Gardening: Tool Box: Call of the wild

THE need for a cordless telephone became apparent seven years ago, when we moved to a farmhouse on three and a half acres of land. My wife ran for Shropshire in her youth, but even she drew the line at sprinting 100 yards to answer calls, then treading soil into the house on her wellies.

We bought a Betacom 1000, which was virtually useless because of its feeble ring, short range and poor reception. BT's new Freestyle 300 caught my eye, mainly because the blurb had eight paragraphs about the cordless phone as a garden tool.

Initial scepticism has been swept aside by its efficiency and convenience. It is possible to make a call - albeit not a very clear one - from a point all of 100 yards from the base unit. Features include a 10-number memory and a setting for hearing aids. The intercom function provides communication between handset and base unit. A built-in something to hang the phone on while it's in the garden would be a useful addition.

The Freestyle 300 stands at pounds 109.99 in a range priced from pounds 89.99 to pounds 179.99.

Call 0800 800 866 for details of your nearest BT shop or stockist.