Summers were almost forever (From Gazette & Herald)

Summers were almost forever

I WAS taken up with the supplement included with the other week's Gazette & Herald, on farming believe it or not, for what an excellent publication it was. Whilst my ancestors were of farming stock, I can only claim to have spent the first 12 years or so of my life 'on the farm', albeit the farm next door, but it was nevertheless, where I spent most of my leisure time.

The quality of the photographs in this supplement, and their colour reproduction are excellent. But what appealed to me more than anything was the two page spread of sepia monochrome prints, from another era, showing the aspects of farming in days gone by. The ladies with their chickens at Lastingham were delightful, both wearing their starched white pinafores, and broad-brimmed hats. Skirts were right down to the ground where the bottoms would forever get wet and dirty and must have been a problem for their wearers. But attention to one's appearance was important in those days, long before scruffy jeans had been thought of. What caught my eye above all was the little pic in the bottom corner, of several generations of family taken at Farndale in 1906. Did you notice the gent, standing on the right, playing the fiddle? He, to my mind, made the picture. But above all it epitomised the way of life in those days, well before the NHS and the heyday of the motor car, when there was time to sit in the sun for a while, and marvel at the fact that the photographer was going to make a picture of them, probably their very first. After that they'd probably all go and have a mug of tea and some home-baked pastry, after which, there just might be a cow to be milked, or maybe a couple, but certainly not really much to rush about for. The world was theirs, very little money, very few possessions of their own, but the days went slowly by. In fact, time almost stood still, and I'm sure their simple way of life, without the pressures and aggro of today would be appreciated by many of us, just thinking of those days when the sun shone all day long and summers were almost forever.

A cycling associate writes to say that Royal Mail are to force cycling postmen and women to wear helmets and reflective gear, which will be a disciplinary offence not to comply. The latest London accident figures show that pedestrians are some five times more likely to be involved in accidents than are cyclists, so he poses the question, are pedestrian postmen also to be forced to wear helmets? All this stems from a report from the Transport Research Laboratory which the PO are keeping under wraps, and this looks rather like helmet-wearing for all by the back door. So far, legislation hasn't extended its tentacles in this direction, for it has been proved that helmet-wearing is of no benefit in serious accidents with motor vehicles, and any impact much over 20mph is beyond the help of helmets. Of course in the case of young children just falling off and bumping their heads, well there can be a case for head protection. But insofar as the adult public is concerned, I just wonder how many of them who have taken to a helmet because, lemming-like, Joe next door wears one, and it's the 'in-thing', have ever actually fallen off their bikes and bumped their heads. Any at all? I wonder.

Meanwhile, in Australia where all cyclists have to wear helmets, which has resulted in a fall-off of cycle sales, and much less cycle use, with knock-on car use, the postman is excused from wearing a helmet when on duty. Our PO appears to have overlooked this fact. I can only hope that the Post Office Workers Unions fights this tooth and nail, for it smacks at personal freedom. Come to think of it, I've never heard of a postie falling off his bike, have you?

Vandalism in public toilets continues to be a hot subject and one which costs us a lot of money. Talking to Linda, our Gazette & Herald, front office lady, she offers what seems a very sensible solution, or at least deterrent, and that is to reintroduce paying for their use - 10p at the entrance door, rather than the individual toilet compartment. Whilst it might need a turnstile to limit the access of one person per payment, the mindless ones who hang about public toilets and who cause damage might well think twice if they had to pay for their pleasure. This could well prove a more economical solution than the never-ending refurbishment, unnecessary cleaning, graffiti removal and constant repairs.

Seen at Pickering Boot Sale the other week, a ship's telegraph - you know, the handle on the bridge which signalled the engine room. For £50 you could have had 'Full ahead both' in your front parlour. I wonder if he sold it.

Just a thought! "To win your battle in this society, you've got to have your cave. Then food. Then some kind of mate. After that, everything's a luxury." (Rod Steiger - b.1925).

Updated: 10:11 Thursday, June 27, 2002