22nd September 2024

 

Dear All,

This has been “Much Shifting Week!” Farmer Les Cook delivered one tractor bucket full to the allotment and another to our front drive on Tuesday. I started to barrow the allotment consignment while Les delivered two more loads for Peter at the allotments. I then started to clear the front drive before church groups and was pleased to receive help from Gordon after the meeting. Kate helped me finish the allotment batch on Friday after the Tesco’s run. Altogether I barrowed 58 loads – very good for the muscles!

 

 

Front Drive

 

 

Back Garden

 

I have since spread and rotovated a couple of areas ready for autumn planted crops.

We had a rare outing to Cambridge on Tuesday to equip us for our forthcoming trip to Sicily next Thursday. I brought a couple of shirts and Kate a new swim suit.

Our walk on Thursday started at Shepreth and took in Barrington, Foxton and Fowlmere. Conditions were good: dry and warm, there were several ploughed fields again and a number of interesting environmental mixes with Quinoa, fodder radish, fodder rape, sorghum, buck wheat and phacelia.

 

 

Shepreth

 

 

Shepreth

 

 

5 Furrow reversible

 

 

Environmental Mix

 

 

Rayner’s Dovecote, Foxton

 

On Tuesday evening I attended Swavesey Historical Society for a talk on “Fenland Farming in the 50’s” given by Selwyn Richardson an old NAAS man who grew up on a County Council small holding near Downham Market. The things he described seemed very familiar to things I remembered growing up. He had four brothers who all worked on a 52-acre farm.

Wednesday evening was Over Garden Club with a talk on “Spring Bulbs.” It was well illustrated but not the liveliest delivery.

Willingham Ploughing match took place on Saturday actually on Ramper Road. It was a sunny morning and there was a good turn-out of competitors but the land was still very dry and lumpy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Willingham Ploughing Match

 

In the afternoon I watched Over 1 v 0 Gt Shelford (last years champions) and Esther and Emma called in on the way home from a week in the Lake District.

 

 

Regards

 

Mike & Kate