Reading Out Loud
Focused Elements:
You can have these explanations read out loud by clicking on 'Speak Explanation' (access key 'a')
These controls are to provide alternative means of accessing the information on this page. Two main facilities are provided: adjusting the text size and listening to the text on the page.
1) Adjusting Text Size:
You can increase the text size by clicking on 'Larger' (access key '+'), and reduce it by clicking on 'Smaller' (access key '-'). You can reset the size back to its original value by clicking on 'Reset' (access key 'j')
2) Listening to the Text
You can adjust the pitch of the spoken word, the rate or speed of delivery and the volume. You can also choose the voice to use by clicking on the drop-down list. The default voice is whatever is the standard for the computer and browser you are using.
To set your default, please refer to the description in the Accessibility Statement.
There are normally three sections of text on the page that you can listen to: the headings, the main text and a selection. Click on 'Speak Headings to speak the page headings (access key 'l'). Click on 'Speak Main Text' (access key 'q') to listen to the main text.
You can also select an area of text in the page using standard select methods and click on 'Speak Selection' (access key 'w') to read the selection aloud.
You can enable the reading out loud of the element that currently has focus by clicking on 'Start Focus Speaking' (access key 'f') and you can stop this by clicking on 'Stop Focus Speaking' (access key 'd').
You can pause the audio by clicking on 'Pause' (access key 'r') and resume by clicking on 'Resume' (access key 't').
To cancel or stop the audio click on 'Cancel' (access key 'y'). To restart the current audio from the beginning, click on 'Restart' (access key 'k').
To hide the accessibility controls click on 'Hide Panel' (access key 'h')
To hide this explanation click on 'Hide Explanation' (access key 'x')
Widecombe-in-the-Moor
West Webburn Alpacas
Please click on the image thumbnails to see a larger picture
Just a quick update as promised to let you know what progress we have made in the last few months.
Firstly, our third cria was born on Easter Sunday almost a month overdue. It was a little girl with a lovely chocolate coloured coat. She was delivered text book style without the need for any assistance. She weighed 7kg at birth and much to our surprise tipped the scales at 10kg just over a week later. It is taking a great deal of thought to select a suitable name with an Easter connection so much so that David and Jossie still haven’t decided.
Since our animals have been busy growing luxuriously soft fleeces, Diane thought she aught to learn how to make something with it. So she enrolled in a felt making course and proceeded to clutter up the kitchen work surfaces with relevant paraphernalia connected with this craft. She explained to me that in order to make a scarf six feet long you must start with a piece of material twice the length.” It shrinks” she said as I looked at her rather dubiously. Of course she was right but I wonder how something more challenging like a hat might appear before the shrinking process and would it ever fit? Who knows, but I’m sure it will be interesting finding out.
Imogen and Inga have recently gone away on holiday to the alpaca stud farm in Tiverton. Imogen is on an extended dirty weekend. What sort of mother would take her daughter along to such a sordid event? They will be away until Imogen is conclusively scanned pregnant, a period of at least two months. We have picked a black stud male called Ikon as the sire and since Imogen’s mother was black there is every possibility her cria will be black, but life being what it is it could be any colour. Phoebe and Himma will be going on the same holiday soon, so it may be very quiet at West Webburn Alpacas for a while, although the two youngsters will return in June to be weaned.
The hopefully proud father to be.
Classical Ikon (to follow)
Our final bit of news is about Widecombe fair. After a lot of deliberation we have decided to have a stall at the fair so that we can bring 3 or 4 of our animals along for people to see. This sounds fairly straight forward you might think until you try and procure public liability insurance. The insurance industry being what they are, have assumed since they don’t really know what an Alpaca is - better assume it is closely related to a man eating tiger or a venomous snake. Needless to say they all want to over state the risk and charge a premium to suit. Anyway we eventually sorted out this and several other problems and it seems like we shall go to the fair. So if anyone is curious to see these man eaters, come and visit us at the fair if you dare. There will be lots of other things to see including fleeces and garments made from UK Alpaca yarns and fibres.
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| See how much Inga has grown,
She is now 4.5 months |
Himma in the snow |
In the Future
- Demeters Cria due in May.
- UK Alpaca Hand Knitting Yarn for sale, Please call for colour chart and prices.
- Alpaca tops for spinning, felting etc also available.
- Fleeces available this summer.
- Felt making workshop – dates to be arranged.
- Stock available for sale.
Next update in July- ish
Contact No 01364 631489 or tomcobley @ aol.com
The information on this page was last modified on March 22 2024 11:35:34.