Country diary: The working day begins and ends in darkness once more | Sarah Laughton

Long Dean, Cotswolds: On the farm, we're firmly on the path towards winter - though the fields have a spring-like greennessLast week, we ran the neighbouring farm's mixed beef herd back to their winter shed from some outlying fields almost two miles away. This happens twice yearly - going out and coming in - and it was all hands on deck.Gateways, driveways, entrances to lanes all needed to be blocked, as did the B-road winding through Upper Castle Combe that the herd crosses on an awkward bend. It was quite a spectacle - a "stop the traffic" event in every sense. Continue reading...