This picture (below) is exactly how I remember rural life when I was small. We lived on the edge of a small Surrey Village, and our large garden backed onto open countryside. We also had our own Chickens, Ducks, and Bantams, as well as a large Veg' garden, and plenty of Fruit and Nut trees. So I'm no stranger to bucolic life.
Country life isn't all that different today. The Tractors are definitely bigger, and Hay Bales have changed shape, but otherwise life is much the same. Fields are ploughed, seeds sown, and crops harvested. Cows are still Milked, Pigs fattened, and Sheep sheared. Fields look much as they did over half a century ago, and their surrounding hedges continue to be trimmed. Rooks still nest in noisy gangs high in the Oak trees, and Rabbits run wild amongst the Wheat and Barley.
One of the few noticeable differences these days is the absence of Haystacks. When I was small, beautifully crafted Haystacks would always be topped with hay-sculpted animals and birds. Pheasants were a favourite. Serious competitions were held for 'Best Haystacks'.
The other major difference is that the Farmers themselves now all have glum faces, but the cause of that is beyond their control.
I would have quite enjoyed life as a Farmer. I did once contemplate buying a farm in Wales It had a lovely old stone farmhouse, loads of stone-built barns, etc, and about 20 acres of good level land. My only problem was that at 25 yeas old, I knew nothing about farming, so I bought a similar stone-built farm in S W France instead, which had just one Hectare of land; not all of which was level.
I grew Wheat and Maize, and I harvested an annual crop of Chestnuts from a small area of ancient grafted trees. And as I had been taught as a child, I grew all my own vegs, and had a run-full of Hens.
Farming runs in my distant family, as I imagine it does in almost everyone's families. I think I would have made a good 'arable' Farmer. No Cows or Sheep or Pigs; just acres of Leeks, Spuds, and Onions.
Now I shall never know.
4 comments:
That is how I remember England. We both ended up with blocks of land growing fruit and veg and raising, in our case, hens for eggs, cockerals for meat, ducks and turkeys.
We had a good start in life. Fuller taught me a lot!
I remember both Mr. & Mrs. Fuller and Maud fondly. I was in touch with Maud until her death.
And Mrs Belton. They were all such lovely people.
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