Woolly wonders

WHEN Carole and Clyde Burn started thinking about retirement, they knew they wanted to find something enjoyable and meaningful to fill the days.

While for many people this might involve helping out with the grandchildren, Carole and Clyde have opted for a less well-trodden path and opened their Teesdale home to a herd of alpacas.

Having worked with children in care all her life, Carole felt ready for a change. “I turned 50 and knew I was getting close to my burn-out point. I was searching for a new direction when my cousin introduced me to alpacas after she fell in love with the creatures on holiday,” she says.

According to Carole, they make wonderful family pets. “They are not noisy, they don’t smell and they are full of character,” she says. With two adult children, Carole did not expect to have a growing family on her hands. But her cherished alpacas now number 16 and there’s a new baby alpaca, called a cria, on the way.

Becoming an alpaca farmer and breeder has been a steep learning curve, but Carole got a lot of support from the British Alpaca Society and finds other breeders love to share their knowledge too. She has recently added a young male to her herd, a rare spotted chap. “There are not many spotted alpacas in the UK at the moment, but we are hoping to increase the numbers by breeding from him. He comes from Australian and New Zealand stock, where the markings are really popular.”

While the alpacas contentedly graze in the paddock, Carole has a wooden bench for herself at one end, her binoculars on standby, and a small bistro table where she enjoys a glass of wine in the evening. It’s an idyllic setting in this quiet corner of Headlam, near Darlington. Watching “the family” provides endless pleasure and entertainment, and dusk is a fun time of day as the alpacas gambol around before bedtime. “They look as though they are on springs,” says Carole. “You can often see and hear them communicating with each other; often there’s a humming or cluck-cluck.”

One of her females is heavily pregnant and, after a gestation of nearly a year, she is due any day now. It won’t be the first time that Carole has taken on the role of midwife.

The two boys

One of her most memorable experiences was the premature arrival of Horace. “He was very weak and couldn’t hold his head up. I stayed up for three nights and nursed him. I felt really privileged that the mother allowed me to be so close.”

A big event in the alpaca calendar is shearing day. “It’s quite barbaric,” says Carole. “The shearer lies the alpaca on its side on a table. Most of the herd cope well, but Finesse has a real phobia and we had to give up when we got to her legs so they look quite woolly.” Fortunately, alpacas only need to be sheared once a year. Carole bags up the fleece, weighs it and sends it off for quality testing before it is sold as a highly desirable and luxurious fibre.

Alpaca wool

While selling fleece was always on the agenda, Carole had not expected her alpaca venture to turn her into a children’s author, but as each member of the herd arrived and Carole got to know them, the stories just flowed. Her first illustrated children’s book Horace the Miracle Alpaca has just been published and there are two more books on the way.

“There is a strong herd dynamic which lends itself really well to storytelling. Each alpaca has an individual character and a role within the group,” she says, pointing out Crystal, the matriarch, and Sophie, the self-appointed guardian. Mr Tickle, the youngest at just two weeks, is often to be found lying by Sophie’s side while mum takes a break. Carole was thrilled when Waterstones in Durham offered to stock the books, with branches in Darlington and Northallerton also expressing interest.

Mr Tickle

“I love children and I like to think that I can make a difference. I’m quite creative and hope that I can convey meaningful messages through the stories,” she says. The books are aimed at five to eight-year-olds and intend to give guidance on topics such as bullying.

While last year was spent establishing the herd, this year Carole’s focus is on bringing in visitors - especially youngsters. “Experience has taught me that children can really shine in a different environment,” she says. Her schools’ programme includes learning games, prizes, beat-the-teacher tasks and felting lessons using home-grown fleece.

All the alpacas have distinct personalities

From time to time, Carole plans on selling stock, but as each member of the herd is so endearing and more like a family member than a farm animal, it won’t be easy. “I haven’t had to part with any of them yet. It will be incredibly hard to let go.” The only one to have a new owner so far is Mr Tickle and he’s not going far. “I’ve given him to my niece as a gift,” says Carole, “but I’m happy to say this will still be his home.”