Tag: May

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

Last time I hed a wurd a’long with yu I hoped that two things would happen afore I hev a wud with yu this month. One were that Russia und Ukraine would sort them selves out und tuther were that old Mother Nature would git har act t’gether und give us some proper weather for the time o’year. Well four weeks arter writin that nothing seem to hev happened on either counts.
Russia und Ukraine are still locking horns, this could last for sum time cos them folk in Ukraine arnt a’goin t’give in, this is suffin him at the top in Russia did’nt recon on happening. Less hope they see sense und stop cos if they carry on there won’t be any country left for anybody to live in.

Old Mother Nature hev tunned the heater dial up a bit so thas warmer but when are we a’goin t’see some rain. When I were out on my old bike a couple o’weeks ago I see a tractor working down a field belonging to the Young Master up at the Hall und the soil were so dry that the dust were blowing behind the cultivator. .Tuther day when I were out with the Missus down near Thetford I see a Farmer were irrigating his winter sown barley crop. Farmers don’t normally irrigate any o’their cereal crops but with prices for wheat und barley going up I recon they think thas worth doin.

Since I last hed a wud along with yu the Missus und I hev bin away with our caravan. No we han’t bin over the water ,we aren’t a’goin t’du that no more cos we are gettin a bit long in the tooth for that caper. any how there a plenty o’places in this country we want t’visit agin. So we hev kicked orf with a trip t’the Yorkshire Dales, we used t’go there a lot sum thirty t’forty year ago with our three children. Thas a fair way t’go, ni on two hundred miles , still once yu git up the A17 t’Newark thas duel carriage nearly all the way. I thought the price of fuel where high down here but in one o’them service areas on the A1 I see that diesel were £1.99p/ litre.
While we were in the Dales we went und had a look at where they meake the Wensleydale Cheese. There were plenty of folk there so arter having a look at how they meake the cheese we drawed inta the shop where they were selling it. My heart there were a rare lot o’different types und they hed cut pieces of cheese orf so yu could hev a taste on it afore yu ha’a buy it. I say t’the Missus that we didn’t ha’a go inta their cafe for sum food , if we drawed round the shop two or three times tasting their samples o’cheese as we went round that’d be the same as a getting some food in the cafe……… The Missus told me t’hold my row cause she recon folk were a’starin at me.
A’drivin round the dales yu could see that they could du with a’rain un all. There wernt a lot o’grass in the fields und the rivers were very low. When we went t’hev a look at the Ribblehead viaduct I see an old ewe havin a drink outa one o’the down pipes on one o’the viaduct pillars. The weather changed the evening afore we come home, that started t’rain und carried on all through the night und stopped just afore I drawed outa bed at seven o’clock the following mornin, that were what my dear old Father would hev called “a growin rain” The trouble was that din’t follow us home to Norfolk when we left at about half arter nine.

I’ll tell yu suffin I hev a’started doing in the garden, I hev started feeding Hedgehogs. I knew hed got sum in the garden und the Missus bought me a hedgehog feeding box. A month or two ago we hed bin to a talk at our Gardening Club from a Mawther who were a telling us all about looking arter hedgehogs, how-sum-ever we put some cat food und clean water inta the box, yu don’t use bread und milk cos that an’t good for um, und I rigged up my camera trap. A Hedgehog found the box on the first night und then the night arter that the box were visited by hedgehogs five times. The trouble is I can’t work out if thas five different hedgehogs visiting once or one hedgehog coming back five times durin the night.

Well them boys up at Carra Rood have fell through the trapdoor back into the Championship League. The trouble is they just hant bin good enough all season. That’ll be interesting to see which players stay und which ones leave cos the present manager, Mr Smith, will want’ta git players who will play for him und the supporters.

They tell me that the village Heritage Group are holding a ‘Tea and Memories’ arternoon at the Village Hall on 20th May from 2 – 4pm. They are looking for folk who hev memories of living in the village und would like t’cum along und tell members o’the group about they’re memories over a cup o’tea und cake. If you hev any photos the group would be interested in looking at these as well. As the Missus und I hev lived here for fifty years I recon we’ll be there. If you are interested in coming along then contact the group on 01953 885353 or Email: [email protected] If yu can’t git there don’t worry cos the group can arrange to come und git yu. Yu never know that might be me who come und fetch you und take you back home agin afterwards!

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

Well how are yu all a’gettin on t’gether?
Last time I hed a wud along with yu I were a’goin on about how hot that were: well this time I’m a’goin t’say how cold & dry that hev bin.
That airn’t good growin weather. I hev bin round with the old hose pipe und watering can several times since Easter. The trouble is nothin is growin how it should. Normally at this time o’year I’d be a gettin the Missus’s tender shrubs shrubs outa the green house so I can be a’gettin it ready for my tomato plants.
I hev put my Sweet Pea plants out but they aren’t a movin at all.
While the Missus und I were driving about during last week I see that several farmers hev bin irrigating their winter cereals. Most o’the sugar beet seed hev bin drilled, but they won’t start a’growin without sum warm weather und a drop o’rain. They recon we are a goin t’git sum rain und high winds next Monday but they don’t talk on it getting any warmer! As I hev said afore, thas no good trying t’beat Mother Nature cos she’ll allus win. The only thing yu can du is to hold yar hosses until the wind is blowin the right way. My dear old Father used t’say that yu ha’a wait until the weather were set fare over Will’s mothers.
Another thing I told yu last time was how I hed set some eggs down under my old Bantams. Well the eggs hev hatched orf, out o’the six eggs I set down five on um hatched out. The chicks are a doin alright, they are all different colours so ,at the moment I don’t know how many of um will be hins und how many on um will be cockerels? They are shut up at the moment und I’m am a’goin t’wait until we git sum warm weather before I open the hut door so they can hev a look outside.
If any on yu are a’goin past the Village Hall you’ll see that the old Hunton Hoss Plough that stand twix the hev got sum on it missing. Thas cos the wooden handles hev bin taken orf cos they want tricolating up a bit. Them handles must be suffin old cos they were with the plough when that were bought for the village sum twenty year ago. I bet they could tell sum tales? Talking about hoss ploughing hears a question for you: One ploughman with two hosses und a single furra plough was reckoned to plough an acre a day, if he plough an acre a’day how many miles did the Ploughman walk ? I’ll give yu the answer at the bottom of the page.
Another I see when I were out on my old bike were sum folk a putting rabbit netting round their garden. That got me thinking about the time when sum on us put some rabbit netting up down at the village school. That were when the school were a lot smaller with only fifty little uns on the register so they used the field twix the school und the church to play football on. The Headmaster recon he couldn’t let them run about or play football there cos that were too dangerous cos rabbits were drawin outa the hedge on the far side und scrapping little holes. It the children were running about they might put their foot inta one of them holes und trip over. I were a School Governor at the time und we decided to hev wud with them up at norwich t’see if they could cum und put sum nettin along the fence, they recon they could but that would set the school back ni on £2000. Thas a lot of money now but in the 1980s that were more than the school could lay out. The Governors und the Teacher Parents Association wanted it done so we decided to do it ourselves. I got the wire netting und staples, I think that corst less than £40. One Saturday morning a group on us drawed down to the school und set about diggin a trench along the fence, set the netting in & fixed it to the fence. Yu ha’a set the nettin inta the ground or the rabbits will burrow under it. The Missus und other Mawthers kept us supplied with tea und cake while the little uns helped fill in the trench. By mid-day we hed finished und the children could play games with-out worrying about a putting their foot down a rabbit hole. The trouble is that we did not have camera phones then so I don’t think there are any photos.
I see on the local BBC news tuther night they were a’showin a robot tractor that were working on a farm hoeing on a field between rows of onions. They recon thas the way forward cos once that hev the field edges programmed into it the machine could wark on its own day and night. That could only do light jobs, that weren’t big enough to plough. That cost over £100.000 which is about the same as sum tractors cost today. That weren’t very big so farmers would hev to buy more than one on um. The BBC Man recon that in farming there were the Hoss, then the Tractor und now the Robot. I recon that will happen corse Tractors und Combines already hev self steering using Satellites und Lasers.
While I hev bin a’written this Norwich hev bin a’playin against Reading. they hev wun 4 -1 which mean they are the Championship League Champions OTBC.
Du yu know we hev an old Cock pheasant who cum inta the garden every evening at about the same time , 5.30pm. He allus announce he hev arrived by calling out und rufflin his feathers. He strut around as if he own the place. Sometimes he bring a couple of hin pheasants with him. They pick up any seeds that hev dropped orf the bird feeders. While the hin pheasants are a’feedin he keep a look out for um und only feed himself when they wander orf. Thas is lovely to see um.
Cos since I last hed a wud with yu we hev lost Prince Phillip. 99 year old is a good age for anybody, at least thas nice t’now that he enjoyed most his retirement in Norfolk. I remember somebody, who hed met him, sayin that the Prince recon that if he couldn’t go about his business with-out being disturbed at Sandringham there was no where else he could go.
Fare ye well t’gether und du yu keep a’troshin
PS. the answer is approx. 11 miles.

Well how are yu all a’gettin on t’gether?
Thas still a’carryin on, thas that old coronavirus I am a’talkin about und they recon thas a goin t’carry on a bit longer yet. The trouble is once we hev sin the back o’this lot, if we arnt careful there could be another lot on it just around the corner t’cum at us agin. Them in charge recon we hev gotta keep stowed up for a bit longer if we want t’git on top on it.
As I said when I last hed a wud along w’you the Missus & I are a’self isolatin cos of our age und cos I’m a diabetic. We are a managing cos folk who live around here are a’keepin an eye on us und we are gettin our shoppin delivered in.. Thas good t’see there are a group on um in the village who hev got t’gether t’meake sure older folk und others who can’t git out are being looked arter , they are getting their shopping und medicines for um. I hant driven me car for ni on four weeks, when I washed it tuther day, yes that still git mucky even though that hant bin out, I started the engine und run it for a while just the keep the battery charged. They hev got a stall set up near the church where folk can go und git bread & vegetables that hev bin donated by a local supermarket. That shop in Watton what sell garden things & bird feed hev bin delivering orders to yar home. I hev had them deliver a couple o’times wi bird feed, some paint und tomato plants. I know I said last time I won’t a’goin t’be to hasty a cuttin my grass. Well I hev bin over it a few times now. The fust time I went over it I cut it a bit high, then I got my other machine out und give it a good rake und slitted the turf t’let the air in . Arter that I give it a dose of fertiliser. I ha’a do that job by hand cos my spreader brook down. I ha’a remember how my father hed shown me how t’spread by hand while a’walkin . For every step yu teak you swing the opposite arm acrorse infront on yu a’thrown the fertiliser on. The way I am a’talkin yu would think I hev got a great old bit o’grass. Well that’s about as big as half a tennis court so I spuse thas a lot bigger than some folks gardens. The trouble it since I put it on thas hed to wait until today (28th April) t’git a decent drop o’rain on it t’wash the fertiliser in t’start the grass a’growin properly.
As I hev said a’for I keep a few old hins. They spend their time in an enclosed pen so I thought I’d giv them a bit of a treat by puttin them onto sum fresh grass. I hed an old hin hut und run down the bottom of the garden which I hev got out und tricolated up for um. I ha’a move the run onto a fresh bit o’grass every day but the hins seem t’like it but movin on um hev stop them a’layin for a day or two. I’ll tell yu suffin else we hev hed in the garden….. I were a usin my strimmer early one mornin, when I see suffin a’movin out o’the corner of me eye. When I stopped und hed a look, a baby fawn were a runnin across the garden. I could tell that weren’t very old cos that were still wet. I followed down it t’bottom of the garden und that got stowed up between a shud und the fence. I took a picture in it on my phone und then went t’git the Missus so she could hev a look. A time we hed got back that hed dissapeared. I recon that the fawns mother hed left it in garden arter that were born und was a’goin t”come back to arter dark t’let it hev a drop o’milk. We din’t see it agin but next day our next door neighbour recon he had seen a deer & her fawn durin the evening so that looks as if they got back t’gither.
Them old blackbirds hev bin busy in the garden a’gettin nest material und pullin worms outa the lawn t’feed their young. Tuther day I see a female blackbird a’gettin some moss from round the pond for har nest. She got so much moss in har beak she hed a job t’see where she was a goin.
The Young Master up at the Hall get bin a gettin on with sowin his spring crops, they hev bin busy on the fields twix us und the Norridge Road a’sowin Beans. Durin this warm weather what we hev bin a havin they were a’shown above the ground about 15 days arter they were sown. This here rain we are a havin will get them a’goin.
That’ll seem a rummin that there will be no Royal Norfolk Show this year. Thas only the second time since 1945 that hant bin held.
There are other local shows und village fetes that may not be held. Not only are the events that git folk t’gether but thas a time when village groups can raise some money.
I hope you are all a’goin out on a Thursday evenin t’clap for them in the NHS und others who are doin their bit t’keep us a’goin. Thas the least we can du for um.
Do yu all mind how yu du go,
Fare ye well t’tither und du yu keep a’troshin

Well how are yu all a’gettin on t’gether?
Well thas nearly another month gone since I last hed a would a’long w’yu.
I’ll ha’a tell yu I han’t bin in to good a’fettle since then. I ha’a hev a couple nights in hospital just a’for Easter. I aren’t a coin t’say to much about it except t’say I were well looked after und them doctors und Nurses work suffin hard 24 hours a day.. They did a good job und got me sorted out so I were home in time for Easter. That really knocked me back und I am still pulling a light Harra. That mean the Missus ha’a teak up the slack. She hev done well und I hope t’be in full harness before to long although I don’t I’ll be a riding my old bike for a while yet.
Right at the beginnin o’the month the Missus und I went to see our eldest Grandson on his Birthday. He were havin a party at a go-cart track near Newmarket. Well that were a rare place. There go-cart racing, motor cycle scrambling, drivin 4x4s & trikes.
There were five friends with our Grandson. They were kitted out wi racing suits & helmets. They ha’a watch a safety film a’for they went out t’the go-carts. They then went out onto the track for ten laps. The go-carts were governed down to 20mph. Then they come in again und ha’a hev another talk a’fore they went out und hed a proper race. Them in charge let me go out onto the track t’teak sum photos. Mind yu I won’t hev wanted t’be out there when the older folk were a’goin round cos their carts were governed at 40 mph
That were a good du und the boys enjoyed it.
I remember several year ago I went on one o’them corporate dues at a go-cart track. I hed a go but I dint du to well cos I were heavier than a lot on um there un they could go quicker cos all the engines were the same size. I recon I would hev bin a’right if I could hev put a stick in the governor on the motor t’open the engine up a bit.
Afore I were ill the Missis und I went to the Spring Fling at the Show Ground. That were suffin cold und most folk there were rugged up . Our Son und his Missus und our Grand Daughter cum and hev a look . They recon they enjoyed it will be back agin. The Missus she went round w’them t’hev a look. I hev bin a goin since that started sum 20 year ago I did’t think there were the same feelin about the place that hev bin other years….perhaps that were just the cold weather. But the organisers hed made one or two changes und I don’t think they warked. That’ll be interesting t’see what they do next year?
Thas bin rum old weather t’git on in the garden. The main thing is that we want sum rain. Thas still to cold at nights t’git the Missus’s tender plants out o’the green house. The trouble is thas bin warm duin the day so yu ha’a leave the green house door open t’let the heat up. Thas alright as long as yu remember t’shut the door at night.
The farmers are havin a job cos the land is s’dry. Some on um are already irrigating their winter cereals t’keep them a growin. On the heavy land their are heaven a job a’breakin the land down cos thas s’dry. Most o’the sugar beet seed hev bin drilled but that’ll want sum rain t’git them a’growin. They recon if that keep dry that’ll be an early harvest. I
recon old Mother Nature will hev a few more tricks up har sleeve a’for we git there.
The Missus und I drawed down t’the village hall this arternoon,(27th April) cos there were a du on t’celebrate a reunion of the Smith Family. There were three sisters und a brother who were all born in the village und all went t’the village school. They were all there und
their total ages were 377 years. Two o’the sisters ha’a travel t’git here. One on um come from America und another one come down from Scotland. That were a rare good du w’plenty of folk there from their family und some folk from the Village who knew them. The Missus und I recon thas was village life is about. Folk a’sittin round havin a good mardle und lookin at some old photos und remembering things that happened several year ago.
While I hev bin a’writin this I hev bin a’listen to BBC Radio Norfolk commentary on Norwich City’s game against Blackburn Rovers. If they win this that’ll mean they will be playing with the big boys in the premier league next year. They hev won. OTBC Fare ye well together und du you keep a’troshin

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

I know that Spring is supposed t’be nearly over but han’t that bin a rummun one? Arter the “Beast of the east” hed left us we hed another one cum along und then we hed a wet und cold Easter. Last week we hed weather that were as good as many Summer days. Now I am a writtin (Sat. 28th) this cos thas a’rainin und the garden is to wet und dawby to get on. They recon that the farm wark is about 3 weeks behind. That don’t sound much but come harvest time that could be the difference between a makin or losing money on the crop.

A little arter Easter we hed our two Grandsons to stay for a couple o’nights. We took them up to Holkham Park for the day as there’s plenty there to keep them entertained. One thing we went t’see was the Field to Plate interactive display. That is suffin t’go und see cos that show folk how their food is grown and there’s a lot for the little ones t’do. One of our Grandsons got dressed up as a Game Keeper. One o’the things the boys liked was the tractor driving simulator. That were a modern tractor cab with all the hands controls und instead of the front window there were a screen which showed the tractor a goin acroos a field ore travelling along a road. You ha’a steer the tractor und you could meake it go faster or slower. The man in charge recon that they use suffin similar to train real tractor drivers on. When you look at all the leavers und buttons around the cab that int such a daft idea as that sound. Thas better to meake a mistake on a simulator rather than on a real field or road where you could hev an accident und somebody could git hurt.

Yu know how I were a’tellin yu last month how many pot holes there were in the road twix Watton Green und Caudle Springs well I can tell yu that they hev been filled in. That seem a rummin that they hev done them when there are still pot holes on the main Norwich Road outa Watton that hant been seen too.

Some on yu may hev seen that there hev bin a group of folk who hev bin a goin round the Village a’pickin up litter that folk hev thrown outa they car windows. We hev gotta be grateful there are folk in the village who are prepared to turn out in their free time und do this.

Why do folk hull litter about the country side, why cant they take it home und put it in their own refuse bins? Some folk recon that them fast food places are to blame. Well when the Missus und I hev bin on holiday over the water yu don’t see any litter along their roads near their fast food places.

I recon them at the Council arn’t a helpin by chargin folk t’teak stuff to their local refuse collection point und them who recon they know about recyclin recon thats a job to re-cycle everything. Well I’ll tell yu suffin: Afore I retired I warked at a place that were inta recyclin. I hed suffin t’do with the Waste Management Unit there und we managed to recycle 80% of the firm’s waste und that included food waste un-all which were turned into compost, so that can be done. I remember a’tellin an expert at one o’them recyclin roadshows about it. Arter I hed finished she recon that her Council had different parameters (What ever they were) to the ones I were a’warkin to!!!!!

Well I hev just hed a gawp outa the window und I recon that that hev stopped rainin so I might draw outside. Thas afor the Missus find me a “little” inside job to do, I recon I can find suffin t’do in my greenhouse.

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

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.

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

I am a bit moderate at the moment. Just cos old muther nature hev warmed the weather up a bit(mid April) that han’t stopped me a gettin a bit of a’cold und tizzick (cough). The Missus recon thas my fault cos I told har that if the weather stayed warm I were a’goin t’start a wearin my summer vest. She also recon that.if I dint improve soon she’s a’goin t’put me inta a basket und teake me down t’the vetinary’s und let him hev a look at me.

I have read that them up at County Hall hev decided that sum o’the children from the Norwich Road Estates are a’goin t’hev t’walk t’the Village School instead of gettin on a bus t’teake them there und back. They recon that they a’goin t’tricolate up the footpath that run twix the Norridge Road und Caudle Springs. As I hev said afor I crowd my old bike through there most days t’get me peaper. That ull teake a’tidy lot o’wark t’git git that path ready so the Mothers und Fathers can walk through there with their children und may be a’pushin a pram or push chair. Thas afor they ha’a walk down Drury Lane, cos thas suffin narra in places wi high banks und no where t’git orf the road. A’time they get t’school the little -uns are a’goin t’be tired out. They still a goin t’walk back agin arter they cum outa school in the arternoon und the parents are a’goin t’hev t’walk the path 4 times a’day. They recon that a good education will help one und all t’git on in life. How can those children who will now hev to walk t’school concentrate on their leanin when they arrive t’school dog tied?

Yu remember last time I hed a’word along with yu I were a goin on about, how last year, the Council hed marked round pot holes t’be repaired and how nuthin hed happened. Tuther day I see sum new yella lines round sum pot holes near where we live. I’ll be a keepin an eye on um und let yu know what happen.

There seem a rare lot of roadworks here about. Last week I warked out that there were only one road outa Watton (The Brandon Road) that dint hev sum traffic lights a’holdin folk up, und thas a’for yu start a thinkin about the road closed up at Watton Green.

A’time yu are a’readin this the old elections will be about t’happen. They allus recon that politions are the best salesmen out. They promise the earth but deliver nout. Sum folk say that to be a good polition you ha got t’be able the talk about nuthin for 5 minutes while you are a’thinkin of suffin t’say. Hevin said all that I think thas important that yu du vote, cos if yu dont thas no good yu a carryin on about them once they are elected.

Well them boys up at Carra Rood are a still a’winnin. A time yu read this they’ll know if they hev got their pass t’ go inta the Premier Legure with-out hevin t’go inta the play-orfs. Arter the season is over one o’our boys with sum of his friends are a’playin at Carra Rood. They are hevin the pay a’bit t’du so. I recon the Missus und I will draw along und giv him a look.

Well I hed better close now cos the Missus recon she is a mixin suffin up that ull help get rid of my cold und tizzick. I see she ha’got a little old bottle ready. I hope she ent a’goin t’drench me (pore the mixture down my throat) like I used d’do with my old sheep when they hed suffin wrong with um!!!!!

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

Missing Month

That look as if we are a’goin t’get sum warmer weather at last (second week April), that old wind ha bin suffin fit t’flare yar these past few weeks, nothin has bin a growin. Tha ha put the land wark all a’hind, at least now the old soil will a’bein warmed up now und things ull start a’growin.

I hant bin able t’get inta my old green house cos thas all bunged up with the Missus tender plants, I’ll soon be a movin them out so I can get it ready for my old tomato plants. I ha start a few seed orf on a heated sand bed I tricolated up but that ha bin too cold to move them out so I ha bin stowed up for room, still if we git a week or or two good weather we’ll soon forgit them cold winds.

Sum time last year I were a sayin on how there wernt meny yougsters a goin inta farmin, well they recon thas the same wi horticulture, they were a interviewin sum younguns on TV und they recon thas dirty work a muckin about wi plants. Well, they took them to a great old green house were everything were bein controlled by computers and they were a usin bugs t’kill other pests insted o’sprayin everything. Arter seein that the youngsters recon they might be interested in a lookin at horticulture as a job. But they recon on this programme that thas a gettin serious und they want the government t’du suffin a bout it cos there arnt any scientists a comin along t’stop things like Ash Dire Back a agettin inta the Country.

Tuther day I were a drivin past one of them gret old outdoor pig units yu see about here. I recon thas a job a warkin on one of them durin the frorsty weather, that arnt so bad a feedin the old sows cos they hev machines what hull the feed out as thas drawed past the pens behind a tractor, if yu feed sows dry food they gotta hev water as well und I recon most of the water pipes will ha bin frozen up, so yu gotta cart water to’un un all and thas a lot of water cos an old sow with a litter o younguns on har will want a gallon or two a day.

Cos keeping pigs outside int nothin new, I remember my grandfather a keepin pigs out side in the early 1950s. They wernt kept behind electric fences then, the old sow wore a harness and were tethered to a long chain that were attached to a long spike that yu driv inta the ground. Yu ha’a make sure that when yu driv the spike inta the ground the old sow could get just git inta her hut but could not get round behind it cos if she could the old begger would git hung up. Most of the old sows then were black und white (Saddlebacks) but they lost favour when they started a keepin pigs inside cos they did not hev very big litters und the piglets did not grow fast enough so farmer switched to white pigs ( Large White & Landrace). They kept pigs in the late 1950s where m’father was Foreman und their pigs went t’ the Wall’s factory in London where they made pork pies und ice cream.

Them boys up at Carra Rood are a makin a rum job on it this year, I recom they’ll stay up but that arnt a goin t’be easy, still at least where every they finish that’ull be higher than the Tractor Boys. (Ipswich).

While the weather ha bin moderate the Missus und I hev abin decoratin agin, We turned out a lot of stuff, I found a book of pressed wild flowers und grasses I hed collected when I were at Agricultural Collage, we ha’a find 40 different wildflowers/weeds press um and put them inta a book along wi’ their latin names un what chemicals would kill um. Along wi that we ha’a find 12 different grasses. I dunno what folks thought when they cum acroos these 17 year old boys a carrin bunches o’wild flowers. The Missus recon she would ha liked to ha sin me, I told har I could still pick wild flowers but I might ha forgottun some o’their latin names.

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

Missing Month

Missing Month