The Silver Surfers
were invited
on a guided tour of Gorgie Farm
On Tuesday 30th January the
locally based Edinburgh Silver Surfers and ACE IT were invited
to visit Gorgie City Farm for a special guided tour hosted by
the Education Officer Malcolm and his assistant
Many of us had at some time
or another, passed by the Farm, without fully realising the
diversity of the place. The Grannies amongst us had in the past
brought grandchildren to fill in some time but today all the
attention was on us and it was a fascinating experience.
Malcolm explained that the
Farm covered an area of one hectare (two and a half acres) and
despite the sense of space, every inch seemed to be packed to
capacity with something interesting to see. Situated in the very
heart of Gorgie, the Farm lets the ‘townies’ (young and old
alike), see for themselves all that goes on in a working farm.
There are also boarding facilities for pets whose owners are
going on holiday. The Farm relies on a constant stream of very
supportive volunteers and a great deal of work goes on unseen
and unsung in the background.
There is a
wonderful collection of animals ranging from household pets and
a selection of birds, both domestic and exotic rising up to
massive pigs, ugly boars, very friendly goats, sheep with their
lambs, cows, a horse and a bonny wee Shetland pony.
Some of Edinburgh’s big stores and supermarkets send out-of-date
foodstuffs for the animals. Paint, wood etc, is also donated for
the enclosures and the Farm makes full use of what they are
given.
As well as their wide range of leisure activities, the Farm runs
a number of workshops, which are very popular with the locals.
An old Bottle Store belonging to a local brewery is now used as
a Pottery Workshop offering a selection of regular classes. Some
of the wood donated is chopped up for kindling and bundles are
sold for £1 and £2 with OAPs getting the bundles free.
The Farm relies almost totally on donations and what income they
get from the Produce Shop where one can buy for example
delicious free range eggs!
To bring the tour to a close we took a stroll around the herb
garden and a community section where anyone interested in
getting their hands dirty can grow their own vegetables and
herbs on a number of allocated plots…. this can also be a nice
way to meet new friends.
Settled down out of the cold in the farm’s own Jemima’s Pantry
with hot drinks and a selection of the café’s famous scones, we
chatted about the visit. “The farm is larger than one would
imagine by just passing by on Gorgie Road and the variety of
animals is extraordinary” Said one of the surfers. “Aside from
the animals which the children must adore, there is an amazing
amount of demonstrations, classes and courses available.” Noted
another of the group.
All in all the visit proved to be a grand day out and everyone
present agreed that they would be back to visit in their own
time and with their own friends and family.
So… What about You! – Why not pay a visit, or regular visits, or
help out, or find out what goes on at the Farm that could be of
interest to you. Bring along a friend, or a young member of the
family - you will all be made very welcome and have a
fascinating day out!
From: Margaret, Marjorey & Margaret of the
Edinburgh Silver Surfers
If you would like to invite
the Edinburgh Silver Surfers to produce an article/photo review
about your organisation or place of interest contact us via
info@edinburghsilversurfers.co.uk
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