Tuesday 12th August 2008
Notes from the Orwell

The changeable weather we are enjoying at the moment has given me the opportunity of a new venue for writing these notes. Elizabeth and I are enjoying a cruise down the Orwell on the Thames Sailing Barge Centaur with a gang of friends. The Centaur was built at Harwich in 1895 and spent most of her working life various cargoes including grain, sugar, malt, pig iron and aggregates from the Haven Ports to Belgium, the Thames and South Coast. After dereliction and extensive restoration in the 1960’s she now belongs to the Thames Sailing Barge Trust, carrying charter parties and taking part in Barge races. Our trip started in the Wet Dock in Ipswich in torrential rain but by the time we passed under the Orwell bridge the sun was shining and a good westerly wind was pushing us along only with only a small area of sail in use. A more relaxing way of seeing the beauties of the Orwell estuary is difficult and I would recommend anyone to see our local landscape from water level if they can.

Harvest is progressing in a stop start fashion but the regular heavy showers have not hurt anything so far. Winter barley came in well with above average yields and malting quality. It appears that most of Europe had the same experience so we have sold the balance to go in November and are feeling lucky to have done so as the price has fallen fast. Still, good news for beer drinkers as malt will be cheaper which will surely result in a drop in price!! Was that an Essex Saddleback I saw passing over Harwich!! All the straw has been baled in good condition and is in the barn. We have also got all our hay in good order which is very good news after last years struggles.

The rape has all been cut and has yielded remarkably well despite the pigeon damage. The crop has an amazing capacity for recovery if growing conditions suit it which has been demonstrated this year. Ours really looked bad in the early spring compared to our neighbours and it is a great relief to harvest an acceptable crop. Most of the stubbles have been worked with our new sub-soiler combination and will be ready for drilling with wheat after a pass with the press.

The rest of the wheat and spring barley are ready when the weather lets us get at it. Harvests world wide are considerably up on last year which is depressing the price. This should be good for food inflation but how much effect will be seen by shoppers is difficult to estimate. Bread wheat prices last year more than doubled to £220 per tonne. Now they are nearer £130 but this is still £60 up on 2006 and is frankly not leaving a lot of profit for the grower at this level. Last year our policy selling much of the crop forward was a poor decision. This year we may well have done the right thing.

While doing some maintenance work in the church yard recently we discovered a slowworm dozing quietly in a damp hole. It is very pleasing to know that they are still there as slowworm hunts were a regular part of my childhood. The excitement of holding something which looked like a snake, and which lived in churchyard tombs, was too good to miss and we knew we wouldn’t get bitten. Let us hope that our current management of the churchyard continues to give them sanctuary.

David Tydeman