Summer Outing to Longdown Activity Farm, Ashurst on 17th June 2025

 

What a fabulous day we had this week on our summer outing. The owners of Longdown Activity Farm in Ashurst, Bryan and Dawn Pass, very kindly invited us to join them on a tour of the farm, meet and feed some animals and even have a tractor ride. It was an offer we couldn’t refuse. We were astounded by their generosity when they said there would be no entrance charge for our group. Bryan and Dawn, thank you both for extending such generosity and Farmer Bryan, we really appreciated your guided tours also. So we all gathered at the car park by 12.15, ready for the day ahead.

 

Our treasurer, Andy Wilson, secured a grant from T.H. Russell Charitable Trust which enabled us to have lunch and a cake break late afternoon and also some essential training for all of our volunteers. The delicious food was provided by The Cottage Loaf, Fordingbridge. Another thank you to Mike Penton for listening to our dietary  requests and ensuring a delicious selection of food was enjoyed by all of us. I will have to add that the drinks we appreciated on such a hot day were also courtesy of Bryan and Dawn. Your hospitality was amazing and greatly appreciated by every one of the thirteen of us. What's more the two members of staff in the tea room, Alice and Steph, really went out of their way to accommodate us in lots of lovely ways. Thank you very much.

               

    We had lunch on our arrival then strolled around the farm meeting guinea pigs, a large tortoise, goats, chickens and then headed for our tractor ride. Steve, our driver, was very skilled and although it was a wee bit bumpy, none of us experienced any travel sickness. Thank you for your assistance in and out of the trailer, Steve, and of course your careful driving....very much appreciated.

       
  

     

  

Afterwards, Bryan took us to the Animal Encounter shed where we were fortunate enough to be able to hold a little chick and later pat a guinea pig, this time only one between two. It was then time to feed the kid goats which was an experience some of us had never had before or if we had, it had been quite a while ago.

Fast approaching 3pm, it was definitely time for tea/coffee/soft drink and a delicious piece of cake to round off a wonderful afternoon.

We cannot thank Bryan and Dawn and T.H.Rusell Charitable trust enough for allowing us to have a splendid summer outing without any cost. We all left knowing how fortunate we are in so many ways being able to enjoy such a wonderful experience courtesy of other people's generosity. THANK YOU.