Owd Fred's Blog - All Comments

re: I knew the old gypsy was about to "skin me"

teacherinthecountry — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:56:27 GMT

A great story Fred. I'll be sharing it with the children in the school.

We're really enjoying reading your blog.

Chris

re: Our First Attempt at Silage Making

fretaw — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 07:50:39 GMT

Yes they were a lethal bit of equipment to leave laying about, the whole of the front edge was sharp as a razor and quarter the way up the back edge as well. We had a purpose made silage knife it had similar handle with a smaller triangular shaped blade and a foot step to help tread the blade into the silage. Again very sharp up both sides, and was alway stored in tucked in the beams of the shed.

re: Our First Attempt at Silage Making

mursal — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:35:57 GMT

Excellent piece, we have a hay knife just like that. Ours was the contractor version with two handles. Fortunately it's hanging up to remember "the good old days"

Regards

re: Merry Christmas

matty s — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 10:51:01 GMT

Hope you have an great christmas and a prosporous new year, Matty

re: The Weather forcast by Owd Fred's mother

kansasfarmer — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:13:30 GMT

I go by a similar theory Fred as we have discussed already. I picked this up from a neighbor. My forecast is based on the idea that weather changes on the moon phases, full and new being strongest and first and last quarter somewhat weaker. Generally this works, the weather you get on moon change day persists for a week. However, this year it has failed more than usual, it seems no matter what the weather on the day of the full or new moon, it still is cool and wet for the most part.

re: Two more Animals in our Lives

dr martyn — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:42:31 GMT

It sounds like there was no silence from them lambs. Great work Fred, really enjoyed these ones.

Twitter Trackbacks for Animals in our Lives part 2 - Owd Fred's Blog [fwi.co.uk] on Topsy.com

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:43:20 GMT

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The War-Ag had a stock of arable machinery.

The War-Ag had a stock of arable machinery. — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 05:26:56 GMT

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re: Stafford Vintage Machinery Club tractor road run 12 July 2009

margprice — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:02:12 GMT

Loved retracing the route Fred. So lucky with the weather - the sun shines on the righteous!! All the best Margaret and Jack

re: Water Meadows "bedwork or floated water meadows"

viewfromtheothersideofthefence — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:18:49 GMT

Fascinating.

Worms in the garden, and worms in the fields,

Worms in the garden, and worms in the fields, — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:18:25 GMT

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Topics about Ancestrys » Archive » Family Tree Back to 1753 - Owd Fred's Blog

Topics about Ancestrys » Archive » Family Tree Back to 1753 - Owd Fred's Blog — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 05:05:06 GMT

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re: Family Tree Back to 1753

caroline stocks — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 09:08:26 GMT

Really interesting post, Fred.

I've been attempting to trace my own family tree in the past few months. Despite claiming I don't come from a farming family, it turns out that for the last couple of hundred years, my relatives were either farmers or farm workers.

It was only my grandfather who decided to take the non-agricultural route by going to work in a post office and then marrying a 'city' girl!

re: The War-Ag had a stock of arable machinery.

fretaw — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:33:52 GMT

I guess that’s why my old mother always got so good at forecasting the weather, I never realised that the broadcast weather forecasting had been so restricted during the war, but it made good sense.

I know we had black tarred paper blinds/shutters round the cowshed windows that had to be put up before they could switch any lights on for milking. And any window round the house that had no curtains also had an outside blind fitted.

Our farm was only a couple of hundred yards from the edge of a war time airfield and two huge fuel tanks, and just a bit further on round the different woods were the bomb dumps, so we were not too keen to be seen by potential German bombers.

Only once early on in the war did I remember mother taking us under the kitchen table when we heard an air raid siren, and heard the drone of a German plane. They were looking for the factories in town three miles away. In desperation they would drop bombs on any light they could see if they got lost.

re: The War-Ag had a stock of arable machinery.

kansasfarmer — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 05:42:03 GMT

The US did not get bombed, but like Great Britain everything was rationed, although I think not as severely. My grandparents use to mention it from time to time, and the "looking back" column in our hometown newspaper will sometimes mention a certain item was no longer rationed on a certain date. One of the most interesting items I ever saw was a mention that the ban on weather forecasts had been lifted, I guess they didn't want to help the Japanese plan the invasion.

We still have alot of WW2 vets around, many, many of these spent at least part of the war in the UK.

Kansas also had a number of POW camps. I am not certain if this had anything to do with their placement, but we conveniently had alot of people who spoke German as well, both of my mothers parents and both sets of her grandparents spoke fluent German. The German POWs were hired out to work on farms. I knew a fellow who was in his early teens during the war, his father had a group of Germans working on his farm along with a guard. The Germans were plenty glad to be out of the war. According to his account, the guard slept under a tree all day. One afternoon he had taken a little walk and left his rifle against a tree, it came the time to go back to the camp and the guard hollered to one of the POWs, "hey Fritz, fetch my gun along will you??". According to Bob, the rare escapes were easy to find, they always ended up in the local beer hall.

re: A Hay Sweep Fitted to the Standard Fordson

fretaw — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 08:37:39 GMT

Yes the railway always sent two men to measure up the burnt area, and sometimes having burnt though the fencing, you would get stock on the line grazing the embankments. If you travel London to Scotland this is the line, four tracks two fast two slow. When the hundred miles an hour electric trains got going it was reported that one of our beasts had been killed on the line, the lengths men were sent out to find what was left to bury it, we went down to help. All they could find was a foot of just a big calf. We claimed for a cow. We always mused that it would probabley drop off buffers of the loco when it stopped in Euston station London. Never was found.

Our trains never had "COW catchers" on the front like we see your old American steamers of old.

re: A Hay Sweep Fitted to the Standard Fordson

kansasfarmer — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 04:14:52 GMT

I can't say enough how much I enjoy your blogs. They give me a glimpse into the past.

Railroads caused their fair share of fires here on the prairie as well. I have always been told that the railroad was very fair about settling.

re: We had a fox that's crafty, and the hunt they could not catch,

cloud9 — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:04:47 GMT

It sounds a bit like the fox my neighbour was troubled with. He often saw it disappearing into a heap of round bales he had . He decided that he'd wait for it to come out with his shotgun ,he saw a ginger pair of ears pop out between the bales and let go with both barrels. He got it!! The ginger tom from next door !

re: I Remember the Threshing Machine Mishap

Isabel Davies — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:40:50 GMT

There once was a woman from Slough,

Who tripped up over a plough,

She fell over flat,

Squashing the cat,

But at least it wasn't the cow.

re: I Remember the Threshing Machine Mishap

fretaw — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:01:39 GMT

Or a re-adjusted version,

There once was a woman from Slough,

Who developed cough like a cow,

She did not know how,

But got rid of the cow,

I do hope that now she’ll say chow.

re: I Remember the Threshing Machine Mishap

boy bedford — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 09:53:52 GMT

There once was a woman from Slough

Who developed a terrible cough

She wasn't to know

She would still have it now

I do hope that she'll soon pull through

re: Just a Greetings Christmas Card

lizzie j — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:02:19 GMT

Thanks Fred! That's made my day. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and Eileen!

Lizzie

re: Just a Greetings Christmas Card

viewfromtheothersideofthefence — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 21:40:30 GMT

Top O' the class again Fred. Happy New Year to you and yours.

re: Just a Greetings Christmas Card

andy h — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 19:27:37 GMT

Great seasonal poem Fred, brought a well needed laugh after a hectic day.

Have a blessed Christmas, Andy.

re: Just a Greetings Christmas Card

matty s — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:54:59 GMT

Love it!! I managed to get off a horse this weekend and drive something with a steering wheel ....only briefly!!

All the best,

Matt