Two Weeks of Summer Left: Make the Most of It at Hockey’s Farm Shop

Somehow, we have reached that point in August when the summer holidays suddenly seem to be disappearing far too quickly. There are just two weeks left before September routines return, school bags reappear and everyone starts wondering quite where those six weeks went.

If your list of ideas for keeping everyone entertained is beginning to run a little thin, we think a trip to Hockey’s Farm Shop in South Gorley might be just what is needed. There are animals to visit, plenty of space to enjoy the New Forest surroundings, lunch and treats in the Farmyard Cafe and, for the grown-ups, a chance to pick up something delicious from the Farm Shop and butchers before heading home.

There is also plenty happening over the final couple of weeks of the holidays, including the last two evenings in our Summer Series and our August Breakfast, Talk & Guided Walk with New Forest author Vikki Bramshaw.

Summer Holiday Animal Antics

Of course, no visit to Hockey’s is complete without seeing what the animals have been getting up to.

Our animals have been thoroughly enjoying the extra attention that comes with the school holidays, and there is rarely a quiet moment around their enclosures. From curious faces appearing as soon as visitors approach to the inevitable competition for attention, they each seem to have their own way of making sure they are noticed.

For children, visiting the animals is often one of the highlights of a day at Hockey’s. There is something wonderfully simple about wandering around to see who is awake, who is eating, who is feeling sociable and who has apparently decided that lying down in the sunshine is the only sensible way to spend August.

Our smaller residents are always worth seeking out too, while the pigs are rarely short of character. Every visit is slightly different, which is probably why so many families come back throughout the holidays to see what everyone is up to.

It also gives children an opportunity to see farm animals up close and learn a little more about them. Animal welfare is incredibly important to us at Hockey’s, and our team works hard throughout the year to make sure our residents receive the care, space and attention they need.

If you have promised the children “something fun” but do not particularly fancy another enormous, complicated day out, this could be the answer. Come and see the animals, stop for something to eat and enjoy a few hours together in the New Forest.

Make a Day of It in South Gorley

One of the lovely things about visiting Hockey’s during the summer holidays is that there is no need to rush.

You can arrive in the morning and start with breakfast or coffee in the Farmyard Cafe before heading outside to visit the animals. If lunch is more your thing, take a table and enjoy something from the menu, followed by the almost inevitable request for an ice cream.

There are cold drinks and sweet treats for keeping everyone going, while the Farm Shop is ready for that all-important browse before you leave. Our butchers counter is also packed with fantastic meat for summer suppers, weekend cooking and those last few barbecues of the season.

The Vinery is worth a visit too, particularly if you fancy a browse while you are here, and if you want to stretch your legs further, Hockey’s makes a great starting point for enjoying this beautiful corner of the New Forest.

We know the last couple of weeks of the holidays can sometimes feel like a juggling act between making the most of summer and keeping everybody occupied. A day does not always need a packed itinerary to be a good one. Sometimes animals, lunch, an ice cream and some time outside together are more than enough.

The Final Two Summer Series Evenings

It hardly seems possible that we are already approaching the end of our Summer Series.

Our pop-up evenings in the refurbished polytunnel have been such a fantastic part of the summer at Hockey’s, with different menus and flavours each week and tables filled with people enjoying a relaxed evening together in South Gorley.

There are now just two Summer Series evenings remaining, so if you have been watching the menus go by and thinking, “we really should book one of those”, this is your warning that time is running out.

On Friday 28th August, Kerry and the kitchen team will be serving an Indian Thali Night. At £20 per person, it is another chance to enjoy one of Kerry’s specially created menus and a Friday evening with friends or family at Hockey’s.

Then, on Friday 4th September, our Summer Series comes to an end with Mexican Night, one final opportunity to join us before we say goodbye to this year’s summer pop-ups.

The evenings have been a brilliant way to start the weekend, and we have loved seeing the polytunnel come to life throughout the summer. If you missed the earlier nights, these are your final two chances to find out what everyone has been talking about.

Spaces are limited, so we would recommend booking rather than leaving it until the last minute.

Breakfast, Folklore and a Walk Through the New Forest

There is another very special date for the diary on Friday 28th August, when our monthly Breakfast, Talk & Guided Walk welcomes author and researcher Vikki Bramshaw as our guest speaker.

Vikki has a longstanding scholarly interest in exploring history and the natural world through legend, superstition and magic. She is the author of New Forest Folklore, Traditions & Charms and other titles, and her work has involved organisations including the New Forest Heritage Centre, St Barbe Museum, The Salisbury Museum, The Red House Museum and the University of Reading.

For anyone fascinated by the New Forest, its history and the stories that have grown from this extraordinary landscape, this promises to be a particularly interesting morning.

The event begins at Hockey’s with breakfast before Vikki’s talk, followed by a guided walk through the surrounding New Forest. It is a chance to see the landscape from a different perspective and discover some of the folklore, traditions and beliefs connected to the Forest.

Whether you already know the New Forest well or would simply like to learn more about the place we are lucky enough to call home, it is a wonderful way to spend a summer morning.

Places for our Breakfast, Talk & Guided Walk are £20 per person, including breakfast, and advance booking is essential.

Two Weeks Left – What Will You Fit In?

September may be edging closer, but summer is certainly not finished at Hockey’s just yet.

There are still animals waiting for visitors, ice creams waiting to be eaten, lunches to linger over and plenty of reasons to escape to South Gorley for a few hours. There are two final Summer Series evenings to enjoy and a fascinating morning of New Forest folklore with Vikki Bramshaw still to come.

So if you are looking at the calendar and wondering how to make the most of the last two weeks of the school summer holidays in the New Forest, come and spend some of them with us.

Bring the children to see the animals. Meet friends for breakfast or lunch. Explore the surrounding New Forest. Pick up something delicious for supper. Book one of our final summer events.

Most importantly, squeeze a little more out of summer while you still can.

Hockey’s Farm Shop, South Gorley, near Fordingbridge in the New Forest.