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... the sky is baby blue, and the just-unfurling leaves ...
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gz



Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8577
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 19 7:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

A grand day out!

Ty Gwyn



Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4562
Location: Lampeter
PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 19 11:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Excellent photo`s,Notice in the first photo of the French farmer ploughing across the pitch and the trio of Brabants,they are the only ones who have the tug chains all the way to the haimes on the collar,all the others have webbing going back ,then short tug chains.


That must have been a good day out.

Jam Lady



Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2501
Location: New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 19 1:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Sunday was also an excellent outing, gz
Riverfest at Frenchtown

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 19 2:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I have enjoyed both of the outings you had Jam Lady; the ploughing is my favourite. I am told that mules are much better behaved than horses once they are trained. If I remember Cassandra's town had a ploughing match, with Oxen, Long Horn cattle, horses and mules all taking part.
My Grandmother's family used horses and carts to deliver bread and coal, on the same cart, in the late 1800's and early 1900's from their premises. All loaded by hand of course including by Granny!

I am heading for another burn-up for my biochar man, who has a market for it, but he uses it at home too to grow his vegetables in his poly tunnel. I have just been given a cucumber that he has grown in the tunnel, and it is a really lovely tasting one, so I will ask for another one once I have finished this one. It is short in length, so ok for me in my one man household!

On my front, I have at last caught up with the kindling, and although it is selling well even now, (10 last week), there will be a lull once they put the central heating on. I think the rush was for holiday makers wanting to dry their cottages out after winter. Summer has started late this year for some reason. I do one or two of the holiday lets with boxes of firewood. I have now lowered the size of the box and the price and stack the wood in rather than throwing it in so they get better value and I sell more rubbish-I mean "by- product"-in theory!

Workwise I know it is time I retired. I have had enough of my immediate boss. I think his aim is to get his brother into my position, so to be a nasty man I am going to hang on and wait till the cold comes in winter-unless I am pushed sooner. I just don't want to get my income halved over night with the festive season coming, but going might get my holding better organised and I have a source of timber locally for the firewood! We'll see?

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Wed Sep 04, 19 7:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

That looks a good festival Jam Lady. You certainly make a lot of your holidays.

I am afraid that the niceties of tack for ploughing are not a thing I notice Ty Gwyn but interesting that there is so much variation there rather than the traditional British method, or does it vary across the UK too?

Gregotyn, I suggest you leave work only as and when you want to. If he employs his brother instead of you he might notice rather a change in the amount of work being done as I don't think he has any idea what you actually do.

A mixture of firewood and charcoal deliveries for us today. We got all the charcoal bagged on Tuesday, and now have to get it to the outlets, and some for a school barbecue. I think they have over ordered as I don't think it is a huge school, but that is up to them.

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45377
Location: yes
PostPosted: Wed Sep 04, 19 11:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

re the amount needed for a bbq, if they are doing a hog roast they would need more than for a similar wt of sausages but sausages over a day rather than in an hour will use quite a bit as the bbq will be going even if there are no punters at that moment

with a whole beast it is a slow burn but it takes a long time and a lot of charcoal

iirc a 40lb lamb took 24 hrs and 40lb charcoal to fuel the trench fire

if i was doing a bbq for a lot of folk i would think of an amount and double it, charcoal does not go off but running out half way through is embarrassing

as a supplier telling them this might up the orders size and save them from a half fed crowd or much worse a centrally raw roast

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Thu Sep 05, 19 6:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

You can let British charcoal run down between sessions as it perks up again pretty quickly when extra added. I agree about a full hog roast, but the people I know that do this tend to use either a mixture of wood and charcoal or all wood as you need less heat for a very long time. Anyway, 10 bags delivered, so all happy. We did have one show where they did several hundred burgers and sausages on about 4 bags of charcoal because they used it properly; small fire and just kept going. The next year they emptied a whole bag into the barbecue and you could hardly go near it as it was burning far too hot, so they used a lot more and had to keep coming back to us at the show for more.

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Thu Sep 05, 19 2:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Don't knock folks who use too much charcoal MR., it is good for business-a new frock/hat perhaps? I know people who use a whole net of my kindling a week on one fire and others who use one a month! I do get complimented on how dry it is-what do they expect?

I am doing less now with the office chaps, just get on and try to work it out for myself, saves all the condescending lectures. I sometimes think they don't give me all the information needed, just to be able to tell me "stuff" and show off their knowledge. I get paid, so I don't care really how much they like to show me their superior knowledge. I get paid even if they know it, all as well as me "not knowing." The one thing is I don't pretend to know much anyway that way you learn more. If I know it, I don't always let on, listening to others is how you learn the best ways and means!

One more day and another w/e to saw and chop wood and prepare for a trip to Ludlow and area with the friend from Australia. I am hoping he will be wanting to visit the bygone days farm at Aston Scott, and we can have a few trips round Ludlow and the general area. I have to do a lot of work at home before anyone can visit and stay chez "moi"! I need the water repairing all over the house; finding the leaks could almost be fun in waterproofs.

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Fri Sep 06, 19 6:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Finding out how to do things, then telling them a better way is even more fun!

I hope you have a good time with your friend. Is that Acton Scott that has appeared on TV a few times? It looks an interesting place to visit.

We went to a forestry show at Longleat yesterday. It is a large estate, so although we went along the road Center Parks and other attractions are down, we didn't see anything of them. As well as the lions, in forestry circles Longleat is know for its continuous cover forestry, and all the plantation we saw looked excellent. The show wasn't as large or as well attended as previous years. I hope they have more visitors today, as it is rather depressing for the stall holders to just sit there.

There were several groups of school children, and they seemed to be enjoying it. There was a man with a timber grab and small forwarder rather showing off to one group who were giving him enough appreciation to encourage him.

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Fri Sep 06, 19 1:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I am not so sure that you should give all the secrets to others to get a way of doing it better, the basics are fine but potential competition?

Acton Scott is that place that has been on the TV for several series. I photographed a man driving a shire horse pulling harrows there once and put it in an album. Lots of people accused me of being that man, to the point where it was easier to say it was me than have an argument! I am hoping friend will like it. We are going to have a look round Ludlow and that area and I am going to round there to book a couple of b and b's for 2 nights. The friend is a school pal of 50 years ago and we have kept in touch since leaving school, in my case in 1965 when I left to go to do my farm practical prior to going to H.A.A.C. And in his case emigrating to Australia with girlfriend, due to a nasty mother, who was so anti his girlfriend she didn't attend the Church wedding and I was best man and gave the girlfriend away!

You are lucky down your way with lots of hardwood forests, and woodlands, MR. Our end is mainly softwood plantations of spruce and larch, though spruce seems to outdo the larch by 2 to 1. I have been inspecting my 30 softwoods, as you know, I was thinking it is was their time to go, but it is a good barrier to the road. As they are so close together they are high but thin in the trunk so their value is not great. I have a friend who says he will top them around 30 ft. and see what happens. I want to reduce the lower branches as they are covering the field and going towards the road!

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Sat Sep 07, 19 5:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

It looks an interesting place, and on passing Ludlow once it looked a nice place to visit. Perhaps we might have a holiday in that part of the world some time. Hope you have a good time.

As your friend is still happily in Australia, it seems he made the right decision. Hopefully he is still with the same wife.

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Sat Sep 07, 19 9:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

He is definitely with the same wife! They have been very much better off there than staying in the UK. He was a big man in the hospital and had a private practise as well, Pam was a teacher and mother to 3 children. all 3 left home; London, Canada and Tasmania.
Ludlow is definitely worth a visit. Lots to do and a market on Saturdays! I go with my friends when I go to Bridgnorth as they have a son who lives in Ludlow and a daughter who lives half way between them, in Ditton Priors.
Going back to the wife-he met her at a tennis club dance. Arthur and I were the 2 oldest boys there and pam and Margaret the 2oldest girls so we were a natural set. Came to home time and we boys split the girls as mate was driving I got in the back, a girl got in I said that's a blow so she got out and the other girl got in and my friend married her 50 years ago!
I was going to do a recce of Ludlow and district, but it appears that you can do this booking hotels all on line. But they don't seem to do single rooms for some reason and you pay regardless as to how many rooms you want for the room as if it were 2 people. We are good friends, but sharing a bed is not our scene, room ok, but I prefer to sleep on my own!

Ty Gwyn



Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4562
Location: Lampeter
PostPosted: Sat Sep 07, 19 10:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Jam Lady,Here`s a photo to see the difference I mentioned in the Horse`s tack.

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Sun Sep 08, 19 8:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Doesn't seem to have come up Ty Gwyn.

Sadly, most hotels do charge extra for singles Gregotyn. Not fair in some ways, but they do have to deal with 2 rooms. Could you try another hotel that is more reasonable about singles?

Did the final show in our run yesterday. I made a spoon out of birch, but just as I had started hollowing out the bowl, a crack appeared. There was a fault in the wood, and as soon as I started hollowing, it opened out. I used another bit to make a rather chunky spatula and then using an axe and a saw, started to make a mushroom, which I have not tried before. Will have to use a draw knife to sort out the top as it is all axe marks at the moment, but thought it was worth a try.

Ty Gwyn



Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4562
Location: Lampeter
PostPosted: Sun Sep 08, 19 10:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

It did come out but I took it down,as on the top it had a link to Asian Ladies,lol,it was taken at East Grinstead ploughing match yesterday I believe,

I asked the Mod who sent me the link if the top part can be wiped before I post here not to upset anybody,but not heard back as yet,or is it possible one of the Mods here could wipe the top part off,as its a beautiful photo.

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