This sharp spell has caused a panic on the firewood gathering front - all hands etc. Obviously what you are looking at here is a selection of butts heading to the saw mill for planking up and onward conversion into fine furniture, following a few years air-drying under cover, open-stacked. The great Mabbut's mill at Brixworth, nestling up to the railway line, is sadly no longer operating - I stopped there a few weeks ago on a satisfyingly windy day and was rewarded with the hoped-for sound track of flapping tin and an opportunist Elder tree rubbing up against a building like a bullock scratching itself on a post. I have to confess that the posting of this picture was prompted by the mention elsewhere of cut sticks for timber. I am hopeful that we may be able to revive some of the atmosphere, passion, ingenuity and sheer engineering bravado of the steam powered era in agriculture and industry that is needed in response to the plastic, silicone, semi-conducting banality that is smothering the countryside - albeit in the form of toys. MORE STEAM !
