David's Digest

There are snowdrops sprinkled across the lawn. The occasional crocus is clearly preparing to bloom. And lambs tails are hanging from cob nut bushes in the hedgerows. After a mild, dry few days the early ploughed land is showing signs of drying out. And perhaps most surprising and gratifying of all, the winter wheat we drilled into ice cold soils between Christmas and New Year has emerged and is looking quite promising.

Isn't nature wonderful!

There was a report in the Telegraph yesterday about the Kent police. Apparently they've issued a warning to house and allotment owners in the county that they should stop putting wire mesh across the windows of their garden sheds to deter burglars. There's been a lot in the area recently and many householders have lost garden tools and lawn mowers, etc. Predictably many victims or potential victims of such crimes have sought to make life a little more difficult for the felons by nailing wire mesh over their windows.

Now, this must stop, say the Kent police. Because if a burglar injures himself on the wire mesh as he is nicking your lawn mower you are liable and you can be sued. Words fail me.

I'm off to Morocco with 30 other FW readers tomorrow. We aim to look round lots of farms, view the countryside, check the irrigation and find out a bit about reserves of phosphate. Morocco is one of the few places in the world where they mine the stuff and prices have gone through the roof recently.

Doubtless we shall also learn more about the politcal unrest across the north of Africa. Although Morocco, thank goodness, is pretty quiet compared with some of the other Arab nations that have been in the news lately. The man who will guide us through the country phoned yesterday to re-assure me and my fellow travellers that we would not be in any danger in his country and that we could travel with confidence.

I'm looking forward to the trip. It's been a long winter, frought with problems and it will be a nice change of scenery. We should also see some sunshine to get us into a good mood for spring when we get back. I will keep you posted.

Then, in May, some of us will be going on another study tour - to Denmark. That, too, should be a very worthwhile experience. The Danes are an enterprising race despite the small size of their country and some of the visits we have planned should prove instructive. But they don't have as many camels as the Moroccans.