Vintage Ploughing Match in Sulgrave 2016

Richard Fonge writes:

The wonderful sunny weather of early September has allowed this years harvest to be completed in our area. With the sun following the rains of August, everything is growing as you will be aware in the regularity of the lawn mowing.

Oil seed rape has been planted in the field by Park lane, and has germinated and established itself. It is vital that oil seed rape has established itself by mid September as it can be attacked by the flea beetle, and of course pigeons later in the winter.

On the Stuchbury footpath can be seen a tremendous plant of wild white clover. How has this come about? When the grass was sown a few years back, it was a perennial ryegrass dominant mixture of grasses with wild white clover. Clover can produce its own nitrogen through its root nodules, so if you manage the grass by putting only a small amount of artificial nitrogen fertiliser on to stimulate growth in the spring and graze tightly with stock, (in this case sheep,) the clover will flourish as can been seen here.

The top half of this field had a crop of wheat this year which also benefited from residual nitrogen left by the previous crop of beans. Another legume. A rotation of cropping is vital for plant health, with each crop complimentary to the other.

 You will see less ploughing of the land in the future as direct drilling and minimal cultivation systems become the norm. These systems reduce carbon footprints and fuel consumption. The plough still has a part to play in the cultivation of the land albeit to a lesser degree. However the skill of ploughing is kept alive by vintage machinery clubs and others. We owe them a great debt in that they restore old tractors and use them in the many competitive ploughing matches they hold during the year. By doing so they keep alive the past and remind us of how far we have come in machinery development over the last seventy years.

This completes six years of monthly notes, describing what is happening in the countryside surrounding our lovely village of Sulgrave. We are just so fortunate to live in what is to me a great community.

Richard Fonge

A winning entry

After a miserably rainy July and August, September began with a veritable heat wave. As usual, tables were placed outside the hall for those taking refreshments but it was so hot that most people were grateful to remain inside the bright, cool interior of the recently refurbished hall. On the following page you will find a few photographs of the event including the winning entries. I have tried to ensure a photograph of each of these and apologise if some are missing.

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Sulgrave Pocket Park

DOG FOULING IN SULGRAVE

There are still irresponsible dog owners here in Sulgrave who are not clearing their dogs’ mess. This situation is so bad that our grass cutting contractor has complained and is considering withdrawing his services. He tells me that his machinery and clothing get badly splattered so they have to be thoroughly cleaned after working here. It would be a great pity if this were to happen as this contractor has served us very well over several years with his high standard of workmanship.

If the dog bins happen to be full take your dog poo bags home with you:

THERE ARE NO EXCUSES.

At the entrance to the Pocket Park there is a “NO DOGS” sign, yet when I cut the grass I find dog mess. Who in this village thinks it is a good idea to let their dogs foul a play area used by our children?

Richard Fonge.

Chairman. Sulgrave Parish Council.

Clare at a Castle Green event, ready to answer questions about Sulgrave History Society Projects. (Photo: Colin Wootton)

Sulgrave was very fortunate when Peter and Clare Pollak arrived in the early 1990s. Both being very socially oriented people, they soon immersed themselves in local village events and activities. The main beneficiaries being the Parish Council and especially the Sulgrave History Society. Clare with her background as an Archaeological Illustrator soon became involved in its activities, quickly becoming a very pro-active secretary. Under her watch a very ambitious programme of projects was not only proposed but seen through with meticulous care and detail.

Clare became the official co-ordinator for many of its projects. Her ability to strike up valuable and positive relationships with the administrators of the many grant awarding bodies brought repeated successes. Her patience and persistence in following through all the requirements, record keeping and reports needed, pre and post award, was remarkable.

Through her unstinting efforts we were able to raise from the various grant awarding organisations: £10,000 for the Oral History Project; £25,000 for the Field Action Group; and £89,000 for the Sulgrave Castle Archaeology Group. Click here for the far seeing outline programme Clare drew up in 2004. It is to her eternal credit that every potential project has since become a reality.

It was tragedy for Peter, her friends and the village of Sulgrave when, five years ago, the onset of Alzheimer’s disease suddenly curtailed all her activities. She deteriorated very quickly and the decision was taken to move her to a care home near Cardiff where her daughter, son and family lived. Peter followed her a little later to live nearby.

All will miss her warm and calm persona, her humanitarian views respecting all living things and her extraordinary ability to empathise with all and sundry.

Clare and Peter in 2007 (Photo: Colin Wootton)

Martin Sirot-Smith

Chairman: Sulgrave History Society, Sulgrave Castle Archaeology Group, Castle Green Management Committee.

At the Watermill. Photo: Jo Powell

On Sunday 25th June, seven Sulgrave gardens were open to the public in aid of charity, under the National Gardens Scheme. Nationally, over the last 90 years this scheme has raised more than £50m for nursing, caring and gardening charities  The gardens open to visitors were: The Chestnuts, Hanglands, Mill Hollow, Rectory Farm, Vinecroft, The Watermill and Wootton House.

I apologise for the fact that, owing to a “gammy” leg, I only managed to visit three of the gardens and so for the first time not every open garden features in the photographs on the following pages. In fact, without Jo Powell’s excellent contributions there would have been little to show and I am, not for the first time, indebted to her. The few photos not credited to her were taken by myself.

Colin Wootton

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Threeways Garden in 2019

See Sulgrave Gardens Open in 2019

Sulgrave Gardens Open Day 2017

Sulgrave Gardens Open Day 2015

Sulgrave Gardens Open Day 2013

Sulgrave Gardens Open Day 2011

Sulgrave Gardens Open Day in 2009.

Photo galleries are also available for the following gardens which took part in the scheme in 2007:

Church Cottage, Church Street (Hywel and Ingram Lloyd)
Ferns, Helmdon Road (George and Julie Metcalfe)
Mill Hollow Barn (David Thompson)
The Old Stocks (Mr and Mrs Robin Prior)
Sulgrave Manor Herb Garden (The Herb Society as Sulgrave Manor)
The Old Farmhouse (Peter and Moo Mordaunt) 
Threeways (Dr and Mrs D Lewis)
Greenfields (Mrs S Harding)