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2017 Archives Monthly Retrospective

The Boy Tom – March 2017

Well how are yu all a’goin on?

Since I last hed a wurd along with yu we hev hed them gale force winds at the end o’February. They recon that were called Doris. Why do they ha’a give them high winds names? I know what I’d ha called it but that would be to rude to write down here.

When that started a’blowin hard our electrics went orf. I took the Missus to hev har hair done durin the arternoon in Watton , Their electric were on. The Mawther in charge wanted t’know if I would like t’go in und hev a cup o’tea which were kind on har. Our Electric din’t come back on when that got dark we ha’a use torches t’find our way around the house. The Electric come back on just as we were a’thinkin about goin t’bed.

Doris blew a tree down and that were a’blockin the road twix Carbrooke und Watton Green. When they finally got round t’movin the tree the telephone line come apart. That were a job t’get that re-connected. Every time I rung them up on my mobile I spoke t’somebody different , sum on um were in this country und some on um were in India. One on um recon they were a’goin t’put a call divert on so when folk tried t’ring us they were diverted t’my mobile . Well bor they made a right mess o’that. When folk tried t’ring our home number they got re-directed. The only trouble that wunt t’my mobile that were t’sum Lady who could not speak any English, and when folk tried t’ring my mobile direct they head the ringing tone but my mobile did not respond. That took about six phone calls t’get that sorted out.

Anyway that took 11 days before we were r-connected and now BT recon them folk who did not report the fault will not get any compensation! I recon there were sum 15 houses that were cut of for the 11 days. If some o’them folk din’t hev a mobile how were they suppose to report the fault?

Well I recon Spring hev arrived, although old mother nature keep a hullin in a few cold days just to let us all know that she can still change the weather if she want to.

Still thas good t’see things a gettin green und that meake yu want t’git outside und start a’doin suffin in the garden. The trouble is my old shoulder is still a’playin up so I arnt in full harness yet. I hev hed my old pressure washer out und hev cleaned the concrete und brick weave paths down, thas suprising how much dirt there is t’clean orf. As I said to the Missus thas best that stay outside rather than get carted indoors. The Missus do mob sometimes if I go indoors und hant cleaned my old boots or forget t’teake them orf. She hev even bought me a proper brush und foot scraper t’use.

The grass that hev a’started a’growin. I hev bin over it once with my old mower so the next job ull be t’get the moss orf und put some slits inta the ground t’help the drainage. I hev got one o’them machine that do that for me. That hev got a motor on it but I hev still got t’push it along. I’ll tell yu suffin thas easier than using a hand rake t’get the moss orf und using a four tined fork t’aerate the soil.

Thas all change up at Carra Rood. They hev got rid o’that young manager. I suppose that were a’goin t’happen cos the team hant been playin to well leartly. The trouble is once the game start the Manager can’t do anything apart from shoutin at um Another thing I recon is that the Manager was not much older than the players and that could meake it difficult for him(the Manager) to earn their respect. I remember what that were like when I became a Farm Foreman several weeks before my 21st Birthday. I dont know if that would apply t’football managers but the Principal at the Agricultural collage I went to recon that “you should never ask a man to do a job you cannot du, or hev not dun yourself”.

We hev just hed a Breckland Council election in the Village. That were because one of our Councillors were rude to a lady at a Hunt Meet in Yorkshire. I arn’t a’goin to repeat what he said cos that were very rude. When somebody is pointin a mobile phone at him you would hev thought he would have been careful what he said. I recon that were a case of him puttin his mouth in gear a’fore his brain. I hope a lot on yar went and voted cos unless you vote I dont recon you should criticise them who git elected. They tell me there is a’goin t’be NCC elections in May so we’ll ha’a turn out agen.

Fare ye well t’gether und du yu keep a’troshin

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2017 Archives Monthly Retrospective

The Boy Tom – April 2017

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2016 Archives Monthly Retrospective

The Boy Tom – February 2016

Well how are yu all a’goin on t’gether. A’time yu get t’read this that’ll be February Fill Dyke though I don’t think we’ll be a’wantin any more rain for a’while. Thas bin a rum winter so far , all that rain that keep a’cummin down, thas as though somebody up above have left the tap a’runnin . Still we’re better orf than sum folk in tuther parts o’the country who hev hev bin flooded out more than once this winter although I can remember, a few year ago, when there were sum houses flooded at the bottom o’Mill Lane und the water used t’gather acroos the road just past the church,near the Old Crown House Pub, that were s’deep that you could’nt drive through it.

Cos them Politions up in London recon they’r a’goin t’spend a lot o’money t’stop houses a’gettin flooded. The trouble is, as soon as they meake the riverbanks higher in one place the water will cum over somewhere else. I know folk hev gotta live some where but why did they let them developers build on flood planes? Din’t they think there were suffin in the name?. Another thing, I know thas bad when folks houses und shops get flooded but what about the farmers who hev their crops flooded over und hev livestock swept away un drowned, nobody ant a’sayin much about that .

As as well as all that rain we keep a’havin thas bin s’mild up t’now (10th Jan) though they du say we could get sum colder weather soon. All the Missus tender plants I put away in the green house are still a’growin and sum o’our roses are still a’flowin, these here plants hev gotta stop a’growin sum time du they’ll not last through the summer w’out a rest.

Last time I hed as wurd along with’ya I were a sayin how I hed seen sum cows a’grazin on a field twixt Shipdham & Dereham, Well now I see there’s sum sheep a’grazin on a field tuther side o’the bridge a’goin t’wards Ovington. They look as if they are a’grazin sum stubble turnips. The Missus keep askin me it I am a’goin t’count them every day…..I told har not t’be s’sorft cos how can I ride my old bike in straight line und count sheep in the field same time. Still thas good t’see um, that remind you of how farming were several year ago when there were sheep everywhere in Norfolk, the Golden Hoof they used t’call them.

Afor Christmas the Missus und I went on a trip t’London t’go to a carol concert at the Royal Albert Hall. We han’t bin there a’for. My heart thas a gret old place, we hed seats right near the top. Them seats were set suffin steep, when we stood up t’sing a carol the Missus she grabbed hold o’me cos she recon she were a’goin t’pitch forud onta the row o’seats in front of us. That were a good job we only ha’a stand up twice cos my arm would hev bin black un blue from where the Missus kept a’grabbib me.

The next day we went to a Christmas Fair/Market in Hyde Park. There were a lot o’stalls a’sellin stuff. There were a big old wheel a’goin round w’little cabins on that yu could sit in. Now I ha’a say that I don’t like a’goin on anything that take yu orf the ground. The fust time I flew in a plane nobody told me that arter you teake orf the pilot throttle the engines back a bit, I thought he’ed turned the engines orf. How-sum-ever we went on the wheel in Hyde Park twice. The fust time we went on it that started t’rain und that old wind started a blowin the cabin which meade it rock a bit. I din’t like that und cos that were a’rainin yu could’t see far. Leater on the sun come out so we hed another go. I were alright this time a teakin photos until the Missus wanted t’sit on tuther side. Well boy when she started a movin about the cabin a started a rockin about, I hollered at har t’sit still cos I were coming over all funny. When we come orf the wheel we went inta an ice house t’see sum ice sculptures, That were suffin cold in there(-8c) When we come out they give us some little things t’warm yar feet up. I recon we should hed them a’for we went it. Still that were a good couple o’days even though the coach driver din’t know his way round London very well. I think we driv round the Olympic Station 3 times afor he found the M11

Well them boys up atCarra Rood seem to be gettin on a bit better than they were afor Christmas, less hope they can keep it a’goin until May.

I must close now und get outside t’clean my old hins out so their eggs keep nice und clean. Cos the old grounds s’wet und dawby the Missus meake me keep my old boots in the shud near the back door cos she don’t me t’drag any mud indoors. I say t’her “I wish my old hins could have boots they could keep outside the hut, cos that would mean that I wont ha’a clean them out s’often”……………She din’t say anything,she just gimi one o’har looks.

Fare ye well t’gether und du yu keep a’troshin.

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2016 Archives Monthly Retrospective

The Boy Tom – March 2016

How are yu all a’geetin on t’gether.

Last time I hed a wud a’long wi yu I reconded we could du w’sum hard weather. Well we’r a’havin a bit on it right now. (Feb 16th) but that old froost dont stay in the ground like that used to.

That dont matter t’farmers round here who are a’farmin on light land but them who farm on heavy (Clay) land like in South Norfolk want a bit o’froost t’git inta the ploughed land over the winter. What happen is that any water in the soil freeze und expand, that meake the clods o’soil break up. when the land dry out in the spring that mean the famers don’t hev t’wark the land s’much t’meake a seed bed cos Jack Froost hev done it for um. These a name for it to, thas called frost mold.

While I’m a’talkin about farmers, those on um who are a’keepin pigs are a’havin a tough time on it at the moment, they recon their are a’loosin £10 for every pig they sell orf the farm. Thas all a’cors them super markets can buy their pork cheaper a’broad. Them who now about these things recon thas cors pigs over the water arnt kept up to the same wefare standards as our farms. . Thas the same with them egg producers. A friend o’mine ha spent thousands a bringing his hin houses up t’EU standards white other countries arnt a meakin their farmers do the same so their eggs come over here cos their cheaper than my friends.

That seem like most things in this here EU, Our farmers ha’a farm by the rules set in Brussels but some o’them other EU countries don’t meake their farmers do the same.

They recon we ha got a’vote, afor the end of 2017, about if we want t’stay in the EU or get out. When we fust joined up in the 1960s that were called the Common Market, that seem t’wark for a’while until we hed a grain mountain, They got over that by a’buyin up the farmers corn und puttin it inta storage. A’lot o’corn from Norfolk farms was stored in the hangers on Watton air field. Then there were a butter mountain, they got round that by paying dairy farmers t’get rid o’their cows, when that din’t wark they give each dairy farm a milk quita a’tellin him how much milk he could sell each year. I seem t’remember there were a wine lake un all, I dunnow how they got rid o’that?

Now acors thas called the EU und we seem t’hev more rules a’comin outa Brussels than London. There were a small business man a’talkin on the TV tuther night, he recon that EU rules cost his business £35,000 a year und thas a’for he start a’doin any business w’other EU countries.

Afor we go un decide about wether we want t’stay in the EU or get out them up at Whitehall want t’meake sure we are all gettin along t’gether over here so we can still be called the United Kingdom! And another thing, thas worth remembering that at one time or another,in the past, we hev been t’war with all them Countries who are in the EU except Portugal.

Well them boys up Carra Rood are meakin a rare fist o’trying to keep up w’them big boys. I thought they hed got suffin a’goin at the turn o’the year but they seem t’ha lorst their way agin.

There were a good turn-out tuther Sunday at the sheep farm in Scoulton. The Missus und I drawed up t’hev a look. That were good t’see s’many folk there a’lookin at the lambs and their mothers. They all looked in good fettle und I hear that a tidy sum of money were raised for the local Churches.

Them old evenings are a’startin t’draw out a’bit und that ount be long afor I cen get outside agin arter I hev hed me fourses. My old concrete paths hev turned suffin green so I want to git a cleanin them wi me pressure washer. Cos a lot o’the Missus shrubs und Roses are still a’growin I want t’be given them a drop o’firtilizer t’keep them a’goin. I allus give them a handful o’Epsom Salts like my Father used to. That meake the leaves go a good colour durin the Summer. I say the the Missus “Do you think I’d go a good colour if I hed a handful of them salts on my porridge”…………She din’t say anything……… she just gi me one o’har looks.

Fare ye well t’gether und do yu keep a’troshin.

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2016 Archives Monthly Retrospective

The Boy Tom – April 2016

Well how are yu all a’gettin on t’gether. That old weather that keep a choppin und changin. Thas a job t’know what t’wear when yu are a’goin outside. I hev found that as yu git older yu feel the cold a bit more. Cos if yu hev got a job or two in the garden that don’t teake long t’warm yar old self up but you ha gotta t’be careful und rug up agin when yar finished du yu’ll soon catch a chill.

That used t’be suffin cold when yu were a’drivin a tractor durin the winter afore they had cabs on. I used t’wear an old army greatcoat with gloves und a hat und hed a old corn sack acroos m’knees t’keep m’legs warm. Cos in them days yu used sit astride the tractor’s gear box so yu got a bitta warmth from that. When I were a ploughin I used t’git orf the tractor at the end o’each run acroos the field und warm my old hands up on the exhaust pipe afor I set in agin.

I know I keep on about it but that were sad t’read in in EDP tuther week about three Norfolk farmer a’havin t’sell their sheep flocks und dairy herds cos they cant meake any money. I know all on um und their all good farmers who kept sum tidy stock und could git the best out on um. Not only is this country losing the livestock to produce milk, beef, pork und lamb but thas also losing the stockman skills t’look arter them. I suppose somebody up at Whitehall will weake up sum time und notice that we are a’gettin a lot of our food from over the water just the same as we are a’gettin our gas und hevin forineers a’lookin arter our electricity.

Well they hev started a’tellin us all about what would happen if we vote t’leave the EEC und what might happen if we stay in. I recon that by votin day we’ll all be fed up w’all on um. What I want t’know is if we vote t’leave, when du that happun? du that happen the day arter we vote or du they ha’a set a date for that t’happen? cos all them w’jobs in Brussels will hatta pack up und come home first.

Well thas official, I hev told yu afor that I am a member of the Rare Breed Survival Trust und the Missus recon that I am a rare breed anyway. Well when my membership were renewed at the turn o’the year the RBST sent me a car sticker that say on it “I am a Rare Breed”. I hev stuck it on my car windscreen, I han’t said anything t’the Missu about it but I recon when she twig thas there she’ll hev suffin t’say.

We hev bin a’hevin a job wi our old phone leartly. Sum on yar might hev seen that them BT or OutReach warkers hev hed a tent pitched over a hole a the top o’the road at Watton Green for best part o’six weeks. During the last week sum on us around Caudle Springs hev hed our phone & internet cut orf then the phone cum on agin but the internet stay orf, then they both cum on agin, now we hant got a phone but the internet is a warking. I rid past their tent this morning , on my old bike, and ,though thas Sunday, there were seven vans parked near their tent. I thought about a’goin t’hev a wud along with-um but I din’t want the stop them a warkin.

I recon that by the time yu are a readin this Spring will hev properly started und that ull be light anough arter tea to du a bit in the garden. Cos once that old soil heat up a bit things ull start t’grow. I hev bin round und given most o’the shrubs und roses a drop o’ fertilizer just t’get um goin.

Well I hed better get this sent orf a’fore they stop the intered a’warkin agin.

Fare ye well t’gether und du yu keep a’troshin

Categories
2016 Archives Monthly Retrospective

The Boy Tom – May 2016

Well how are yu all a’gettin on t’gether?

We are a’gettin there, thas the weather I am a’talkin about. Mother Nature is a gettin har act t’gether. There ha bin enough warm sun t’git the soil warm enough t’start a’sowin a few seeds. The farmers ha bin able t’git on the land und get sum fertilizer onta the corn thay drilled last Autumn. Some o’them crops looked a funny colour durin January und February. I could see what they looked like cos, since the turn o’the year, I hev bin t’Norrridge a few times by bus cos I hev got one o’them bus passes . If yu sit on the top deck that giv yu a rare chance t’hev a good gawp around und I can tell yu that sum o’them winter sown crops looked poor, they were all yella, I recon thas could we hev hed a mild winter and a lot o’them fungus diseases hev got hold co there hant bin enough cold weather t’trim um back. Other thing is thas bin suffin wet und cereal plants don’t like a’havin their roots in cold water.

Last week (first week April) I were a helpin at the Spring Fling up at the show ground. That were a rare nice day und a good crowd o’folk with their children tunned up. I were a helpin on the Rare Breed stand und this year we hed a little ring where we could lead sum sheep round for folk t’hev a look at. We hev done this afor only this year we tried suffin different .

Our head lady , who were on the microphone, asked it there were any youngsters who would like t’cum inta the ring und touch the sheep. Well a whole drove on um cum in, their parents were a’busy a teakin photos on um.

Then the head lady asked if any on um would like t’hev a go at leadin a sheep. All the sheep were halter trained und hed bin in a ring afore und the ring hed hurdles all round so the sheep could be kept stowed up it any on um got loose. I were on the gate inta the ring so I ha’a kept that shut. Well bor a tidy few on um hed a go und sum on um meade a good job on it once they hed bin shown what t’du. That were suffin good t’see them a havin a go. We ha’a git out o’the ring afor they all hed a go,cos sum other folk w’goats wanted t’use it. We said we would be back in the ring agin in about an hour so those on um who din’t hev a go at a’leadin a sheep should cum back then. Well bor when I went back out t’the ring afor we were a’goin t’start agin there were a gret old line of youngsters all a’waiting the lead a sheep. We kept a’goin this time so them that wanted to, hed a chance t’lead a sheep. I think thas suffin we might try agin next year. Thas a pity we won’t be able t’du the same thing at the Royal Norfolk Show cos most o’the sheep we used ,and their owners, will be in the show ring a’tryin t’win a rosette.

Leately I hev bin a watchin a series o’programmes on the TV about livestock farmers in Scotland. They have t’put up w’longer winters than we du but that showed that their highs and lows o’farmin w’livestock are just the same as farmers w’livestock down here. As one o’the farmers said “That int a job, thas a way o’life”.

Well them boys up at Carra Rood are a’tryin the keep up w’the big boys, a’time yu read this I recon they’ll know where they will be a’playin football cum the start o’the new season at the end o’August. As The Tractor Boys (Ipswich) arnt a duin too well this year m’Brother hev bin fairly quiet.

We hed our Grandsons t’see us at Easter. I got them out inta the garden und we planted sum Pumpkin & Sun Flower seeds. When the seeds chitted und the shoots cum through I took a photo und sent it to um. Thas suffin I dint know how t’du a’few year ago.

Fare ye well t’gether und du yu keep a’troshin.

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2016 Archives Monthly Retrospective

The Boy Tom – June 2016

How are yu all a’gettin on t’gether?

My heart thas bin suffin hot leartly (12th May) I hev teakin my old vest orf cos I was a’gettin all of a sweat. I say t’the Missus these here new vests arn’t like them old string ones cos they use t’hev gaps in um so the heat could get out…………….. I could ask the Missus t’knit me one f’next winter but I dussunt cos I recon I’d get more than one o’har looks.

Well them Canaries up at Carra Rood will be a’sittin on a lower perch next season. Thas a shame but if you don’t score goals yu don’t win games. That were a rummun that the Headman at Carra Rood chucked it in a’for the end o’the season. Less hope them at the top can find somebody quick t’give that young manager their got a helpin hand next season cos I recon he’s wurth keepin.

With the rain und warm weather things in the garden ha started a growin. I hev got sum o’that old Ground Elder in my garden , my heart that teake sum gettin rid off. We ha bin here over forty year und I still can’t get rid on it. I hev tried a sprayin on it und I hev tried a diggin it out, but you only hev t’miss one bit und that’ll start a growin agin. I han’t beatin it but I recon I hev got it inta a corner……as long as I can keep it there that’ll be alright. I hev told the Missus, if we ever move I arnt a diggin up anything t’teake with us cos I dont want t’move that old ground elder un all.

A’riding about there seem t’be a rare lot o’Oil Seed Rape growing this year. That’ll be good news from them who keep Bees. I used t’keep them und yu ha’a keep scrappin about if yar bees were arter oil seed rape nector cos wunce they get that inta the combs in the hive that start t’set suffin quick. I used t’look at my bees about once a week und get the full combs out t’spin the honey out a’for that set. When we are a drivin near fields o’Rape the Missus recon that smell like the honey we used t’git from our bees.

The Missus und I hed a walk a’round the Millennium Green tuther day. My heart sum folk hev bin suffin busy. There seem t’be a lot o’nest boxes on trees und there hev bin a lot of brushin up (trimming out) around the trees. That look as it the maze is a being planted up agin. Thas a shame sum folk are a spoilin things by not clearin up behind their dogs.

Around the front o’the Village Hall I see that the Village Sign und handles on the old hoss plough are a gettin a bit green. I recon thas acors their under them trees a’growin nearby. That want a’washin orf afor next winter cos it not that’ll git inta the wood und that’ll be a master job t’git rid on it.

We hed a birthday party for one of our Grandson’s tuther Saturday. That were held in Thetford Forest at High Lodge. Thas a great old place w’plenty o’different things for folk t’do. There were play areas, you could hire bikes,or bring yar own, und cycle along tracks through the forest. I recon one o’the rummist things I see were a two wheeled platform which yu stood on und held onta a handle. Once yu got balanced und pushed the handles forrud the wheels started turning. They tell me thas called a Segway und a lot of folk are a’usin them……….. I recon I’ll stick w’my old bike cos that dint look to safe t’me

They tell me that sum fella is a’goin t’be givin a talk about Heavy Hosses soon. Thas goin t’be in the Village Hall on June 17th at 7.30pm. The Missus und I are a’goin so I might see yu there.

Fare ye well t’gether und du yu keep a’troshin.

Categories
2016 Archives Monthly Retrospective

The Boy Tom – July 2016

Well how are yu all a’gettin on t’gether?

Well thas still keep a’rainin. Them tempests are suffin sharp when they come. The trouble is that meake the old land su dauby so yu can’t get on und do any thing in the garden. Them old greenfly are a’gettin on my Roses but you want a dry still day t’get on und spray um. I shall ha’a du like I did when I wanted t’du some spraying on the farm, git up early in the morning, five o’clock time, thas nice und still then. I shall ha’a tell the Missus the night a’for cos if I don’t she’ll be a wandering where I am if she weake up und I arn’t a laying a’side har………..She might think I hev run orf w’another women.

Since I last hed a wud along w’yar the Missus und I hev bin over the water a’gin w’our caravan. We driv through France und spent sum time in Switzerland afore going onta the Italian lakes. When we were a leaving Switzerland for Italy we driv through that there St. Gotthards Tunnel. My heart thas suffin long! The Missus recon she knew how a Mole feel when he’s underground. I say t’har that there were one difference. A Mole don’t hev any headlights t’see where he’s a’goin.
Later on we ha’a drive round Milan, I recon all them Italian drivers think their on a race track. As well as the cars there were a rare lot o’scooters und motorbikes a’weaving in and out o’the cars und lorries. Yu ha’a keep yar eyes on the road all the time cos another trick they hed was t’drive inta the traffic from side roads without a’waitin . I were suffin glad when we got back inta Switzerland.

They hed sum tidy farms in Italy, but as I hev said about the French Farmers a’for I din’t any on um warkin in Italy either. I din’t see any livestock but some o’the farms we passed hed sum great old shuds on um so I recon they must be kept inside.
We went und hed a look a some rare gardens ,one on um was so big, about 1000 acres , we went round on a golf buggy. The Missus kept a mobbin me, cos she recon I were a’goin to fast und she wernt strapped in. They hed sum Deer in a paddock, so we drawed up a’gin them so the Missus could teake a photo. I din’t recon much to um,… thas the deer not the Missus…………they looked a bit on the thin side, I recon they wanted wormin.
I’ll ha’a tell yu suffin else what happened while we were in Italy. We hed a bit o’trouble w’the gas in our caravan so I ha’a use a little doddy BBQ we hed with us but I din’t hev a bottle o’gas t’use. I hed a word w’the husband of the Mawther who were a runnin the camp site that we were a staying on, he could speak a bit of english. He sent me to a little corner shop just down the rood . I drawed down there und they hed some gas bottles. The Mawther behind the counter wont sell me one cos I han’t got empty bottle t’giv har. Well bor, she went at in Italion I all I could du were shrug me shoulders. She give har Husband a shout und he cum inta the shop. He din’t speak any english either but I could tell that he wont bothered about me not havin a empty bottle. Well bor they were a goin at it a havin a right old row for about 5 min.w’me just a standin there. I could see how much the gas was so in the end I just got the right money out und the Husband took it I walked out w’me gas leavin them still a’shoutin at each other .

When we got back the things in the garden hed suffin grown w’all the rain. I hev managed t’git the grass cut und most o’the weeds pulled up and the Missus hev bin a puttin in sum beddin plants.
A’time yu read this the Norfolk Show will be over. They tell me there are a’goin t’be sum royal visitors this year. I’ll am a goin t’be there a’helpin on the RBST stand. Them in charge allus bring any royal visitors t’see us so I hed better wear a tie this year just in case I git t’meet any on um. If I du I’ll tell yu about it next time I hev a wud a’long w’yu.

Fare ye well t’gether und du yu keep a’troshin

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2015 Archives Monthly Retrospective

The Boy Tom – August 2015

Categories
2015 Archives Monthly Retrospective

The Boy Tom – September 2015

How are yu all a’gettin on t’gether?

Yu know how last time I were havin a wud alon with yu about how the council hant bin round t’fil in them pot holes in Drury Lane. Well they hev bin now. A couple of old boys with a lorry cum along und started a’fillin them in. I drawed down und hed a wud along with um.
The fust thing I asked um was if they hed a large area t’git round. Well bor,I cant tell you all whot they said cos that were a bit rude but yis they do hev a gret old number o’roads t’look arter. They also recon that teake about six months from the time the holes are marked t’them a’gettin the papers a’tellin them which pot holes they hev gotta go und fill in.

Suffin else I want t’tell yu about is the state o’that new footpath the Council hev put down twixt Caudle Springs und the Norridge Rood. Thas only bin finished about six weeks(end July) und theses already a master crop o thistles a pushin up through the path near the Caudle Springs end. Them experts up at County Hall hev bin told about it und some folk hev sent them photos t’look at. They ,the experts, recon thas a’happend cos thistle seeds hev bin blown onta the footpath by the wind und hev germinated. As I go along the footpath most days on my old bike I could’a told them that them old thistle plants are still a’flowin und there ount be any seeds a’blowin on the wind for another week or two.
I recon what hev happened is that when them contractors were a’levellin the old footpath out all they did was skim orf sum top soil a’cuttin the top orf the thistle plants already a’growin. If you try a ‘diggin up a thistle plant, as I hev done several times durin the last sixty years, yu’ll know thas got a tap root that go down a tidy long way, just a cuttin the top orf will only make them shoot up agin. I keep a’wunderin why they din’t put suffin down tu stop them old thistles a’pushin back up through the tarmac chippins they were a’puttin down?…… Still what du I know I arnt a’expert!…….

We hed a rare lot o’rain at the end o’July, accordin t’my rain gauge there were nearly a couple of inches in a couple o’days, A’for we hed all that rain I ha’a replace the tap on one o’my old water butts cos the old one were a’leakin. Arter all that rain had cum down I went und hed a look t’see how much water there were in the butt. Du yu know that were still empty… when I hed a look I seed that I hant tunned the new tap orf arter I’d put it on. Later later on when I were indoors a’havin my foursers I told the Missus whot had happened…….She dint say anything……….she just gi me one o’har looks.

A’time yu are a’readin this the Farmers will hope “all is safely in”. I were a’readin tuther day about a combine that were a’goin in South Norfolk. They recon that in eight hours that could cut sum 80 hectares (197 acres) The width of the cutting header is sum 12.5m (41Ft) I say t’the Missus “thas longer than sum folks garden”. I’ll tell yu suffin else yu would want a suffin deep pocket t’buy one. That’ll set yu back sum £600.000. I know thas a no good a’lookin back but I can remember in the early 1960s when we traded our 8ft 6ins cut Massey in for a 12ft Claas we were suffin pleased cos that meant, if the goin were good, we could harvest a 4.85 hectare (12 acre) field in one day. I ha warked that would teake this here new combine about 17 minutes t’cut the same 12 acres……..if that could git inta the field with out a knockin the geat post down.

Them Dairy farmers are a’havin a hard time at the moment. Folk ha gotta look a head cos if yu pay a bit more now for yar British milk that will mean that’ll still be there when there is a world milk shortage cos that’ll cum one day as sure as day folla night.

Fare ye well t’gether und du yu keep a’troshin

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2015 Archives Monthly Retrospective

The Boy Tom – October 2015

How are yu all a’gettin on t’gether?

Last time I hed a wud a’long w’yu I recon that the Farmers would hev it all safely gathered in afor the end o’August. Well that din’t happin did it. Old Mother Nature she made sure o’that w’all that rain that cum down. Still them old wheats don’t go down like they used to years ago. That were a job then cos arter a tempest the old wheat would be a layin flat in the field just as if yu hed gone over it w’a set o’rolls. My heart that took sum cuttin, if that all lay the same way that wernt s’bad but if that lay all ways you hed a job. Yu ha’a drive the old combine real slow und keep a weavin the cutter bar back und forud so the old lifters could get under the straw. When yu did get the corn inta the tank that were only good t’feed to livestock. In them days most farms were mixed w’sum livestock and sum arable so corn that wernt good enough t’sell for malting und millin were kept for winter feed.

I were a’thinkin tuther day about when I warked for a local Corn Merchant durin the 1970s. I would go round at harvest time und try und buy cereals orf my customers. If the Barley were a malting variety I teak a sample to the maltings t’see what they would bid me. If they gi me a price I would go back t’the farm und try und buy it leaving me about £5 a tonne t’cover transport und a bit o’profit. That were the same w’millin wheat. I’d teake a sample inta Read’s at Norwich t’see if they would gi’me a price so I could go back t’the farm und try und buy the wheat for £5 a tonne less that the price Reads hed bid me. Cos I wernt the only one tryin t’buy the farmers corn . In the 1970s I recon that there were 7 or 8 other local merchants as well as the big national feed merchants like BOCM & Pauls of Ipswich all a goin round biddin the farmers prices for their crops either for malting, bread and biscuit flour or for turning inta animal feed cos in them days there were ni on a 1000 dairy herds in Norfolk as well as sum big pig and poultry units und they all ha’a be fed.
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Farmers used t’keep stock as well as hevin arable crops cos they used t’say that they allus hed suffin t’sell that were meakin a bit o’money. They hed a sayin “Up Horn (livestock) down Corn or tuther way round. At the moment I recon they would be a’sayin “down horn and corn cos the prices they are a’gettin for both are moderate. I see that them old french farmers are a demonstrating cos o’bad prices for their crops and milk by a drivin their tractors inta the cities in France t’stop the traffic. I suffin pleased the Missus und I arnt a goin over the water any time soon cos that would teak yu a rare lot o’time t’git anywhere if the roads were bunged up w’angry french farmers und thas afor you try t’git back acroos or under the channel.

They hev put up one o’them solar farms near the Norridge Rood behind them gret old warehouses. Sum folk recon they din’t ort be built cos that teake land outa food production. I recon what they want t’du is t’put them panels up higher orf the ground und sow grass so yu could graze sum sheep or run a few hins on the land underneath. Still I spus that with farm prices bein where they are solar panels are a’meakin more money for a farmer than lamb or eggs.

Well them boys up a Carra Rood hev meade a start a’playin w’the big boys. I recon they’ll du all right cos although they hant got any expensive players what they du hev is team spirit und play for each other. Sum o’them players in sum of them bigger teams are only a thinkin about one player when they git on the pitch……. thas them selves. Another think that dont help is them players cum from all over the world und half on um cant understand what the other half is a’sayin tu them and most of them hev a manager from sum where over the water un all.

Things are a’slowin up in the garden, the Missus und I hev started a’cuttin some things back. The trouble is I seem to hev got a lot more stuff t’put onta my old compost heap. The Missus is hevin a job t’hull anything up onta the top on it. I keep a’gettin up there und jammin about t’try und push the heap down, That ull be alright when I empty last years compost out t’meake more room. Until then I hev told the Missus I were a goin t’meake har a little ladder so she could get onta the top of heap w’me, then we can jam about t’gether . She dint say anything…… she just gi me one a’har looks.

Fare ye well t’gether und du yu keep a’troshin

Categories
2015 Archives Monthly Retrospective

The Boy Tom – November 2015

Well I recon Summer is over, a’time I am a writin this (early October) old Mother Nature seem t’hev tunnned the hot tap orf. Thas wind is suffin cold, I hev had t’put my old vest on.

Since I last hed a wud along wi yar the Missus und I hev bin over the water agin w’our caravan. We he bin und hed a look at Austria und sum parts o’Germany.(Bavaria) We took it steady a gettin there.

We stopped a night or two in the Black Forest. I say t’the Missus “why du they call it that?” she recon thas cos the trees are dark in colour…..I recon they all looked green t’me. We ha’a drive along sum o’them German Motorways. There wernt no speed limit on sum of the ones we driv along. My hart they dont half crowd their old cars along. I were a’takin it nice und steady cos we were a pullin our caravan when sum fella cum past us a’drivin a great old Mercedes with a caravan behind. My Hart he were a’goin und the caravan were a’bobbin about behind the car, I say t’the Missus “I bet he dont hev t’buy new tyres f’his caravan very orften, cos they only a’touchin the road every half a mile”.

When we were in Austria we went und hed a look at the hotel we spent our honeymoon in sum 45 year ago. The Missus recon that hed got bigger since we were there. I told har that I hed got a bit bigger since I were last there………….She dint say anything, she just gi me one o’har looks. (I dussant tell har that she might hev got a bit bigger un all).

The farmers Austria und Germany were scrappin around doin a bit of hay makin while we were there. The fields arnt very big so they use little old tractors, the sort’a like the market garden tractors we hev over here, only they a lot lower t’the ground When the hay is made they pick it up loose inta trailers und cart it back to their barns. They wark on sum funny old slopes. I watch one on un a drivin acroos a slope a pickin up the hay, they drive ever s’slow. Und I’ll tell yu suffin else, they dont waste any on it, parts o’the fields that are to steep f’them t’drive their tractors on, they rake the hay orf w’hand hay rakes.

I recon I’m allus a tellin on yar about farmin. I recon thas acors, a sumbody sed once, farmin int a job thas a way of life. Even though I’m retired I still keep a gawpin over hedges inta the fields t’see was a’goin on und I recon I’ll a carry on a’duin that for the rest o’me life.

I hev told yu afor about how the Missus hev a’bin a doin har family tree. When we were a comin back through France we stopped orf near the Somme so we could go and find the names o’folk that she ha got on har family tree who fell durin World War One. Fust of all we went t’the Thiepval Memorial. Thas a gret old memorial und thas got the names of seventy eight thousand solders carved on it who hev no known grave. We found the names the Missus were a lookin for. We then drawed up the road t’a cemetery where we found the grave of har Great Uncle who was killed on the Somme. The Missus recon that she were the first member of har family t’visit his grave.

That meake yu think when yu are a drivin about that area of France cos that seem as if yu are a’cummin acroos a war memorial und First World War grave yard every mile or so. Und they arnt just for British Solders, thes memorials for the different Commonwealth Countries who sent solders to fight.

Them boys up a Carra Rood seem t’be a makin a good start t’the football season. I know thas a long way till next May but thas best t’be a the top o’the tree cos them other teams ha gotta win more games than yu t’get above yar.

Well I ha betta finish orf und draw back inta the garden cos I hev got t’shift a lot o’lot of last years compost out afor I can tun this years compost over inta an empty bin. Und them old leaves hev a’stated a fallin so I’ll hev t’start a rakin them up cos they meake sum lovely compost if yu keep them a year or two. As I he said afor a garden is just like a’keepin livestock, Yu ha gotta keep a feedin und waterin on it or that ount du.

Fare ye well t’gether und do yu keepa’troshin.

Categories
2015 Archives Monthly Retrospective

The Boy Tom – December 2015

How are yu all a’gettin on t’gether

We havin sum rum old weather leatley. A’time I am a’writin this ( end of second week November) thas bin suffin warm for this time o’year. My old hins are a’settin agin cos they think thas spring already. I wunt mind but that mean they ount lay eny eggs.

Cos o’this weather thas a job t’know what t’du in the garden, I want t’git the Missus ‘s tender plants inta the green house but their still got leaves und flowers on und that dont seem right t’cut um back. But I hev gotta make a start cos if I don’t I now what ull happpen Jack Froost will be a leavin his callin card afore I hev got all them tender plants tucked up for the winter.

A’ridin round a’lookin over the hedge I see that the winter crops the farmers sowed arter harvest are a’growin well. The trouble is the farmers dont want them a’gettin to forrud cos if they du the plants can get fungus spores onta them und that ull knock them back if the farmers don’t spray um. Years ago if corn crops got to forrud in the autumn farmers would turn a flock o’sheep onta the crop und let them graze it back a bit. Today not many farms hev a flock o’sheep t’du the job. Talkin o’farm livestock, I were a’goin t’Dereham the other day und I see some milkin cows a’grazin on a field tuther side o’Shipdham. That were a rare sight, I nearly stopped und counted them, only the Missus were w’me und she would hev only mobbed me. She recon I go a’bit sorft if I see a field o’sheep.

Well I spuse they hev finished a meakin the road safe for the children t’walk along Caudle Springs und Drury Lane. They hev meade a footpath from Caudle Springs along Drury Lane on the wide verge. Then further along when the road get narra und thas got no room for a path their painted a gret old white line along the road. I spus thas meant t’keep the cars one on side o’the line und walkers tuther. That ull still be a rear muddle if two cars meet cos one on um will ha’a crors the white line where the walkers are. If they want t’slow the cars up why dont they put sum o’them sleepin policeman down? That look as if they arnt a’goin t’put any footpath down along Caudle Springs cos the verge is to narra. Arter all this cost I dont reccon many Parents will walk their children t’school. I recon that them up at County Hall should listen to the folk thas a’goin t’affect, T’start with thas our money their a’spendin. Another thing….. The police were agin the whole idea tellin them the road were dangerous for children t’walk along.

Well them boys up a Carra Rood don’t seem t’be settling in to bad a playin with the big boys. I recon they hev got a young manager who seem t’think about the game und is happy t’try a different way o’playin if the one he’s a usin now dont seem t’be warkin. Thas the same w’any job there’s allus more than one way t’du it. Somebody say t’me once “ If you teake a horse t’water, these more than one way t’meake him drink”

Did any on yu see the programme on the tv about the food waste . They shew what the supermarkets hull out and how they only teake about 50% of the vegetables what the farmers grow for um. As I hev said afor that aint right, cos there’s folk in this country who would be glad on it.what ever shape it is. When I think back t’when I were livin at home, M’mother cooked everything that m’Father grew in the garden, she dint hull anything out cos that were the wrong shape. They recon we now live in a consumer society, I recon the trouble is that most folk in this society don’t now where their food cum from und think thas all grown t’that shape. I recon that’ll theake a bit more than a tv programme t’educate them otherwise.

As this is the last time I’ll be havin a wud along with yu afor the end o’the year the Missus join me in Wishin Yu All a Very Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year.

Fare ye well t’gether und du yu keep a’troshin.

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2016 Archives Monthly Retrospective

The Boy Tom – January 2016

Categories
2015 Archives Monthly Retrospective

The Boy Tom – April 2015

Well here we are t’gether agin.

A‘Time you are a readin this we’ll be over a quarter a’way through another year. I am a’writin this (second week of March) und old mother nature is a doin har best t’git some warm, growin weather, a’goin. The sun a got a bit o’heat about it though that old wind still blow cold und Jack Frorst still keep a’leavin his callin card durin the night.

We ha’a change the clocks at the end o’the Month(March) so the old evenings will start a’drawin out. That ount be long a’for I cen git outside agin arter m’tea.
I remember ni on fifty year ago when I were a’milkin cows I layed late the Sunday arter we put the clocks forrud, The farmer I were a’warkin for he allus helped me a milkin in the mornin so a’time I got inta the dairy he hed milked half the cows. When I said I were sorry for bein late He said that din’t matter cos as he’d hed milked half the cows he were a’goin t’leave me t’milk the other half while he went orf und hed his breakfast.

I see the farmers are a gittin the land ready for planting potatoes. Afor they plant the potatoes they ridge the land up und then go through the field a sivin the soil t’git any stones out so they don’t cut the potatoes when they cum t’start a’liftin them. I used t’wark with a fella who driv one o’them tractors pullin a de-stoner. Thas a slow old job und he recon when he used t’du the night shift he warked out how long that took the tractor t’go acroos the field. When he set in the other end he set an alarm clock und went t’sleep until the alarm when orf und wook him up just afor he got t’the other end o’the field

Cos plantin the seed potatoes is all dun automatically now, I cen remember when there ha’a be somebody a sittin on the machine a’droppin the seed potatoes down a tube onta the ground. The planter were a little two row thing made by Harry Ferguson at Coventry. That hed a hopper for the potatoes und a metal seat each side where yu sat above the ridging mould boards. T’make sure yu got the potatoes the right distance apart the machine had a steel wheel on it that ran in the furra, that hed a hammer on a spring attached to it. When the planter were a’goin along there were suffin on the wheel that made the hammer strike the wheel und that made a noise like a bell bein struck. Yu ha’a drop a seed potato down the tube every time the bell sounded. The men sittin on the planter din’t like it cos that made a rare lot o’noise und give them a skull ake (ear defenders had not been invented then) und when the ground were a little dawby(wet) the bell got clogged up w’mud und din’t wark. I think in the end they took the bell orf und counted up to two between a droppin each potato down the tube.

Well them boys up a Carra Rood got the better of them Tractor Boys from over the border. I hent heard a lot from m’Brother since that happened. That look as if they may be a’gettin themselves back in with the big boys cum September. Still a lot can happen between now und the end o’the season.

I see the Government are allowin tractors t’go faster on the roods now und are allowin them t’pull bigger trailers. If they start a pullin heavier trailers that ull du the roads a’lot o’good. Last summer I see a Mawther from County Hall a sprayin a coloured line around sum pot holes near our house. I drawed out und hed a wud along with har. She recon that were so the repair team could see which holes they were t’repair when they cum round in a week or so time. Since the coloured lines hev disappeared und the pot holes hev got bigger und nobody hev been near nor by t’repair them.

Well I hed better get out inta the garden a’time thas fine. We ha got several shrubs in great old pots und we want t’get get them inta the ground afor they start a’shootin. That ull mean I wont hev s’meny pots t’water this year……… thas a’corse unless the Missus buy suffin else t’put in um.

Fare ye well t’getter und du yu keep a troshin.

The Boy Tom