Author archive: purplerain
Caring fathers By Rebecca McConnell Published in the Farming Life, Saturday 6th April 2024 My childhood is full of memories out on the farm with my dad, two brothers and sister, tending to sheep, feeding calves and gathering potatoes – in all weathers of course! One memory I have, long before the purchase of a…
Working with Presbyterian Women, I had the honour of working with a small team creating their new magazine title Inspire. Whilst a new magazine, it follows on a legacy for PW who have created a magazine for their members since 1866! Here is what I wrote as an editorial, please do check out the magazine,…
Lifelong learning By Rebecca McConnell Published in the Farming Life, Saturday 18th November 2023 Last month, I was asked to judge the County Antrim heat of the best competition Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster has to offer – in my opinion – public speaking. Members had to speak on a topic of their choice for…
2509.23
New York delivers … but first, let me catch up on my sleep! Having been to and experienced a taste of New York (five days is only a snapshot), I feel I understand John McEnroe better. At Wimbledon, his brash, in-your-face attitude clashed with the hush tones of Centre Court. I know that where he…
It’s a city I haven’t been to yet. It’s been on my list for a while now. With a big birthday in June, it felt a good time to book flights to New York and visit the US of A and leave the continent of Europe for the first time in my life. Having watched…
This article first appeared as a contribution for Good News for the Countryside column in the Farming Life, where I share the story of an uncle who I never knew and how his, like all life is precious to God. Aged 15 in 1970 Walter Waddell was killed in a farm accident. I share my…
It started with a simple idea. Make a calendar to give to clients as a thank you. Now that tradition is ten years old (Purple Rain will be 12 in February) and to celebrate, I have created a special edition with pictures from not just around Northern Ireland, but Italy as well thanks to my…
After our delicious lunch on Saturday, we boarded a special open-air train for a guided tour among the ‘barenas’ (salt marshes) to Lio Piccolo, an ancient village reached through a thin strip of land between the waters. The prominent buildings – a dusky pink church and bell tower – were built between the 1600s and…
The vaporetto pulls out of Piazzale de Roma into the Venetian lagoon and I can’t quite believe I am in Italy. This is my first overseas trip after the pandemic. I am here for the European Network of Agricultural Journalists AGM and a press trip to the Cavallino Treporti region to explore “Farming in the…
I remember watching some brave people dive off Harbour Hill in the seaside town of Portstewart last summer. As they stepped up to the edge of the cliff and jumped off, I winched thinking, ‘I could never do that!’ Then a small voice in my head said, “No, Rebecca, you don’t have that kind of…