We had the pleasure of welcoming Bob Hockenhall, a familiar face from Midlands Today, to our Lower Blakemere this morning. It’s not every day you get to meet someone whose work you’ve admired on Midlands Today for years. Bob grew up on a dairy farm in Cheshire and worked his way through the realms of radio in Wrexham, Liverpool, and Stoke-on-Trent before making a name for himself at the BBC Midlands Today.

He’s presented countless memorable interviews, sharing both laughter and tears with his audience. Despite having met celebrities like Tom Baker and Sir Bobby Charlton, Bob finds enjoys uncovering the extraordinary tales of ordinary people – just as well :)

Bob was here to find out about our approach to sustainability, with a keen interest in our practices of Bokashi and Worm Composting. It’s part of a feature he’s preparing for Farming Today, focusing on innovative and sustainable farming methods.

Joined by Phil, Monty, Dennis, and myself, we spent the morning with around 500,000 worms of one sort or another and then went on to explore the ins and outs of Bokashi making. As we were in the middle of making a batch I’m sure he got some great sound effects.

Bob’s visit is a reminder of the power of storytelling and its role in bridging diverse worlds - in this case, the traditional farm life and the bustling world of broadcasting. We’re looking forward to hearing his interview on Radio 4 in a few weeks.

It was a day of learning, sharing, and connecting, proving that the stories of the land are as compelling as those found anywhere else. Bob’s gone off with one of our Brand New Bokashi Kits as well so we’ll no doubt hear how he gets on improving his own soil health.