Mrs Downs Diary- December 22

For many years John was at his happiest deep in a dike, shovelling out mud, leaves, branches and other detritus in an effort to get water flowing. He came back with all the village gossip as people like nothing better than watching someone else working, and he was often joined by curious onlookers with bits and bobs of local news.

Now we have a machine to do the job and John sits in splendid isolation in his tractor cab. No-one can stop and chat to him otherwise the tractor blocks the lane, and with the increase in traffic he has to work with his hazard light on so that vehicles do not plough into the back of him.

Mrs Down's Diary appears every week in the West Sussex Gazette. To read the full version of this article, see December 22 issue.