Well thas official, we are a’havin a drout. I recon those of us hu ha warked on the land or have a garden could ha told them that months a’go. Thas tu easy these days to just tun on the tap. If they want t’get folks a’saving water they orta tun off the taps and get folks t’start a’usin water from a well. When I were a growin up Father used t’draw two bucket full outa the well afor he went t’wark in the mornin, he draw another 2 bucket fulls when he cum home arter his dinner and another two when he cum home for his tea, and he ha’a go inta next door’s garden t’get it outa the well. When mother did the washin on a Monday he used t’fill the copper in the shud & light a fire under it afore he went t’work. We ha’a mind how we used the water cos that ha’a last til father cum home t draw some more cos the old well were suffin deep and Mother wunt able to turn the handle t’draw a full pail up a’gin.
Saturday were bath night so Father would fill the old copper agin and light a fire t’heat the water, when that were hot enough the old tin bath were put in front of fire and we all hed a bath in the same water, starting wi the youngust and finishin wi father. Our next door neighbours had their baths in the shud where the copper were I bet that were suffin cild in the winta. Arter we had all had a bath the dirty water got hulled out onta the garden to water the vegitables.
Cos the farmers want sum rain as well, a time you read this they will ha bin drillin them old sugar beet agin, I hear they hav done all right outa the 2011/12 crop, that’ll make up for what they lorst to the frost the year a’for. If farmers want t’keep moisture in the soil they ha gotta get humus mixed in, that were alright when most farms carried stock and they hed plenty of FYM (Farm Yard Manure) t’plough in. Now accors most farms dont have any stock on um, I recon that yu can drive from Carbrooke t’Norwich and not see any cattle or sheep out in the fields. Not puttin any FWM on the land make that hungry and that wunt hold moisture. I see one o’the farms in the village ha started cartin in pig muck t’use on their land. The land here about is right on the edge of the Brecks and have a lot’o sand it so that soon dry out, they used t’recon that sort’o land want a shower o’rain on it every day and a shower of FYM on it every other day only they dint say FYM but the wud they used is too rude t’use here.
Old Turnip Townsend knew what he were a doin all them years ago (about 1750) when he invented the Norfolk Four Course Rotation: Wheat, Beet (Turnips), Barley and Hay. (Grass). Sheep fed of the turnips and grass, the droppings they left behind were ploughed in and provided nutrients and humus for followin wheat and barley crops. They dint call sheep the “Golden Hoof” for nuthin.
My old water butts ha still got sum water in but I ha told the Missus that if we dont get n’rain I am a goin t’open up our old well in the garden and a start usin the water in there cos they might stop us a usin hose pipes in the garden, I am a lookin for one of them two wheeled water barras, they hold twenti five t’thirty galluns, that ul be easier than a jammin about wi a little old two gallun waterin can
Them old evenins are a’pullin out so I can get out inta the garden arter tea. In Norfolk we hev our food at different times t’the rest on um. Dinner time for us old Norfolk boys and is in the middle o’the day and we hev our tea in the evenin. If yu hev anythin t’eat or drink durin the arternoon thas called foursus.
Well I ha betta close now cos the Miissus ent to good at the moment and I’m doin a lot o fetchin and carryin for her till she get back inta harness agin.
Fare ye well t’gether and u yu keep a troshin