Build Week, Results and Elation!

So the build week was here, and for me it started at 7am, in a lorry, travelling up to London Olympia to unload the components for our show garden. It was to be a long and stressful week. Tensions ran high which was not helped by the hustle and bustle of the convention environment, and having to move all of our equipment multiple times, but as a team we worked through it.

Stress was alleviated in the evenings by calm group meals, and it was good to socialise with each other, leaving the stresses of the day behind us and preparing for the next working day.

The finished piece.

The plan was to be finished by the Wednesday, but we had not finished everything we wanted to, so a good percentage of us travelled back up to London to finish the garden. That evening, knowing what we had accomplished, it felt amazing and the excitement for the results was could be felt among the group.

Friday was the big day, our gardens were going to be open to the public and would be judged. Lecturer Ben Wincott, and student Sam Moore were initially interviewed for ITV, and we all eventually featured on the news item. An important role was bestowed upon Rob Band and Francesca Le Maistre Banham, they were chosen to pitch to the judges. Many of us would have been over the moon to have this opportunity, but we felt as a group, these two conveyed the passion and idea coherently and would be strong ambassadors of Writtle College. When they were speaking, the judges looked so invested in what they were saying, and this spread positivity through the group.

The winning team with their prizes.

Once this was completed it was time to wait.  We were all very proud of the garden we had created, but what we were awarded with blew our minds! Not only were we one of two gardens to get Gold , but we also got the coveted Best in Show award. All the hard work and the long hours had paid off, and we had done what we wanted to achieve.

I can personally say that I have so much pride for all of the group We stepped up our game and created a very ‘sexy’ looking garden, as said by Alan Titchmarsh. Receiving a compliment like ‘this garden should be at Chelsea’ is an accolade we did not expect. The support by the media and on social media has been incredible and has given all a hint on what we can actually achieve.
 

The Ideal Home Show has been an experience that will stay with me forever. Something that not many courses offer, which makes studying Horticulture unique. And with continued support like we have had this year, the gardens should just get better and better each year.
 

A massive thank you to all the sponsors, Ideal Home Show and definitely to Ben Wincott and Simon Watkins for their support.

Listen to what Alan Titchmarsh has to say about the award here: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152868772603473

Written by Joshua Kemp
 

Equine Sports Therapy students give Pie a well needed massage!

We all like a good massage from time to time, and as it turns out, so does our latest resident – Pie, a young male horse that recently joined the college from World Horse Welfare. But what are the benefits of massaging a horse, and how did it all come about? Equine Sports Therapy student Catriona Wilshere has the answers...
 

On the 25th February new arrival Pie received a soft tissue massage from 3rd year Equine Sports Therapy students. Many of the Equine Sports Therapy students are currently studying for their Equinology Equine Bodyworker certificate, and the Writtle College horses are subsequently treated to frequent massages.  
 

Before the soft tissue massage was performed a static and dynamic assessment of Pie was undertaken in order to asses Pie’s conformation, as well as to allow any areas of muscle atrophy and hypertrophy and regions of muscle tension to be noted. Pie was extremely well-behaved throughout the assessment, allowing all aspects of the assessment (which included picking all his hooves to check his balance, examining the symmetry of the pelvic tuberosities and checking his rounding reflex) to be performed with ease. During the static assessment some areas of tension were located within his neck and gluteal muscles and slight wear was noted on the medial aspect of his right fore, suggesting he lands more heavily on this side of his hoof when moving.

Image courtesy of Laura Sullivan

Following the static assessment Pie was assessed dynamically.  Again, it was evident from both the walk and the trot that Pie possessed some areas of muscle tension within his body. Due to the muscle tension observed during both the static and dynamic assessment, it was decided that a soft tissue massage would prove to be both a beneficial and enjoyable experience for Pie.

Following the dynamic assessment Pie was returned to his stall in order for the massage to be performed.  Although at first he was distracted by trying to steal his fellow horse’s hay from underneath the stall walls, Pie quickly relaxed into the massage, showing a particular liking for the firm slow strokes of the glide, as well as thoroughly enjoying the work performed on his rhomboids, deltoids and ascending pectorals. Despite his young age, Pie proved to be a delight to work on, willingly performing all stretches and quick to demonstrate a preference for a particular stretch or movement, or to relax when an area of tension was released.

All too soon for Pie, the massage was complete. The areas where tension had been found previously were rechecked and the muscle tension was found to have significantly reduced, with Pie showing almost no tactile response in previously sensitive areas. Some follow up exercises were suggested and owing to his excellent behaviour and clear enjoyment of the process, no doubt Pie will become a firm favourite amongst therapy students looking to practise their massage skills.

 
Written by Catriona Wilshere, 3rd year BSc (Hons) Equine Sports Therapy student.

Young Gardeners of the Year 2015!

Check out the latest news from our Horticulture students hoping to win gold again in the Young Gardeners of the Year 2015 competition!

This week involved lots of tweaking to the already existing features. This was frustrating for some of the group as it looked like progress was slow. However, this is necessary to create a high quality product.

The design starts to take shape.

Our water feature came back from the metal workers, which will be a key feature within the garden. Also, our generously donated brand new porcelain paving imported from Italy arrived from Global Stone and will look slick against the black of the millboard.

 

Building the water feature.

Easy-Connect have provided lights for us. This will allow us to highlight specific areas of our garden, as well as casting shadow which will add a new element. 

Time is rapidly leaving us and pressure is increasing, however, excitement within the group is also increasing. It is already amazing to see an idea come to life and to know that I have had an input in that process. I personally cannot wait to see the end product at the show!

Written by Joshua Kemp

New horses arrive at Lordships Stud!

Alaska and Revel (aka ‘Pie’) joined the Lordships Stud, Writtle College, on 21st January 2015 from World Horse Welfare. The staff and students were all very excited about the two new arrivals, as Alaska and Pie would both be bringing something new to the college stud unit from all aspects.  

"Pie" Image courtesy of Lordships Stud

These two young horses have joined Writtle College to be used in practical sessions with the students, as well as hopefully being able to go through the Young Stock backing programme in September 2015.  Once they arrived they were both placed in isolation for one week; this was to allow them to get used to their new environment, as well as to prevent any possible pathogens being passed to the other young horses on site. After their week of isolation, both Alaska and Pie were slowly introduced to the rest of the yard, and settled in to their new routine with both the staff and students.  

Since their arrival, they have both been involved in a number of practical sessions with the students; both at college and degree level. For example weighing, measuring and body condition scoring for the first year students and structural development for the third year students.  As they become more familiar with their new environment, they will become involved in more taught sessions with a variety of student groups. 

Both horses have taken to their new surroundings well and appear to be very accepting of the students.  Students have commented on how good Alaska and Pie are to handle when conducting practical sessions, as well as when being turned out and brought in from the fields.  Other comments from staff and students are that even though they both have had a rough start in life, they are both very trusting with people; which is clearly due to the couple of years spent at World Horse Welfare Hall Farm and the work of the amazing team of staff there. From a behavioural aspect, it has been noted that Alaska is the more dominant of the two, but still very sweet natured.  

"Alaska" Image courtesy of Lordships Stud

Following this interaction with World Horse Welfare, students have expressed an interest in visiting World Horse Welfare for either work experience or an educational tour. The students would like to see first-hand how the staff at World Horse Welfare treat and handle their horses to enable them to become so trusting and well behaved despite their difficult start in life. As Alaska and Pie both went into World Horse Welfare being unhandled, it is clear that they have both made significant progress to date, and here at Lordships Stud, it is proposed that their education will be developed further, and hopefully increase their chances of finding a permanent home!

Written by Natasha Coughtrey Smith 2^nd year BSc Equine Studies and Business Management

Writtle Wildlife Watch!

The face of the Essex countryside is forever adapting, with the arrival of new animal and plant species on a frequent basis. Farming is essentially changing too, with less livestock production and more arable crop farming. So why are we seeing these changes happen?

Conservation expert, Alan Roscoe, explores why...

"I was chuffed the other day to see that celebrity chef Tom Kerridge’s pub, the Hand and Flowers, serves a main course of ‘Essex lamb bun with sweetbreads and salsa verde’. With the notable exceptions of Kelly bronze turkeys, samphire from our estuaries and previously, saffron from the eponymous Walden, Essex is not especially venerated for the distinctiveness of its produce. So it was nice to see us given a mention.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia "Crops"
by Johannes Jansson

It got me thinking though, about how geographically polarised our food production has become, with comparatively little livestock in the south-east, and how this has affected our wildlife. A lamb from Essex is a pretty rare - no pun intended - beast and I can think of only two farmers locally who raise sheep for the table. The exception proves the rule therefore. Essex is predominantly an arable county and has been for many years, mostly as a consequence of its soil being excellent for crops.

The presence of animals on a farm was, many decades ago, a given. They were there to provide the power to drive the plough and the harrow. With the arrival of mechanised power in the early 20^th century however, the presence of animals on a farm was no longer necessary and finding working animals on an Essex farm is now almost an impossibility.

So what is the knock-on effect?

Image courtesy of Wikipedia "Farmer ploughing"
by Ralf Roletschek

Well, for a start, you no longer need grassland to feed your animals. And so called ‘unimproved’ grassland i.e. areas which have not had applications of chemicals or ever been ploughed, are especially rare. These areas have high conservation value and would have numbered among the fields which had fed animals for hundreds of years, only to be turned over to the plough once the animals were no longer needed.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia
"Harvest mouse" by Michael Gäbler

But we also lose the animals and, arguably, their most important product – their waste. An ecosystem is built from the base up and, in many systems, we are talking about insects. Animal waste provides food and shelter, primarily for various families of flies and beetles. These insects then become a food source for small mammals, amphibians, reptiles and birds, thus acting as the base of    a huge ‘food pyramid’.

So although Tom’s lamb bun will set you back £27 a time, you are doing your bit for biodiversity in Essex!"

Plants, plants, plants!

With less than two months to go until the Young Gardeners of the Year 2015 competition, our horticulture students are busy preparing their designs ready for display at the prestigious event.

In this blog, Joshua Kemp tells us of the importance of choosing the correct plant species for the competition, and how he plans to care and maintain the plants ready for the big day.

Growing plants in the Writtle College greenhouse

"With concepts and plans well on the way, focus has started to shift on the specifics for the Ideal Home Show Garden. This week we have been looking at what plants will be suitable for the show garden. This is important for me, as in my future work, being able to choose correct plants that are suitable for the location is part of being a successful horticulturist. 

Plants flourish in the Writtle College greenhouse

We have utilised college facilities by moving plants that we already have on site into greenhouses. We will then be able to manipulate what stage of the cycle the plants will be in for the show, by giving them the correct conditions that they would naturally have during the spring/summer seasons. This was one of my first experiences within the greenhouses, and through Writtle College I have been able to see the set up and operational procedure of them.

The next stage will be sourcing more ‘exotic’ plants for the garden…."

Written by Joshua Kemp

For more information on the launch, click here.

Floristry degree students take part in Lonely Bouquet campaign

During the festive period a number of degree-level Professional Floristry students took part in the international Lonely Bouquet campaign. The purpose of the campaign is to spread happiness by leaving small bouquets of flowers in different locations for members of the public to adopt.

Professional Floristry student Eiki Shibuya

In December, Writtle floristry students hit the streets of Chelmsford as part of the campaign and were delighted by the results. International student, Eiki Shibuya from Japan, discusses his experience of taking part in this unique event and how the skills and knowledge he has been taught during his course were put into practise!

"We made the bouquets at College and left them in Chelmsford city centre as we wanted the lovely posies to be adopted by local residents. Each posy has a note that said 'Adopt me' and 'I do not want you to be lonely this Christmas.' What we expected was to bring heartfelt vibrations to the city. 

Surprisingly, every bouquet was adopted in 15 minutes! After we finished distributing all of the bouquets, we walked back again to check it. It was interesting to see people's reactions. We still remember a gentleman who was in Chelmsford Cathedral and looking at a bouquet for a while, suspending jogging whilst in there. Finally, he took it and we absolutely felt he was full of happiness.  It was what we had been aspiring to see and realise. We felt proud to be florists!

All of the students that took part are studying a degree in Professional Floristry. As the title shows, the course covers all aspects to become profession in the industry. In classroom, we are enhancing both skills and knowledge. For example, learning principles of design is useful to absorb new ideas and try it.  

You might agree that florists are 'communicators' through flowers. A bunch of flowers would connect people and bring a good atmosphere between them. Flowers are extremely powerful. When people get married, we see the venue full of flowers. When people pass away, florists help people to express dignity and respect. In terms of true communication, we believe it is a more powerful way than just saying 'I love you' via email. Having believed the mysterious but simple power, we have spent ages to let bouquets deliver feelings from a sender to a recipient. We love it!" 

Interested in studying a Professional Floristry degree? Visit our website here: Floristry

If you want to meet our Professional Floristry team, book onto our next Open Day here: Open Day