2


I RURAL LIFE Wednesday, August 27,2014


rather than a dreatn. • . Now, as the odd leaf drifts down from


| F you are like me, you are probably s till. I clinging on to the memories of those balmy I July days - no, weeks - when the sun shone ; a non-stop and eating al fresco was a reality


the trees in the wood behind my house, I am trying to readjust my thinking in order to ' ’ if? .


a slice of summer by turning to our cover • |H -


prepare myself forthe autumn. . But in the meantime, steep yourself in - ■


story on pages 20 and 21. It is all about - the traditional art of scything, and if you thought it had gone out of feshion... ' well, you were right; but now, it seems, it


is making a comeback. This month we also take ’


a look at a more all-year-round activity'-that: of breeding and showing sheep; definitely not


something to be accomplished on a single sunny afternoon. And if you are a sheep novice, don't worry. Our interviewee Katie Grieve admits that


owning sheep of her own has persuaded her that they are worthy of more than a dismissive glance. You can find out all about her on pages 7 and 8. We also revisit Bowland to continue our support I


she too was more into bovine than ovine... but


. gathering memories of the area from the past 50 11 years You can find out what has happened so far I and also how you can contribute on pages 11 and 1 12. And if you fancy entering the awards you need |


for the BowlandAONB 50th anniversary awards. This month we look at one o f the associated activities-the scrapbook project-which is ■’


|


to huny as the deadline is this Friday, August 29. 1 One of our regular columnists is taking a little ’


i


break this month. Farmer Stewart Lambert decided B to hand over the writing reins to his son, 25-year- | old Graham, and you can find his first contribution I on page 6. If the weather is still holding as this goes to print, why not take advantage of it by


i 1


Or you could enjoy the annual Heritage Open • I Days by visiting some of the amazing buildings in f i the region, free of charge. See page 34 for some - I


going on our walk on page 18? It promises some I outstanding views... and not just o f Lancashire1 I


to enjoy afterthe long winter months on Page 37 B Enjoy!


. • • •• .NICOLA ADAM, Editor'S Contents


Vet column.................................................. .. Farming column..........................................g


Tasty recipe............................... Herd to Herdwicks


7&8 25


Country Trails............... :..........................28 Rural crime toll.;...................... 24&25 Property........................................ ; ...........26


WhafsOn........ ............................." 3O&3 I Gardening...................................................37


^ Cover picture: A n d rew B urn in g h am a t th e s c y th in g


t - course a t Bell Sykes


n e S a B m - Farm - P hoto b y - . k d B m m a A n d r e w s m it h


Editor, Nicola A d am : nicola.adam@jpress.co.uk


Reporter, Joyce Bishop: Tel: 077922 19671 (office hours only). Email: jo y ce .b ish op@ le p .co .u k


A d v e r tis in g , Garry D arton: Tel: 07803 506008.


Email: garry.darton@jpress.co.uk Sarah Turner: T e l: 07803 506161


Email:, sarah.turner@jpress.co.uk


C u s tom e r Sales team : T e l: 01772 838089 . Twitter: @RuralLtfeNW


j


Sykes Farm _____


SHARP ACT: Steve Tomlin demonstrates the art of scvthinn at


■ an0T scytnmg at the scything course at Bell Picture: ANDREW SMITH


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suggestions. Closer to home, our gardening expert I Michelle Unsworth offers some advice on planning B so that, come spring, you will have a riot of colour ;■ B


w M I I


I I


rZ& F jJ • -rid:! iFSSIt ai j RURAL LIFE I


Cover story... m


3


| U F cutting the lawn has . I become a real pain in '


j the neck — and let's face i it, w h o really enjoys


cutting a square o f grass- - maybe one o f this month's


features will turn your head. Scythes have been


around fo r quite a while ...s in c e about 500 BC, b u t d id n 't gain popularity in Europe until about the 15th and 16th centuries.


A t th a t tim e they were used fo r mowing grass


and, although these days it is unlikely anyone would assume you were using a scythe if you said you were g o in g to mow your lawn, the term 'mowing' is still


. popular among scythers. A nd yes, you can cut


surprisingly short grass using one o f these traditional, hand-held


blades, so you could keep your little patch o f green


. in trim w ith a scythe if you really wanted to. However, after seeing them in action, scythes look like they would be much more at home in th e long grass than


they would in the average back garden. Like every traditional skill, there is a b it o f an art to scything


successfully; swinging randomly from side to side is less likely to be effectively and more likely to give you .. .w e ll, w e're back to that pain in the neck again! But why n o t decide for -


yourself, after all the lawn titivating season is coming to an end so you might just decide th a t you want to


.sharpen up your act in time fo r th e spring. Turn to pages 20 and


21 to find o u t more and meet an expert in the field - literally!


y s Tla s t —after near a dec-


I ade's a b se n ce - th e Royal | l Lancashire Show is going to ®make a comeback.


Next August will see it return to


the showground a t Salesbury Hall in Ribchester, nine years after its last appearance. . The 247-year-old show has faced a number of challenges in recent


years, n o t least the horrendous weather and difficulty in finding a suitable site.


But now the organiser, the Royal Lancashire Agricultural Society,


says it is confident the show can be revived. Secretary David Marriott said: •


"We've.just opened our office so we have a base to work from, which is ideal and we are back at Sales­ bury Hall, by kind invitation o f Mr Colin Mustoe and his family. "We're also being supported by


Ribble Valley Council and we've managed to sort o u t one o f the • major problems, which is access to the car parking fie ld ." He said th a t a solution to the


parking difficulties had been found thanks to help from Lancashire Highways and Lancashire Police. Organisers are now confident and talking to potential sponsors. He added: "There should be a


. county show in Lancashire. It was a great loss, we feel, th a t fo r these


past few years there hasn't been one. :


. "What we're trying to do at the moment is recreate the show committee and the stewards fo r ' the various sections. We're looking fo r volunteers; we need people to come forward."


- . • The last show, which ran over


three days in 2006, attracted ' almost 50,000 people and David


said th a t the enthusiastic reaction on social media indicated th a t it would be welcomed back.


The once annual event was held


•p la c e ..’ , In 2010 organisers were forced


in various locations across the county, including Garstang and Astley Park in Chorley. But in 2007 and 2008 the show was rained off, a n d a row over where to stage the event in 2009 meant it did n ot take


to admit defeat in their bid to keep it running and sold o ff more than


■ 60 trophies. David said if this had n o t happened the show would not- be going ahead next year. • He said: " It was regrettable in


one sense, b ut the po in t is it has kept th e society afloat and given us a little b it o f capital." To contact the Society call 01254


914362 o r email infoOroyallancs. co.uk..


Royal Lancashire Show is back


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