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GRESSENHALL FARM AND WORKHOUSE ~ 22nd MARCH 2016

24/3/2016

AN AFTERNOON ON THE FARM
by John Yeo

Today we have made our minds up to visit the farm at the Gressenhall Workhouse situated just outside the town of Dereham in Norfolk. We entered the historic walls of this much studied example of Victorian life in England. As always, I experienced a bi-polar feeling of a love\hate moment as we made our way to the ticket office.

Our first taste of farming in action was the sight in the distance of a young man working the land with a Suffolk Punch horse. We stopped and chatted with him and he explained he was harrowing the soil, breaking up the dry large clods, ready to sow Barley in this field.

This is the magnificent Suffolk Punch horse who was working very hard when we approached.

Images © Copyright John and Margaret ~

Margaret, won his heart with a few kind words and some friendly strokes and pats on his head. The horse had enormous feet and we were standing back as the young man lifted one of his hooves off the floor and pointed out the large metal horseshoes nailed to the horses feet.

The sun was shining beautifully as we wandered around this very impressive small farm. The farm was started during the workhouse years, to employ some of the inmates and provide some food to help with the running costs and expenses. Next we visited the sheep pens and we watched a couple of lambs gambolling in the field closely guarded by their mothers. Quite a few full grown sheep were nibbling the grass in this field and I made friends with a couple of personable goats.

We decided to explore a part of the farm that we have never encountered before, and we came across this lovely river flowing at the borders of the farm. A notice board informed us this was a tributary of the River Wensum that flows through Norfolk and there was an interesting list of wildlife to look out for.

We wandered further along the river past some very impressive, very costly property, set well back from the riverbanks. We followed the riverbank path for about half a mile just taking in the scenery.
We finally arrived back at the Workhouse where we enjoyed an excellent lunch and a welcome pot of tea for two.

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

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THE CHANGES ~ 20th MARCH 2016

22/3/2016

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THE CHANGES
by John Yeo
The allotments are a fruitful place to ponder on the ever-changing cycles of the planting year and the changes of the scenery as man made structures appear. The flowers are a sure sign of continual change. At the end of winter the snowdrops are the first flowers to appear, closely followed by daffodils and primulas and hyacinths. The hardy vegetables that have survived the windy blasts of winter, such as kale, leeks and broccoli are finishing their cycle of life and then the weather dictates the garden year. The soil has to be warm to enable seeds to be set and it is interesting to see the changes of method aligned to the natural cycle of weather. At the beginning of spring more birds appear as the breeding cycle begins. An unusual sight is a pair of large seagulls that have taken up residence, one is on the waste green part of the allotments every day, just watching and taking in the scenery. Many subtle changes are slowly taking place that will dictate the eventual results of the growing cycle. Perhaps a new greenhouse on a neighbouring allotment will allow a new barter system to operate as plants are swapped between friends. Small changes that can result in large alterations as life on the allotments goes forward.

MUSING

I planted some Onion seeds in a large pot on the allotment today. I intend to allow these to grow quite large and then transplant the seedlings into the ground. I also planted a different variety of Carrots into another of my large planters. I intend to leave these exactly where they are to grow.
The double Petunias I planted at home are showing through with their first two leaves and I transplanted twelve of these into a couple of planters with six cells in each to grow stronger and larger. I still have about another twelve tiny little seedlings showing through in the window planter.

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

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ICE-AGE ~ 17th MARCH 2016

19/3/2016

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ICE AGE
by John Yeo

Suddenly the ice that has developed over many months is showing signs of thawing. The cold seemed interminable and the atmosphere froze water solid. Jagged edges would appear if any attempt was made to facilitate penetration. When the long period of the freeze began to take effect, countermeasures were started, but the early follow through, failed to stem the systems of ice forming. What is the answer to the continual frozen silence that seems to make the atmosphere darker than ever.
     Trying to conserve the tiny measures of heat that are available is not easy. The blood runs warm in spite of the cold atmosphere that seems to permeate to the soul. There is no rapid answer to the situation once the freeze has taken hold and in spite of everything, everyone feels the chill to a a degree. The stubborn cold refuses to show any signs of a thaw, and the effects of an excessively frozen atmosphere lead to stressful situations for all.
At the centre of the ice web of linking frozen icicles is the helpless victim of a state of mind, that seems to banish the accepted patterns of thinking and feeling that normally stabilise the formation of adverse weather conditions. There seems to be a lack of warmth and affect to generate the antidote to the stormy conditions that will invariably lead to the formation of ice.
There are factors that have been encouraged to become dependant on the ice formation at the centre of the ever expanding ice sheet. This collateral effect can be extraordinarily damaging and virulent to the conditions involved. There is a general outward spread of degenerating icy conditions that is almost impossible to contain.
The total lack of genuine warmth that is normally expected from ordinary weather systems is sadly missing. There is no sense of feeling the need to embrace the natural raising of temperature that has been lost and a continual permanent freeze has irrevocably developed.
The abrasive edges of the ice sheets often collide and cause explosive splits in an otherwise serene environment. All effects of this unreal, yet very real, state of affairs are due to the permanent ice formation, and the withdrawal of warmth from the general icy atmosphere.
Storm clouds are frequent and do little to aid the commencement or maintenance of the long awaited thaw in relations between the various aspects of the ice age that is now underway.
Many temperature variations go almost unnoticed in the storm conditions that continually prevail. The underlying atmosphere generated by the outward conditions, needs very careful attention and quiet handling to enable the outward storm condition to settle down without damage to the entity.
Life must be allowed to flow and adapt, in tune to the prevailing conditions that are freezing the normal controls of the outward situation, allowing the usual system of checks and balances to be satisfactorily restored if that is possible.
   The ice has become so well entrenched now the situation looks as if it has gone beyond the outward bounds of normal reconciliation.
   There are many close factors involved in the overall situation that are more responsible to aid the attempt at any form of a thaw.
The triangle is headed by the subject, the major power that originally generated the storm. There are two subsets of this power that continue to be involved in the ice age that has set in since the storm broke out. One of these subsets is very tricky to control and is more vulnerable than the other, however there is a major part of this subset that should be exerting some authority and instituting some form of survival measures into the equation.
    The other subset is linked to both of these storm effects and also has the means to alleviate some of the barometric influences.
    A tangled web of weather systems that are so frozen away from the major power that the thaw to the continual ice age becomes too impossible to contemplate rationally.
    A major part of this eternal freeze is at least one step away from the centre of the storm and powerless to control the sharp frictions generated by the ice edges continually rubbing up against each other.
    The only possible way to approach the formation of a solution, is to sit and watch the developing ice take its long term toll, and wait for the prevailing conditions to rectify this unwarranted and unplanned ice age.

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

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GRESSENHALL FARM AND WORKHOUSE ~ 22nd MARCH 2016

AN AFTERNOON ON THE FARM
by John Yeo

THE CHANGES ~ 20th MARCH 2016

ICE-AGE ~ 17th MARCH 2016

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GRESSENHALL FARM AND WORKHOUSE ~ 22nd MARCH 2016

AN AFTERNOON ON THE FARMby John Yeo

THE CHANGES ~ 20th MARCH 2016

ICE-AGE ~ 17th MARCH 2016

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AN AFTERNOON ON THE FARM
by John Yeo