Mrs Down's Diary

Bryony and family are a case in point. Came for the afternoon on Thursday. Left Sunday evening, reluctantly, but Chris had to get to work, but left Jessica with us.

This weekend we have about 40 friends here for a clay shoot, so as quite a few are staying over, I feel that cooking, cleaning and running around after imperious granddaughter has taken my life over completely.

And in the midst of all this John combined the barley. Without Geoff, and with me out of the running with grandchildren to care for, he has had to pace himself to get corn trailers home and the barley augured up into the grain bins for winter feed for the bullocks.

But it is all done. Very satisfying. The barley has not been as good a crop as he wished for, but it is a very clean sample.

John was advised to spray for black grass last autumn. It knocked the barley back badly and it has never really recovered.

"I shan't be doing that again," he said. John agreed at the time that blackgrass might be a problem but feels it is more of an issue not have the yield he expected. But that apart, he is very pleased to have the crop out of the field and in the barn.

For full feature see West Sussex Gazette August 20