John Bainbridge is thankful for his mobile phone

I have never been a big fan of mobile phones, but two incidents recently made me thankful I carry one with me.

Firstly, my new six-week old Land Rover decided to stop working while I was transporting sheep between my two holdings. Breakdown assistance could not solve the problem, so it was sent back to the dealership. With no replacement vehicle provided, I realised just how much I rely on it.

The next day, travelling along the A66 dual carriageway with a tractor and tipping trailer, I had a tyre blow out on the trailer. Sitting on a stationary tractor with the whole world going past at 70mph was a pretty hair-raising experience. Subsequently, the next few days I didn’t travel too far.

Anyway, I am pleased to see the start of lambing has arrived. The escalating problems that precede lambing can often feel bigger than they actually are, making it a small relief to get there. Our pure Bluefaced Leicesters have had a good laugh this year, producing one tup in every five lambs. At least I’ll be able to expand the Leicester flock in the future.

During the recent spell of fine weather I shifted a few cows and calves outside on to a rough allotment to reduce the risk of scour. Calving has been tight compared with 25 calves being born in the last three weeks. The two breeding bulls I have at the moment are doing a good job and it is just as well when calculating the cost of replacing them.