Wolds Diary: Back in the old routine

Rehearsals with the Pocklington Singers have started again and another group I sing with are well into rehearsals for ‘Trial by Jury’ to be put on at the end of October. We could do with some more male singers in it but I am sure it will go very well.

I have had some glorious walks with the dogs this week. One morning there was a very autumnal mist as I trudged along and the dogs got soaked very quickly in the wet grass. I rather like such weather. I was brought up by the Winchester water meadows where Keats wrote about “Seasons of Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness”.

The leaves on the trees are just starting to turn colour and a few have started to drop. There is still some harvesting being done and the fields are being ploughed and harrowed and the new crops are being sown.

I harvested some of the fruits from my garden and made some jelly with them. It didn’t amount to much, just three little jars. Then I was given some pears so I made some more jelly. I must admit the pear is my favourite fruit.

The evenings have been a little cooler which makes sleeping somewhat easier. It has been an expensive month. I had the car serviced, MOT’d and then I had to tax it. My car is not especially huge but it is still a lot of money to find. I am most upset that we no longer get a tax disc to display.

The lovely chap who fixed my window returned to finish the job and fit a window sill in my living room so that I can put some plants on it. That was the plan anyway. The cats have now discovered the sill too and think nothing of pushing the plants off. I think I had better think it out again!

I went over to talk to the Pudsey Friendship Group at Farsley Parish Church Hall. They are a very good group and made me most welcome and I had a great afternoon. Then I went into Pudsey and looked round some of the shops. I found somewhere to park free and knew I had only 30 minutes so I didn’t hang around.

One of the shopkeepers told me that the rules were efficiently enforced - not on that day they weren’t. I spotted several vehicles illegally parked and some had been there far too long.

On my way to Leeds as I went on to the ring road I saw a wonderful area on a very wide verge where there was a stupendous wildflower meadow. It was colourful and very attractive and a great credit to whoever planned and planted it. We have one closer near to where I live on Barmby Moor on the green. Still in its early stages but enthusiastically supported by a sizable group. Such enterprises do so much for wildlife as well as the environment and it is always worth persevering with them even if they may initially look a little untidy until they become established.

After the talk I had a pleasant drive home and as I saw the hills of the Wolds in the distance I had that comforting feeling of coming home.

On another day I went into Driffield on the bus. Really just for a change of scene.

It was market day and I bought more pears to supplement the jelly making. Then I could barely lift the rucksack into which I had put them. Also I bought some bones for the dogs and staggered down to catch the bus. Fortunately the bus stops only yards from my home.

The dogs, having been for a long walk, spent the rest of the day chomping on the bones and they kept trying to sneak them into the house but I managed to stop them.

We have a great bus service in the Wolds and I try to make use off it. I had promised one of the charity shops in Driffield a couple of cushions I had made out of old ties and managed to deliver them on the Saturday.

On the way back I indulged in a trip to a farm shop to buy my favourite ice cream and a really good pork pie.

Coming back I followed a huge trailer laden with massive straw bales. Now I need to clean the car!