I don’t now what I were a runnin on about last month a talkin about them clock’s a changin at the end o’ September instead of October, The Missus recon thas du with me age, I recon age han’t got nothin t’du with it, I recon thas t’du with the weather we a gettin. Yu used t be able t’tell the time o’year by the weather yu were a gettin. Arter harvest the sun started t’lose its heat, leaves started a droppin orf the trees & nights a’started t’draw in and y’new where yu were. Derin the last few years the summer weather hant bin nothin like that, this year we had hotter weather at the end o’ September than we had durin July an August, no wunder I were a’gettin in a muck wash about the clocks a changin.
That were a job in the early 1970’s when thay put the clocks back two hours in the autumn, thay recon that wus t’make it safer for chrilden a comin home from school. Thay din’t think about them what were a workin early in the morning a trough feedin cattle in the field, I used t’go inta the field with a bag o’feed and a little old torch, as soon a the cattle heard the nuts a rattlin inta the trough they cum a runnin, I could a hear um a’commin but I could’t see um until they were a’top on me, I never got knocked over but cum clus a time or two.
Acors this is the time for Guy Fawkes, I know I ha got that right cos I asked the Missus. Cos we lived on a farm when I were a boy we din’t ha’a build a bonfire, when they were a hedge trimmin on the farm arter harvest they used t’burn the trimmins as they went but Dad used t’save one lot for us to burn on November 5th. In them days fireworks were only sold in October, my brother & I were given five shillins each (25p) t’buy our fireworks. We would bike three miles inta North Walsham and buy our fireworks, what we bought used t’ fill a shoe box, the box were a biggun cos we both had size 9 or 10 feet even then. On November 5th Dad would get the bonfire a goin with sum waste oil or derv. and we und the other children who lived at the farm would let orf our fire works, we all had a good time and no body got hurt or were a botherin about health & safety.
By the time yu read this the Missus and I should ha bin away wi’ our caravan agin, not over the water this time but down t’the other side o’London. Thas a job a’gettin there cos yu ha’a drive on them motorways, yu ha’a keep yar eyes on the road all the time cos if yu start a farming over the hedge thas likely yu’ll soon end up over the hedge an all. While we away, if we get sum decent weather, the Missus and I want t’visit some gardens t’ see the Autumn colours & t’get some ideas we can use in our garden, I know we han’t got a big garden here in Carbrooke but in the big gardens where they a usin a hundred plants yu can use five or seven in yars. Yu got t’remember that a garden is a livin thing & that were here afor we come along and that’ll be here arter we’r gone.
There’s allus plenty t’do in the garden puttin it t’bed for the winter although as I were a’sayin earlier thas a job t’now when winter will be a startin. I got on by a sivin out the leaf mould I put inta a big bag last Autumn, that ha made inta sum lovely stuff. I am a fillin the big bag agin wi this years leaves, I collect um w’me mower cos that chew um up a bit and thas easier than usin a rake and barrow. I ha given the hedges a little trim & shredded up the trimmins for mi compost heap & cleared the green house out ready the stow away the Missus tender shrubs, Durin the summer I allus try and take sum cuttins orf these in case some on um don’t make it through t’next spring.
The Missus were suffin savige t’other day, she buy her Christmas cards from one of them charities and so far they ,since August, ha sent har six Christmas cataloges, she ha rung them up and ha give them a piece o’her mind. They recon thay are a doin it so she don’t miss out on any new items. I’m suffin glad the Missus din’t get me out of a cataloge cos if she had she might a found a better model when a new cataloge come along .
Fare ye well t’gether and du yu keep a troshin