Bella Hall battles the rain
Where do I begin? The horrible harvest, the muddy maze, the flying marquee, the golden oldies, the cranky grain dryer (the machine, not its operator, although thinking about it), the cool camping or the defunct fridge? I think I will actually start with my new rotary washing line as this seemed to be the point at which everything changed.
My original washing line disappeared some time ago when we had some building work done and, despite my repeated requests, a replacement never appeared. I was left using the tumble dryer and although Dave frequently mentioned the astronomical scale of our electricity bill, and the impact on the environment, still no washing line appeared.
I eventually purchased a rotary line and Dave eventually put it up. Do you remember me mentioning how it had been so dry in our part of the country? How it was affecting our crops, how worried I was about the maize growing? Well, sure enough, as soon as my new washing line was erected, the heavens opened and it’s been raining ever since. I think I have dried about one load of washing.
Obviously, the washing is the least of our worries. The harvest is being undertaken in fits and bursts (or should I say Dave is fit to burst?). The three months of dry weather put paid to any yield and now everything is so wet they are having to harvest at 20% moisture and the ground is getting muddy.
The main shaft of the elevator in the grain store snapped off and had to be replaced and one of the burners stopped working, which added to the delays, while Dave found someone with specialist knowledge to fix it. Despite all of this, Dave is being calm and philosophical and seizing every opportunity to harvest in between the showers.
Meanwhile, the maze has also been thwarted by the weather. Luckily, thanks to Dave’s management of the fertiliser and herbicide, the maize grew despite the dry conditions. The trouble is that the rain is keeping visitors away – every other day seems to be wet.
Thankfully, the Great British public stoically don their waterproofs and wellies and still have a good time. The children splash about in the puddles while their parents huddle over a hot cup of tea and a slice of homemade cake in the shelter of our marquee. At least they did until the other day when we experienced really high winds and it took off during the night. We found it upside down on top of the tea hut the following day.
We have also battled with a broken coffee machine and my main display fridge decided to give up the ghost, choosing the weekend that I was away camping with the kids to grind to a halt. It was ancient and really needed replacing but I was hoping it would last one more season.
Trying to get hold of a new, glass-door fridge when operating from the middle of a campsite in the pouring rain is not the most relaxing experience. Dave came to the rescue once again, using an old fridge from home to help bridge the gap until the new one arrived. He heroically removed the old one by himself, hauling it over the top of the counter as it wouldn’t fit through the door. The replacement had to go in the same way but needed a second person to help because of health and safety.
Nikki, my assistant manager, does an amazing job at staying calm in the face of adversities and I am immensely grateful to her for coping so brilliantly with all the goings-on this season. It is thanks to her that I was able to go camping with the children, as I know that everything is being well managed in my absence.
The children love camping and look forward to it as much as any holiday we have ever been on. I love it because I can spend some time with them and friends at a time of year that I wouldn’t normally be able to get away.
The weather was dreadful this year but we swam every day in the sea and even had an early-morning posse heading for the waves, which raised a few eyebrows among the local dog walkers. It was pretty bracing I have to admit.
Dave came to see us on a wet day when harvest had stopped and we all made a valiant attempt to view the seals that inhabit the beaches in that particular area, but it was even too wet for the seals. Although we saw them in the sea they knew it wasn’t sunbathing weather. All in all, it was a great weekend but I was definitely more tired at the end than I was at the beginning. I needed to go to work for a rest!
The other reason things have been extra busy this year is because we played host to my parents’ golden wedding anniversary party. This was a lovely occasion that saw my parents catch up with members of their family and friends that they hadn’t seen for years. They looked so happy together after all this time and it meant a great deal to them that all their children and grandchildren were there to celebrate with them.
All my brothers and sisters helped with the organisation (I’m one of seven), mainly because the party was on 24 July. We hosted a school party, some cubs and a toddler group on 21 July, the maze opened on 22 and Dave started harvesting the rape crop on 23. Luckily, my sister Kate took on the role of chief caterer and ran the show.
Nothing like a nice quiet start to the season. This day also marked the end of the nice weather – that together with my washing line of course.