Five Acres Community Garden

05/12/2025

Happy Friday everyone… what a day!

This morning Charlotte and Billie went out for a “quick errand” and somehow returned with two tiny hooligans. Please welcome Kevin and Buddy, our brand new pygmy goat twins. They are adorable, noisy, dramatic and already acting like they run Brafferton. We are officially their staff now.

Cooking School served up a legendary pasta bake with garlic bread that vanished faster than Kevin can escape a pen he literally just got put in.

This afternoon we headed outside for animal bonding time. Mr T and Bailey soaked up the attention like absolute superstars while we topped up haynets and got stuck into mucking out. Five Acres glamour at its finest.

Meanwhile… Kyran has been skiving Five Acres to live his best life in Newcastle. He spent the day hanging out with the Newcastle United players at their disabled supporters party. He even bumped into Robbie, another Five Acres champion, and together they caused more excitement than Kevin and Buddy put together. Celebrity lifestyle. We can’t take them anywhere.

Have an amazing weekend everyone. Rest up, recharge and we will see you all on Monday… hopefully with Kyran back from his VIP tour. 😉

04/12/2025

🎄 Happy Thursday everyone 🎄

We’ve had an absolutely festive-tastic day today and the Christmas spirit has officially taken over Five Acres!

Pyjamas, Christmas jumpers and the comfiest clothes known to mankind were out in full force. Honestly, we looked like a cross between Santa’s workshop and a sleepover at the North Pole.

This morning we took part in the Christmas Operation game, Grinch Kerplunk, and built a Lego Christmas train. There was laughter, concentration faces, a few dramatic “DON’T MOVE IT” moments, and a lot of competitive elves… I mean, attendees.

This afternoon we upgraded to full festive luxury with hot chocolate stations loaded with squirty cream and Christmas sprinkles. We sipped our masterpieces while watching a Christmas movie and pretending we didn’t just pile on 800 calories of whipped cream.

And to top it off, Swale Vets popped in to give the goats their winter jabs. The goats were not impressed, but they forgave us once they realised it was all in the name of staying happy and healthy.

Have a brilliant evening everyone. Rest up, recharge, and we’ll see you all tomorrow for more festive fun! 🎅✨

03/12/2025

Happy Wednesday everybody!

Our horses had the ultimate spa day today. A full brush to get every last bit of mud off, a cherry and mint lick for a cheeky treat, and fresh haynets and bedding. Basically they are now living better than most of us.

Cooking School smashed it again with homemade chicken curry, rice and naan breads. The smell travelled across the site and had everyone suddenly feeling “accidentally hungry.”

The lads have been grafting hard, shovelling stone like absolute machines. Teamwork makes the dream work and these lot could build the pyramids at this rate.

And great news… the goat is doing brilliantly. Clearly loving the Five Acres lifestyle as much as the rest of us.

Thomas and Robbie also took a festive little adventure to Aycliffe town centre on a mission to hunt down Christmas crafts and games. Picture two determined elves on a shopping mission… without the pointy shoes.

We even had a lovely visit from Diane who popped in with lots of gorgeous gifts. It is always so lovely to see you. Thank you for thinking of us and brightening our day.

Have a great evening everybody. See you tomorrow. And do not forget… it is pyjama day! If you turn up in normal clothes we will assume you slept in them.

02/12/2025

A huge thank you to Angel Trust for inviting our champions and their families to the magical Breakfast with Santa. Our champions were amazed, the families were fuelled by festive treats, and Santa put on a performance worthy of the North Pole Oscars.

You helped create festive memories that we’ll be talking about long after the decorations come down. Thank you for the joy, the laughter, and the Christmas magic. You’re officially on the Nice List. 🎅✨🎄
Angel Trust

02/12/2025

Happy Tuesday everyone!

We kicked off the morning in full festive mode with Christmas crafts. Think icing. Think sprinkles. Think biscuits absolutely smothered in sugar. Mary Berry could never.

Meanwhile, one brave group ventured to Mole Valley on a mission: salt licks for the horses and garlic granules. Mr T and Bailey are basically getting a five star buffet at this point. Spoilt? Never. Loved? Absolutely.

We also took the goats to the Swale Vet in Richmond today. Clover tagged along to keep Thistle company and for a bit of moral support. A proper little day trip for the gang.

Over in Cooking School, the team whipped up delicious chicken burgers with chips and salad. Our cooking queen is back from London too. Welcome back Carol. We missed you and your magical seasoning skills.

This afternoon, we took football to a whole new level. Horticulture meets the Premier League… in wellies. Coordination? Questionable. Commitment? Ten out of ten. Somebody call FIFA.

And best of all… Jokes with Joe is OUT NOW. Go watch it. It’s hilarious. His special guest? Let’s just say… iconic.

Have a brilliant evening and we’ll see you all tomorrow. 🎄⚽️✨

02/12/2025

01/12/2025

🎉 Happy Monday, everyone! We hope you all had a lovely weekend and are surviving the sudden realisation that Christmas is basically… tomorrow.

First things first, a massive thank you to the Angel Trust for inviting our champions and their families to Breakfast with Santa! Honestly, it’s all we’ve heard about today. We’ve had non-stop stories, excited retellings, and at least three dramatic re-enactments. Safe to say… they had a fantastic time!

🎄 In arts and crafts we’ve been cracking on with our Christmas cards and placemats. Glitter everywhere. Glue sticks mysteriously disappearing. Carol’s scissors “walking off” again. But the pieces we’ve made? Absolutely brilliant.

🎂 Speaking of Carol…
A HUMONGOUS Happy Birthday to our wonderful cooking goddess herself! We hope your trip to London was fabulous, glamorous, and involved at least one overpriced coffee. Can’t wait to see you tomorrow!

🐴 Over in animal care, we’ve been mucking out and refilling hay nets like absolute pros. Mr T and Bailey supervised, obviously.

A fantastic start to the week – roll on tomorrow for even more fun (and probably more glitter)! ✨

Angel Trust

27/11/2025

27/11/2025

🎉 Happy Thursday everyone! 🎉

What. A. Day. 😅

One group travelled back in time to Beamish – they soaked up all the history, embraced the Christmas spirit, and tried not to get recruited to work in the Victorian bakery. 🍞🎄

Meanwhile, the other group headed to Vue Cinema Darlington to watch Wicked. 🧙‍♀️✨
A few of us are now waiting for our broomsticks to be delivered by Amazon Prime.

And… drum roll please… 🥁
🎤 Jokes with Joe is OUT NOW – LIVE from Beamish! 📽️
Grab a cuppa, have a laugh, and check it out!

A brilliant day all round – memories made, popcorn eaten, and history almost repeated. 😄

✨ Making memories every day ✨

Have a fantastic evening everyone – see you all tomorrow! 👋

26/11/2025

🎉 Happy Wednesday from Brafferton! 🎉

The frost was out today but it didn’t stop us! We spent the morning creating our very own Christmas challenge boxes and getting crafty with festive designs — Santa may need to hire us soon! 🎅✨

Our animals got plenty of attention too:
🐴 Horses were groomed
🐑 Sheep were pampered
🧹 Stables mucked out
🪣 Hay nets topped up (because the horses always pretend they’re starving!)

But the biggest news of the week… 🚨
🎓 Emily has PASSED her case study test! We’re all incredibly proud — what an achievement! 🚍🚌
🔵 Charlotte is now a full member of the Rotary Club of Great Aycliffe!
The Rotary Club is a worldwide organisation that supports local communities and raises funds for important causes. Charlotte received her badge last night from President Don Walker —amazing work!

What a Wednesday. What a team. What a place. 💙
The Five Acres spirit is shining brighter than ever! 🌟