This book, awash with not only blood, sweat and tears but a great deal of good humour, tells the story not only of the changing seasons in the countryside, but paints an unforgettable portrait of a man in determined pursuit of a dream. In the early 1990s Paul Heiney set aside his broadcasting career and swapped it for a life on the land. He decided that he would start his own farm and it would be like no other farm you could find. He shunned modern intensive methods and reverted to a system of farming that would have been familiar to his great grandparents; ploughing, sowing, reaping and mowing with carthorses rather than tractors. He employed mighty Suffolk Punches which were once the workhorses of agriculture in the eastern counties. And although he was prepared for the hard work that would follow, he could never have guessed how the story of this little farm would unfold. His life became overwhelmed by all the disasters and rewards that a farming life can bring; his livestock showed him little respect and took every opportunity to remind him who was really in charge. AUTHOR: Paul Heiney has been a well known broadcaster for nearly 40 years, first coming to television fame through the BBC series That's Life. A later documentary series, In at the Deep End, provided some of the inspiration that eventually led to his farming adventure. He has appeared in many programmes across all channels over the years and is currently seen on ITV's much loved Countrywise. Paul is also a keen ocean sailor, having crossed the north Atlantic singlehanded in 2005. ILLUSTRATIONS: b/w
