Jackdaw Chatter - The Quarterly Magazine about Stow-cum-Quy
Bill's Bit
Another summer here then and ein’t that been a cold old spring. The grass
didn’t start growing till the middle of May did it? I don’t reckon
there will be much of a hay crop nowhere, ‘cos that’s already going
to a seed head without no stalk much. Poor old farmers, again no hay to sell
for beer money next winter! The trees are all looking good though I see that
red conker tree by the village sign looks lovely now all out in blossom. How
many of you remember that grut big old Red conker up by the Blacksmiths shop
where Quy court now stands? I’ll bet that would have looked good this
year. I don’t reckon a lot on all the other conker trees though. By now
they should all have a thick mass of dark green leaves what you can’t
see through, but they all look a bit pale and poor this year. I reckon that
old fungus they’ve had for the last two years is taking a toll. Lets
hope that’s gone now, and all the trees will next year return to their
former strength and glory. I have heard the Cookoo once this year, but I know
someone heard it down Quy Fen in early April. Linda reckons she heard him
four times in one day down the park, but they are getting rarer each year.
There ein’t only half a dozen swallows about yet either. I see a couple
early in April and thought that looked good, but they ein’t had many
mates come to join them. We’ve had some lovely wide blue skies this last
week or two, and most years by now they would be full of swallows and martins
ducking and diving about. Now look up, nothing, well praps an old crow or
pigeon flying over, or Jackdaws. There’s hundreds of them all nesting
in the hollow apple trees down my orchard.
Other birds are busy though, Paul Currington tells me. There’s seven
pairs of Buzzards nesting. One pair are just behind the second Lodge gate
house. If you look up they sit there quite happy, only don’t upset Merilyn
‘cos she might not like you peeping. There’s a pair of Hobby Falcons
Paul and Chris were watching along the old railway line. They were hunting
in a pair, so don’t know whether they are breeding or not. There’s
magpies about like you’ve never seen. Alan and Shaun have managed to
trap over 80 already this year, so that’s a whole lot more young chicks
from other small birds what have been saved from slaughter. Paul reckons there
is two pairs of Marsh Harriers nesting down Wilbraham Fen this year. He saw
both pairs earlier and now only the males are flying about so the hens are
probably sitting on eggs. There is a pair of Barn owls about up near the Pink
house. Last week Paul saw a Chinese water deer down by Crickles. He reckoned
that was hollering out for a mate, and the noise that made you could hear
miles away. He also reckons that he has never seen so many leverets about
as this year, so hopes of a big increase in the hare population, unless they
get poached or coursed by Dids. The mink are the main problem this year; there
are about a dozen on the river between Gaynes and the river bridge. They have
killed no end of broods of ducklings, either the eggs or the young chicks.
There was a load of big chub by the iron bridge, but they have gone and the
mink have been seen with one of them in their mouths. No one has seen a Kingfisher
on the river this year and there is normally a pair or two nest up by The
Boot. Last year the mink cleared out a kingfisher’s nest of eggs so it
has probably happened again. The keepers are trying to trap the mink, but
they are wily old animals and so far not much luck. Actually there must be
some kingfishers about, ‘cos one flew straight into John Chapman’s
window a few weeks ago and unfortunately killed itself. Linda tells me that
she has Blue Tits and Great Tits nesting in two of her boxes. She watched
a woodpecker opening out one of the holes and that is the one that now houses
the Great Tits.
Station Road again see, there’s everything happening down there just
lately. What with this famous Television chef living in the thatched house
by DJ . Did you see him on Master chef? Well done Alex you put Quy on the
map, and didn’t you do well to get to the finals.
Then sadly the poor old Cob swan was shot dead a few weeks ago. The police
got the gun with finger prints etc:, and a dark bloke was seen running away,
but they ein’t caught no one yet. I suppose it was some sort of ---uanian
who eat swans in their country, so if they catch him the police won’t
do nothing. Andrea Carrier (wot was) has kept the Pen swan going as she sat
on her eggs, by going down to feed her three times a day. Well done Andrea
and she actually brought off five babies ( the Swan not Andrea), but it had
been reduced to two fairly quick by whatever are its natural predators. Normally
when the young swan family are on the river mum swims in front and dad behind,
but I suppose with only one adult the cygnets were much more vulnerable. Sadly
I have now been told that there are no cygnets left, and she has moved up
the river to Quy Mill. However on the bright side two new swans have moved
onto the Broadwater, could be youngsters what were born here. Let’s hope
they are an actual pair and they give us as much pleasure as the old ones
have for so many years.
Mal had a posh birthday present in March. She was at Karen’s a day or
so before, when suddenly in popped Elvis Presley, all in his finery with his
stretched limo outside, and serenaded her. Then he came to her house again
on her actual birthday. That pleased her, and what with her dancing away so
much at the over sixties do she is getting real with it in her old age, (well
late middle age). I ein’t gonna tell you how old she is , but me, her
and Col Crisp were born in the village within a fortnight of each other. We
have all lived here all our lives, and me and Col are seventy.
I had a rare treat for my birthday. A day with Suffolk Punch Horses. Me and
Jean went to a place in Suffolk, where they keep two Suffolk stallions, several
mares and Suffolk horses of all ages. I was allocated George, a big old gelding
about 12 years old. I was able to groom him and then tack him up, blast that
brought back some memories. Then I took him long reining before we hitched
him into a cart, then me, Jean and the horse keeper went for a long ride round
the farm tracks. As soon as we got off the road I was able to drive him most
of the way. He kept breaking into a trot and heading over to one side of the
track (‘cos he was used to being part of a pair in the cart) which put
the cart wheel almost into the ditch. Frightened the life out of Jean, but
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and felt in complete control.
It was sad to hear that Dave Roff had died. He was a real Quy character and
had been gamekeeper here for nearly forty years. His country skills and knowledge
were well known around and he had always been a pleasure to talk to about
countryside matters. His last few years had been a bit difficult and it was
such a tragedy so soon after little David’s death. Our hearts go out
to Mal who has so much to bear.
So many of you have asked how Lucky the lamb is. Did she make it ? Well yes
she did and now Jean and Jasper are pestering me to keep her next year. This
here sympathetic lark ein’t much good for farming. I had a rare rough
old ewe last year, she was so bad she should have gone in my freezer, but
I was persuaded by all these sloppy women to let her stay to die in the field.
Then come the day to put the tup in I had to bring her home so that he wouldn’t
mate with her. By Christmas, when I had all the sheep home, I thought she
was so rough and the season so late she wouldn’t stand for him, so I
put them all in the yard together. Wrong! She lambed last Friday. Females
you can’t trust them no how. Anyway she also had enough milk to feed
the lamb, so that’s O.K. We have called him Bonus and he is doing well.
Thank goodness that’s a male lamb so I won’t be persuaded to keep
him.
Well we had a good Quiz last week. Against all predictions the team calling
themselves Norfolk n’chance won scoring 78 points, with Vicarage East
second and Vicarage West third. Three other teams competed and the final results
showed that all the teams were within 12 points, so that was a fairly even
contest. Ian Waters had given us a speaker system to try, and it worked fairly
well.
I was very proud to learn that the Quy Fen Trust book on the history of Quy
Fen, written by Peg was awarded a prize by the Cambs Local History society.
I had to go to Toft and be presented with it, where I was happy to praise
her up amongst some very up-market personalities. I’ll bet Peg and Ron
were looking down and having a good old smile about it, especially at me getting
all tongue tied saying a few words.
So what’s next? Well we’d like to see you all at the Fete on July
10th in the Orchard. That’s always a nice homely event, and a good chat.
Quy church certainly need the money, funds only just balance each year. Then
there will be rounders in July. Normally another good turn out of villagers.
Don’t know the date yet, but look out for posters.
Right, better get this over to Nigel, I’m only a day or two late as usual.
Cheers Bill Watts
P.S.
We all know Sheila runs a good dry cleaning service at the Shop, but last
week poor old Brian Thorby thought he had suddenly lost a lot of weight. He’d
had his trousers cleaned and picked them up from the shop, but when he put
them on they were about four sizes too big. Yes Sheila had give him someone
else's trousers.
By a sheer coincidence two families who have lived in Quy for about forty
years met at an airport terminal. "Hello Margaret," says Heather.
"Hello Heather and Barry," says Margaret. "Who are they?"
asks Ray. Praps Ray hadn't got his glasses on.
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