It’s getting tedious now. All this disruption from the weather I mean. Some of you will have noticed that your delivery arrived at an unusual time last week. On Thursday I decided to get around to my local customers early, while I still could. Even then it was difficult, because deep floods had already formed on the roads that I use, with one of them impassable, but I managed it. Later in the day the water levels continued to rise, to the point where the Stour broke its banks for the second time in as many weeks, but the rain abated and it was dry overnight. I decided that it would be prudent to set out on my Friday delivery route a little later than usual, hoping that some of the surface water might have receded. Wrong! There was a deep flood covering the road into Cavendish, and an even deeper one at the bottom of Glemsford made my little van splutter and cough, which made me splutter and cough too! I was stuck in the middle of a convoy, so I just had to go with the flow and hope for the best, but the fact that I got through it was down to me bouncing my bottom up and down in my seat as the water lapped around me, of that there is no doubt.

We have lived in our house for more than 32 years now, and in all that time the road immediately alongside our garden has never flooded. The main photograph shows the scene that met me on Thursday morning. The hedge shown on the right is the boundary to the property. Some road users were quite considerate, making their way though the water cautiously at low speed, and then there were the idiots, bombing through, creating bow waves that broke and dispersed in the garden. At lunchtime I went home and dug a culvert in the verge to allow the water to get away down the field behind us. The problem was created by a build up of water behind a partially blocked land drain that goes under the road. None of the ditches or drains locally receive any routine maintenance anymore, so this type of event is likely to happen more regularly. I’ve been out with my spade this morning creating more culverts, and taking drain covers off to dig out compacted silt. I should get a job with the Council, at least I would get paid for it.

Last week I mentioned that the autumn colours were slow to display this year. Well the trees must have been listening, because before the ink was dry so yellow, amber, red and rust hues began to appear. The leaves are dropping now in large numbers too. I know that because the staff on the stud farm, who are anal about everything looking just so, are using leaf blowers for about 6 hours per day to clear them from the trim grass around the stable yard! But they only seem to blow them somewhere else, so if the wind gets up back they all come. I use several machines at Moyns Park, but if you ever see me using a leaf blower you have permission to slap my legs.

Conditions weren’t very nice at Wyken yesterday for the farmers’ market – windy, wet, chilly, so my expectations were not high for a successful morning of trading. Sure enough the footfall was predictably low, so imagine my surprise when it turned out to be a bumper week, one of my best ever. Those that came were there to spend money; perhaps filling their larders in anticipation of more apocalyptic weather events.

I am pleased that I sowed my broad beans when I did, before the ground became saturated, because I now have clearly visible lines of bean seedlings. There is no way that I could have created a seed bed for them if I had left it until late October, which is when I have sometimes planted them. The rocket seeds I sowed in the greenhouse a couple of weeks ago are all showing through now, and the spring greens are establishing themselves. I finished the last of the apple picking last Monday and took them straight off to be pressed. Most of you will have noticed that you didn’t get Adam’s Pearmain apples in your boxes, that’s because when I picked them virtually every one of them had been pecked by birds, which was very disappointing. The only remaining apple variety I have is still not ready for eating, the fruit has not yet fully developed its flavour, so for this week I am buying some Adam’s Pearmain from Kent.

There are regular white cauliflowers in the shop this week, Brussels sprouts, kale and purple sprouting broccoli. Otherwise it’s mostly root vegetables, including swede, which I failed to list last week even though I had them. Beetroot is particularly flavoursome at the moment, and is very good for you. If you are in to making preserves there are still plenty of green tomatoes, and the quince have finally ripened. There are oranges, lemons and limes. The mushroom supply problem is behind us for now at least.

I’m at the osteopath tomorrow morning. I started going last winter when I had problems with my knees and back, and since then I have followed the exercise regime given to me pretty well, and as a consequence I have stayed mostly trouble free. However, I have an appointment every couple of months just as a precaution, and this one has come at the right time because I have felt a little twinge in my lower back in recent days, so I am hoping that it will be nipped in the bud. I can’t recommend regular stretches and focussed exercises highly enough, they have been great for me, and only take 10-15 minutes per day.

Right, I’m off to don Lycra and unroll my exercise mat. I have considered a sweatband for my head and leg warmers, you know, go the full 1980’s Jane Fonda look…..but then I reconsidered. Have a good week.

Phil