jo in a nutshell
Name: Jo Knight.
Born: More years ago than I care to tell (!!) in Bournemouth.
Education: 1971-1979: Clinton School; 1979-1984: Abbey Hall; 1984-1986: Castle VIth Form College; 1986-1989: University of Sheffield (2:1 BA Hons in Ancient History & Classical Archaeology)
Languages: colloquial Welsh, French, German & Greek; with a smattering of a few others….
Career: Jobs whilst at college: cashier for Bejam, then sold wedding dresses for Rackhams. RAF Logisitics Officer: November 1989-January 2007. Artisan Cheesemaker & Farmer: January 2007-present.
Circumstances: Married (second time lucky); met husband Tony whilst building a snowman & married in 2003. Moved from Cotswolds to South West Wales in October 2005. No kids - unless you count the 13 down in the barn…!!
Religion: Theravada Buddhist since 1987.
Passions: organic farming; cheesemaking; yoga; meditation; archaeology; Egyptology; medieval cookery; reading; writing fiction; blogging; walking; gardening.
Sports: classical dressage; Saddleseat equitation; competition carriage driving; sidesaddle; archery; swimming; smallbore competiton shooting; skiing; falconry; chasing my chickens from where they’re not supposed to be (very frequently!).
Music: OMD; OneTwo; Medieval Babes; Dido; David Gray; Enya; Moby; + classical, traditional jazz, Celtic, New Age, Folk & Welsh Triple Harp music.
Book: ‘Wuthering Heights’ by Emily Bronte.
TV/Film: TV - ‘River Cottage’, ‘Trigger Happy TV’, ‘Rome’. Comedy - ‘Wallace & Gromit’, ‘Shrek’, ‘Bend it like Beckham’; Other Films - ‘English Patient’, ‘Wuthering Heights’, ‘Chocolat’, ‘Shawshank Redemption’, ‘Bladerunner’, ‘The Queen’, ‘Lord of the Rings’ Trilogy.
Art: Lydia Kiernan; Martin Cooper; Lawrence Alma-Tadema.
Poem: ‘Fern Hill’ by Dylan Thomas - poem highly evocative of my childhood.
Places: Tuscany; Sri Lanka. But the best place of all has to be our Ffarm.
Achievements: Representing Great Britain in the 1996 Saddleseat Equitation World Cup in Kentucky, USA.
Influences: Reg Bostock - Kenilworth farmer of neighbouring Oaks Farm, who took me ‘under his wing’ during my childhood.
Most Amazing Experience: Hmmm, I’ll have to get back to you on this one….
Favourite Maxim: “Live in the present - my gift to you”
-Thanks for stopping by & feel free to stay awhile.-
