Postbag

LAST week we went up to Skipton auction mart to see the sheep dog sales and marvelled at the prices of a good dog or bitch, with prices up to 3,500 guineas plus.

This was only surpassed with magnificent scenery en route. I think the trees and shrubs have never looked lovelier.

From palest lemon to brilliant gold, deepest reds to the vermilion of the acer family, huge chestnut leaves in varying shades to the sycamores (also a member of the acers?), the berries of some hawthorns so fruited the leaves were lost in the profusion, hips of scarlet and hollies, pyracanthas, lemon, red, dark and heavy, dominated.

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Who needs to travel to New Hampshire when we have such an abundance locally? If the old adage is true that so much fruit and berries portend a hard winter we had better watch out.

From: Pamela Frankland, Lodge Farm, Hull Road, Dunnington, York.

From: Mr and Mrs RW Perkin, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds.

IN Country Week you have had numerous letters about projecting through stones in farm barns and dry stone walls.

In my opinion this is just a custom, foible or habit in Wensleydale. Any waller worth his salt could map off the end of the through and make it fit if he wanted to, they may think that protruding stones deter sheep from climbing over,

but they may even help them get a foothold, so a local custom.

CW 6/11/10

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