Day 2
Today is less about me and more about one of our neighbours, local farmer Oliver Bowden, who was tragically killed in a farming accident a couple of weeks ago. His unexpected and sudden death shocked and subdued our small community. It is not that he was a particularly close friend, but more that he was a part of the valley where we live. A constant presence rattling past on his tractor or in his 4×4 (possibly the grubbiest car on the road), with a wave to neighbours, as I wandered towards the river or the woods. He regularly transformed Mill End into Smelly End with his enthusiastic muck spreading, a sure sign rain was coming. He was a regular fixture in the local pub on a Friday night, occupying the seat by the fire and at the monthly pop-up restaurant in the village. He will be greatly missed, not just by his family but by the whole community. I think the place he held within that community, was reflected by the number of people who turned out to salute him, despite the current lockdown restrictions. A cortege of over 50 modern and vintage tractors, as well as skip loaders, diggers, quad bikes and 4x4s towing trailers preceded the hearse, and hundreds of people lined the road from Mill End to Dairy Lane applauding as it passed. One of the most moving occasions I have ever witnessed.
I somehow felt the need to be physically busy following the emotional scenes surrounding Oliver’s cortege and so set about redistributing the gravel in the communal parking area outside the house. Choosing the hottest day of the year so far was probably not the most sensible decision, however once I got the bit between my teeth, the time passed reasonably quickly. I think the neighbours were a little perplexed as to why I was undertaking the task when there are 3, above averagely-sized, men in the house, but the boys & Robert were of the opinion that if the state of the gravel bothered me that much, then I could, by all means, crack on with it – so I did. I returned sweaty and red-faced, but quietly impressed with myself. That didn’t last long, I soon marched them all outside to said parking area and required them to lavish much praise on upon me for a job well done.
The good news story of the day is that Elsa’s puppies have arrived – 5 in total, 4 black and 1 blonde. We will go to visit them tomorrow, after I have perfected the “no we do not need a Labrador puppy” mantra successfully.
The pub Zoom at 6.30 was understandably all about the funeral procession, the memorial service will have to wait until we can use the church in numbers again, but we raised a glass to Oliver and swapped our favourite stories about him.
