Page 68 - nov-2022

November 2022 November 2022
HARVEST FESTIVAL REPORT FROM THE VILLAGE HALL
FARMERS OF AFFPUDDLE AND
TURNERSPUDDLE Well, here we are. Goodbye summer,

welcome autumn. Beautiful crisp sunny days
We invited all the farmers in our parish to come to the harvest thanksgiving service and cosy darker evenings are now here. And
at St Laurence, Affpuddle, to tell us how the season has been on their farm. with the autumn comes our autumn/winter
season of activities at the hall. All the usual
In Roger’s Hill 2021-2022 has been an unusual year for farming in this part of weekly activities continue, yoga, Pilates, short
England, as well as further afield, with the effects of climate change felt in the mat bowls and we’ve just enjoyed the return
form of extreme heat right across Europe. But compared with France and Spain of the Purbeck Film Festival which I’m sure all who attended thoroughly enjoyed
with their wild fires, we have been comparatively lucky. and look forward to next time. Alongside this Mike’s talks are back on for the
autumn and keep your eye out for upcoming Artsreach events. All great evenings
Here in Dorset from the beginning of June to late August we had very little rain for wrapping up warm and coming to the hall for a great evening.
which prevented the grass from growing as it should. This meant that we didn’t
get a second cut of silage and some of the silage from the first cut had to be Looking ahead the village hall is intending a packed December as usual, there
used to feed the cattle while the new grass was burnt off. If the 2022-23 winter is will be the Christmas Fayre on Sunday 4 December 11am till 3pm. There are a
th
long, then we will have to buy in more feed at considerable expense as many few stalls still available so please let me know if you’d like one, there will also be
farmers will be in the same position and demand will be high. mulled wine and turkey and stuffing rolls along with all the goodies on the stalls to
fill stockings and find those slightly different presents for that family members who
The arable crop yields were down on last year due seems to already have everything.
once again to the dry weather, but the prices given for
the grain have been good as other arable-producing We are also intending to hold the
areas in Europe sadly suffered even worse than we Christmas lights competition so dust
did. off your outdoor lights, trim up the
house and who knows you could be
It hasn’t all been doom and gloom, however; we have winning one of the amazing prizes on
seen many more butterflies than in previous years and offer this year at the lights party in the
there has been a fabulous crop of blackberries. week leading up to Christmas itself.
Shirley’s family commitment with West Farm Affpuddle is We will draw 2022 to a close with the
some 90 years. Her parents, Edgar and Stella Kellaway New Year’s Eve party at the hall,
took on a tenancy of the farm, then part of the tickets will be available soon so get
Debenham Estate, in 1932. The estate, of course, was yourselves booked in for a fun night of
sold in 1953 and after much deliberation over making dancing, food and drink and let’s
such a major investment, they bought the farm. wave goodbye to this year and
welcome in 2023 together. An
Times have changed hugely since their early days for advance notice is that hopefully we
when they started they employed 9 men and had 10 will see the return of the burns night
cart horses to work the land. Cows were milked by supper so watch this space for more
hand, indeed all work was very much hands on. information.
Cereals were harvested with a binder and the stooks of
grain collected on trailers and stored in ricks before As you’ll know the trustees took the decision to maintain hiring rates at their
being thrashed and the grain collected in 2 ¼ cwt current level with regular reviews to monitor the situation. As we endure this
sacks – which today probably no one would be strong
enough to lift and it would certainly be illegal to ask
Affpuddle and Turnerspuddle website: www.briantspuddle.info

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