@tiscali.co.uk.
Or of course you could come to the fundraising dinner in spring - the perfect beginning to the year. Unfortunately, I don't get to attend (I'm just too large to fit through the door you see!), but I hear our patron, Joanna Lumley will be there.
Everyone here is so grateful to you for adopting us - over Christmas we raised £6000 to split between the sanctuary and Viva! and VVF; it will come in handy since we cost about £1500 each week to feed!
August 2007
Eek! How time flies when you’re enjoying yourself. You know how it is, you’re draped across a chaise longue (well, a piece of wood) licking Swedish Glace in the sun, thinking “I’m sure there’s something I’ve got to do…”. Write my diary and answer your letters!
It’s been a distracting spring/summer so far, with all our latest arrivals – such as the hens, the lambs and my mate Beatrice the alsation – settling in happily. Unhappily there was a little row between Stan the turkey and Musky the duck recently…the result of inner anxiety because of Musky’s lack of a girlfriend if you ask me (and people often do). The result is the hunt (no, not in that sense) for a lovely lady duck with GSOH to give his bachelor apartment the feminine touch.
Stan hasn’t had it that easy at all – getting his snood in a twizzle. Well, it can be good for these haughty types to not get their way all the time! Doing his best to look gorgeous for the 50 new hens saved from slaughter, he posed and puffed out his plumage so much his face went red. It was even redder when one of them pulled one of his bottom feathers out! Bird power!
Congratulations to Tony and Katrina in Kent whose marriage passed the seven year mark in July – one traditionally celebrated with wool. As conscious consumers they instead adopted our very own sheep ET together. A great interpretation of the custom and a triumph for compassion. I’m just an ol’ romantic at heart!
Ta-ta! xx
PS Which Adopt A Farm Animal character as you most like?! Try my new fun quiz! (If you’re lucky, you might even be like me!)
March/April 2007
The sweet smell of spring is in the air – or is that just from Janet mucking out? The boggy, soaked sanctuary is finally starting to dry up after the winter weather and we’re, er, enjoying the sun/showers/snow. On days like these a girl just doesn’t know how many layers of mud to put on.
’Tis the season of new life, most notably lambs bouncing in the field, allegedly. A lorry pulled up piled high with dead day-old lambs that had been shot. All males, they were the unwanted product of a sheep milk producer just like male calves born by dairy cows are unwanted as they’re too scrawny for meat and are unable to produce milk. Another good reason – if you needed it – to ditch the dairy!
Speaking of ‘ditching’, the bird flu flurry has seen the sanctuary plagued with phone calls from bird owners who don’t want their poultry anymore. The excuses were wide ranging – ‘sudden allergy’ seemed the most common – and some didn’t even bother with that, throwing birds into our pens or dumping them in boxes.
As well as these recent additions, I’ve got my new friend Beatrice the rescued alsation to enjoy the moments of sunshine with. I’m told she likes my piggy face – well, who wouldn’t?! She was found on the roadside with a broken pelvis after being hit by a car. Not only is she great company, despite not being used to farm animals she sits on top of my back. Thanks to the wonders of aloe vera heat treatments and juice, my lame leg – a result of being confined to a sow stall in the past – is as good as new, so a few more to the troupe and we can start a balancing act!
New bird Ginger the hen – one of 50+ we took in after they were liberated by Brighton Animal Action – is also happy to have a natter with an old bird like me! And then of course there’s Stan the turkey who is a regular visitor to Chez Bluebell.
Always at home to visitors, me! And, until Ferrero Roches become vegan (trotter’s crossed), I spoil my guests with this special, zingy dish perfect for putting a spring in their step.
Lemon ‘Cheesecake’ with Blueberries
Serves 4-6
175g ginger biscuits
75g vegan margarine, melted
400g vegan cream cheese, such as Tofutti
Finely grated rind of 2 lemons
25g caster sugar
175g blueberries – or raspberries if preferred
Icing sugar to dredge
Mint leaves to decorate (optional)
1. Put the biscuits into a polythene bag, secure lightly then crush with a rolling pin.
2. Transfer the crushed biscuits to a bowl, add the melted margarine and mix to combine.
3. Press the mixture into a 20cm/8 inch flan tin with a removable base. (Don’t attempt to go up the sides of the tin.)
4. Place in the freezer or fridge while you prepare the topping.
5. Put the cheese into a bowl and add the lemon rind and caster sugar.
6. Stir to make a creamy mixture.
7. Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the flan tin.
8. Take it to the edges but don’t try to smooth the surface.
9. Put into the fridge until required.
10. To finish, lift the cheesecake out of the tin and place the cheesecake on a serving dish.
11. Decorate the tops with blueberries or raspberries and a sprig of mint.
12. Dust with icing sugar and serve as soon as possible.
(by Rose Elliot)
Enjoy!
Bluebell x
PS Still feeling those winter blues? Get in the pink by popping your problems on the page and posting them to Auntie Bluebell! See: http://www.adoptafarmanimal.org.uk/bluebell_dear.php
PPS Winners of our Mother’s Day art competition are Heidi (13) and Georgia (10) Chamberlain, who captured my porcine beauty perfectly!
January-February 2007
Happy New Year! With this brand new year comes the new(ish) Adopt a Farm Animal scheme. Thanks to you selfless shoppers, it has been a hit with over 170 orders through over Christmas (so £3,000 raised for Farm Animal Sanctuary, Viva! and the Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation).
Onwards and upwards (if pigs could fly)! If you’ve got any birthdays, anniversaries or bar mitzvahs coming up, adopting one of us as a gift is a great way to spread the anti-factory farming message (as well as keep us in grub!). Why not spread a little animal-lovin’ on St Valentine’s Day by adopting for your other half? Grrrr! Choose your adoptee carefully though – the lady in your life might not take kindly to being given a cow! And your gentleman friend might not like being referred to as Musky. Also check out www.viva.org.uk/valentine.
Here at the sanctuary the kind-hearted spirit has already begun. T’other week, Janet went to pick up some straw at a local farm at the same time some lambs were being loaded on to a lorry to go to slaughter. Three were doing everything they could to avoid capture – running up the wall and causing commotion! A fourth was sucking the fingers of the lady who’d bottle fed him, sparking emotional and physical turmoil. But there was a happy ending – for these four anyway – as Janet suggested the lorry leave without them and they’re now living a luxurious life with us (see pics). An altogether different life to the millions of other lambs soon to be brought into the world… Everyone loves seeing lambs bouncing in a field but they don’t like thinking of them jumping into slaughterhouse. So go veggie! See www.timetogoveggie.com.
Meanwhile, I’ll get back to my look out point – making a point of looking out for a tall, pink and handsome visitor. There’s the odd male pig but they’re usually a bore! Actually, I don’t care who tempts me with a truffle for Valentine’s (as long as they’re of the Booja Booja variety)! Ta-ta! xx
