Goodbye Ginger

Our Tamworth boar, Ginger, left today for his new home on the island of Raasay.

His new owner Paul, and son Ross, drove over yesterday and stayed the night before loading up Ginger this morning for the long journey back.

Paul’s a great bloke - not only does he driver an immaculate older Defender but he also insisted on repairing the handbrake on mine while he was here.

The least we could do after that was feed both Paul and Ross with the finest produce from our croft - roast pork, roast potatoes, peas and carrots, homebrewed stout for Paul, home-made lemonade for Ross and home-made chocolate cake for dessert.

Paul plans to breed from Ginger, and has two Tamworth gilts already, with a view to supply other islanders and people on the mainland with weaners to fatten.

So it must have been welcome news when Paul and Ross pulled into a service station for fuel before taking the ferry home, and found Ginger quickly attracted an admirer who placed an order for some of his offspring!

I hope their plans work out well and that they find Ginger as amenable as we did. It’s also very pleasing to know that Ginger has gone to a good home as a working boar and not been turned into sausages after all.