Thas’a rummun but I forgot all about the Norfolk Show the last time I were a’havin a mardle a’long w’yar. I were there on the fust day a helpin on the Rare Breed Stand. Durin the mornin the lady in charge cum t’me und say that the Show Presidant (The Earl of Wessix) were a comin to visit the stand that arternoon und she wanted me t’meet him. Well Bor I were all of a muck wash cos I never met anybody as important as him afor. I wernt a’wearin a tie und I’d ha’a wash m’hands before I shook his hand. How sum ever a’little arter two away he cum. The head lady met him outside the tent and then bought him in t’meet us. He asked me why I were interested in the Rare Breeds . He listened t’what I were a tellin him: I’ll tell yar suffin though, there int a lot of him… he look as if he could du with a good feed. He stayed with us a lookin round longer than he should, them who were in charge of a’gettin him round the show ground started bussin around like flies on a middun (muck heap). They got him away 10 minutes arter he should hev left.
We hed a good number o’youngsters acomin round askin us questions about the 28 different rare breeds we hed on show. I were a leadin sheep around a little ring we hed set up while the head lady were talkin about them. That were good t’be a leadin sheep in a show ring again though I left leadin the cattle t’them who were younger than me. the last time I led a cow in the show ring were a’few year ago. That were a job cause the cow I were a’leadin were a bullin (on heat). I ha’a keep a goin cos that were the grand parade und there were a few Bulls in the ring as well.
She nearly pulled my arms outa their sockets and cos she were a Highland I hed t’watch her horns und all t’make sure she din’t poke m’eye out. I managed t’get har round the ring und back t’har stall again but that knocked the stuffin out o’me I can tell yu.
I know that since I last had a wud along with yar we hev had a rare drop o’rain in places but that han’t stopped them old combines a gettin on. They seem t’be gettin inta the crops about a fortnight early. A time I am a writin this (Early August) their already cuttin wheat . They tell me that the crops are yieldin well but prices are down on account of there bein good yields over the water.
As soon as them old combines are outa the field there’s a baler a’goin balin up the straw. Most o’the straw in the village seem t’be baled up und used for littering stock in the winter or go t’be burnt at one o’them power stations. That don’t seem that long a’go when a’lot of the straw were burnt in the field.
I remember one harvest in 1976 or 78 when that were suffin hot und there were stubble fires every where. I were a warkin at home one arternoon when the Missus cum in und recon she could smell a fire real close. I drawed up the road t’where an old lady (Mrs Williamson) lived. There where sum smoke a cummin from the back o’har house. I went und hed a look und see her shud were a’fire. Mrs Williamson were a’standin there, she recon that she were a burnin sum papers und sum hed been blown inta har shed. a’settin it a’fire. I scrapped about und phoned the fire brigade. The Mawther who answered reconned all the fire engines were out arter stubble fires und could I see if I could control the fire until they could git a’engine there.
The Farmer from acrors the road he come over with a couple o’buckets und we started hullin water from water butts onta the burnin shud. Mrs Williams told us not t’get to close cus there were a’can o’petrol in the shud. No sooner hed she said that there were a hell of a bang….. the shud roof went up und the sides fell in. The sparks from the shud were a settin fire t’the dry grass in the garden. We were a’scrappin about hullin water tryin t’stop the fire a’spreadin t’har house. We were gettin suffin short o’water when the Watton Fire engine tunned up und put the fire out.
That were suffin hot tuther day when I were warkin in the greenhouse. When I drawed indoors for m’grub, the Missus recon my face were suffin red. I say thas corse I bin a workin in the greenhouse und the sun hev turned me red just like a’tomato……. she din’t say anything………..she just gi’me one of har looks.
Fare ye well t’gether und du yu keep a’troshin