I got the lawnmower stuck while cutting the grass on Apr 2. It was my own fault, like everything else, according to Christine. Had I carried out a “soil protection management plan” I could have calculated that conditions were too wet.

While those on light soil have been bashing on with land work, our machinery has remained in the shed. Some have ventured out onto heavy land and the deep black tramlines show the evidence. Many clay soils still have standing water in places.

 Despite crops having no bag nitrogen yet, the warmer weather has brought them round from the sick look of a month ago.

We have a reasonable background fertility now thanks to the muck from our intensive beef and sheep enterprises, and also from the sludge – you can call it by another name if you wish (you get if from bulls and Labour politicians) – which we take from the Tyneside conurbation. So we”re not panicking to get the spinner out, but hopefully we will have started by the time you read this.

The experts tell us not to use the new single payment to subsidise production. I can”t quite agree as this money is a “budget” with which to run our farms.

This year”s entire budget has been used to purchase a new Claas Mega 350, our first new combine for 25 years. A good deal was struck with Rickerby”s so our trusty Claas 108 will be going down the road.

The old Alfa might be going the same way. Trying to start it the other day I eventually resorted to “easy start” but a back-fire sent flames shooting out of the air intake.

Anyway, I”d better go and carry out an environmental impact assessment” to see if I can tow out the lawnmower using the Ford TW20. lineone.net