Here is Rusty McD again with another 5-minute interview featuring someone in our community - and their furry, feathered or scaly friends!
5 minutes with...
Jane and Edward Chadfield and ‘CD’ On a blustery Saturday morning, I am heading down the road to The Woodlands in Balquhidder, home to Jane and Edward Chadfield. Edward told me, when I arranged to visit for the interview, that coffee time is at the back of 10.00 hrs. so 10.00 am it is and I am really looking forward to seeing them. Jane and Edward are country people, down to earth with a good sense of humour, the kind of people I feel I can relate to. When I recently bumped into them, Jane told me to watch Edward as he talks a lot... Edward smirked at this, almost in acknowledgement. “So do I...” I think to myself... this could potentially end up as another case of “trades description” with a title for this interview of “5 minutes with...” But I have a plan! I have written all the questions down in my file and decide not to deviate and to be very ‘to the point’ during the interview... Jane and Edward, how long have you lived in Balquhidder? We knew you were going to ask this question and so we did our maths before you arrived. We came to the conclusion we moved here in 1994. We are originally from Derbyshire, near the Peak District where we farmed a 60 acre farm. Our farming business diversified into leisure activities i.e. a shooting school and fisheries. We used to come up to Scotland for deerstalking and we liked to stay at John and Adele McGregor-Blain’s when they lived at Creagan House in Strathyre. We got on so well with the McGregor-Blains, that we stayed with them several times when we were in the area. Then John built the Keep and so we stayed over there every time we were over. Later, John, who knew we liked Balquhidder, told us he was selling the Keep and he also told us about another house that was for sale at the time. This house was Betty Beauchamp’s house, teacher and author of the book Braes O’ Balquhidder. We looked at Betty Beauchamp’s house and it immediately gave us a good feeling. The feeling of home and that somehow the house welcomed us. We decided to buy The Woodlands. For a long time, villagers called our house “Betty Beauchamp’s house” and it is only in recent years folk are now referring to it as The Woodlands. Most people, local people, walkers and cyclists have seen the halfway Totem. Edward, you are the creator of Balquhidder’s most unusual traffic sign – which is so fitting to a village like Balquhidder. The totem pole is obviously liked by the Balquhidder population. After all, unlike other more conventional traffic signs, your totem pole is still firmly in place – and has been for a few years now! How did the idea come about? Edward: Well, one day, I met a car on the stretch of single track road that clearly had less distance to reverse to the passing place than I had. I didn’t recognise the car and thought I would just sit and let the other party do the reversing. When we drew level, it turned out to be Vera Stewart (from Tomna-Dhair) in her new car. From this, we thought it would be good to have some sort of marker where the half way point is. Anybody being furthest away from the halfway point needs to do the reversing. The totem pole is positioned precisely on the halfway point of the road. It seems to have stood the test of time and has only been out of its position for a short period of time for some minor restoration when The Haste’s Highland pony in the field thought it was a useful bum scratcher! What do you like about living in Balquhidder and what is maybe not so good? We like the lovely people in our community, the wildlife, the space. We don’t like the rain and we wish that more of the houses around us
were occupied permanently rather than just used for holidays or the weekend. Tell me about your dog CD. Jane: CD is eight years old. We had her from when she was a pup – a replacement for the very much loved old brown labrador Florin that we lost. Florin (or as some said, the two bob dog) was brilliant. She was an extension of me. Anybody who has such a connection with their animal would recognise this. CD’s pedigree is half show dog, half working dog. Florin was all working dog. We have found this to be quite a difference. CD is the one with the good nose though! Florin was a very dark brown colour and Edward called her Brown Dog or BD for short. When we got our new pup, I thought of all sorts of names but it was absolutely pointless as Edward would just call her Cream Dog anyway! So there you have it – Cream Dog, CD for short! Who would you like to nominate to be interviewed for next month’s issue of The Villagers? Sophie Jardine from St. Fillans and her dogs Gnasher and Gnipper. Sophie writes in The Villagers and if her parents are happy for her to be interviewed, we would love to nominate her. Two and a bit hours later I find myself back in the car. Such lovely genuine people! Jane and Edward are such an asset to our community. Five Minutes With?! The title of my piece is a joke! Thank you very much for your hospitality and the coffee Jane and Edward! And Sophie Jardine, if you are reading this – I can’t wait to meet you so that we can put a picture to your lovely monthly writings! St. Fillans here we come! 13