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November 2022 November 2022

scheme. The Group is to consider the survey results in greater detail and then them to do so. The area across the road from the churchyard, where I expect
plan the next steps. In the meantime the Police will be contacted to understand many of you have parked your cars, is where the ricks were built and the
how to manage the take-on process, selection of suitable sites to measure thrashing took place and is known as Rickpound.
vehicle speed and training for volunteers.
Over the years other farming activities included sheep, pigs, potatoes, chicken
The Parish Council resolved to approve a budget of up to £150 for the OPOL and turkeys as well as a dairy. Today we farm only beef sucklers and cereals. The
group to cover out of pocket expenses such as village hall hire for meetings and cereals which in former times would probably have been harvested at the rate of
training. 1 acre a day now even with my now fairly elderly combine it is 5 acres per hour.
How times have changed! Today a new combine would be larger, no doubt
At the October completely computer operated and probably wouldn’t need a driver!
Parish Council
meeting there To reflect on this year’s cereal harvest when the weather just kept getting warmer
were in excess of a and drier at one time we feared we could be facing a repeat of 1976 which, as
dozen members of some of you may recall, was so hot and dry that the river completely dried up. As
the public present. it turned out that was not the case as this year the rain had continued into the
Most comments spring whereas in 1976 it had stopped at the end of January. This year the yield
surrounded the and quality were remarkably good and I am very grateful to the good Lord for
consideration of looking after us so well.
the retrospective
p l a n n i n g And Nick adds comment from West Farm. I recently watched a short piece of film
permission for a of Ukrainian farmers harvesting their crops whilst missiles and shells exploded
Slurry Lagoon at nearby and continuing to work despite the ever present threat of landmines. It
Southover Farm puts into perspective the pressures that affect us and I pray that adversity will be
which had been overcome and peace will prevail.
built some 3 times the size of the original Grant of Planning Permission (P/ Our first harvest crop at West
FUL/2022/04629). Farm, was from our lovely herd
Residents described the effect of greatly increased traffic movements as a result of beef suckler cows. Each year
of filling the much larger Lagoon, and expressed concern about the breaches of the calves are kept with their
the Conditions associated with the original Grant of Planning Permission. mothers until about 9 months of
age, by this time they are
Comments and objections were also expressed regarding the new retrospective virtually as big as their mothers.
planning application. Later in the meeting the Parish Council considered the After weaning they are kept
Application and resolved to Object to it. A response to the Planning Authority will inside the buildings at
be sent in due course. Woodbarn, up the lane opposite
the church. Hopefully the two
There was an Agenda item to record the resignation of the previous Clerk and the bulls, an Aberdeen Angus and
Appointment of the new Clerk, Matt Soul. Members introduced themselves to the Hereford have done what they
new Clerk and welcomed him to his new role and the Parish Council. are supposed to do and their

progeny will fill the yards over winter. It’s not long after they have been brought in
that with daily contact as we feed and straw the sheds that some of them come
up to you for a daily scratch on the back. In fact they can become very
demanding if you stop and will butt you for more attention! The spring store cattle
sales will see them off to market where they will end up on farms that specialise in
fattening but hopefully some of the heifers, the young female cows, might go on
for breeding.

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