Hook Norton Brass Band at Sulgrave V.E. Day Celebrations
Richard Fonge writes:
This month we remembered V.E. day and after reading Colin Wootton’s excellent account on the website of life in war time Sulgrave, it has brought home to me how country life of that time is so distant from today. Because Sulgrave has only had internal development, mostly in old farmyards, there has been no outside development, meaning the fields around are as they were back then, with some a lot larger after hedge removal. A consequence of Government policy in the 1960’s to encourage food production as the modernisation of agriculture gathered a pace and people left the land to work in other industries and occupations.
It is the fields up the concrete road that have been enlarged for arable production mainly. The positioning of the water troughs give you an idea of where old boundaries once were.
However since those immediate post war days when steam trains were seen from Sulgrave, we now have a disused railway line which is a wildlife corridor with an abundance of wildlife and flora, dominated by the whitethorn in full bloom (The May blossom). Also three woodlands have been planted on Sulgrave farm, the most noticeable on the path to Barrow hill, with wild flower meadows below it and trees were planted some thirty plus years ago on the side of Magpie and Moreton roads. All adding to the diversity of our Parish whilst traditional farming of livestock and grain continues.
Two old established spinneys one at the bottom of the great green ( field off Little street ) and the other opposite the junction of the Weston rd and Moreton rd both have rookerys. Rooks need pasture to live off. Dung beetles etc. So you only have rookerys near pasture and I think their chatter in the trees this time of year is one of the most evocative sounds of spring.
Another great sight is to see hares boxing in the spring.
Writing about these changes, makes it even harder to witness the destruction of our countryside over the road by HS2.
Perhaps the greatest loss to our villages are those true countrymen who understood the way of the countryside, respected its values and customs and lived alongside nature through their work.
A good maxim from one such countryman when asked why he hadn’t got a particular item. Loosely translated. (You only have what you can afford)
Richard Fonge.