The trees are on the turn

Trees are on the turn, nights are drawing in and its time to get the thick duvet out, the chimney swept, the logs and coal in, find the slow cooker and go buy some decent veg. Mind you here where I live we have the church and folk still put the spare veg they grow inside the church for one to help yourself to.Its the time of plenty and a couple of days ago I found a massive bag of apples hanging on my door handle, who from I have no idea. Its that kind of place. Where your neighbor will get your washing in off the drying line when your out and its raining. A place to stand and stare with time to breath. There are a lot of folk around me who are without a car and if I am going anywhere I always stop at the bus stop. If there is someone going my way  I give them a lift. Its that kind of place.

Harvest festival is over and very nice it was to. I brought a bottle of half decent white wine in the auction and Babs the chief cook kept me well stocked with apple pie and custard. Now there is a lass that understand the importance of pudding. Babs was a school teacher until recently "I was told to f off by a kid and shouted no you f off and I knew it was time to go" Brilliant and honest!

At the nearby sea port the fishermen were just off out today and waiting for the tide to come in. Haddock for the trawlers and the light boats will be after crab. The fish shop was clearing out the last of the smocked haddock at rock bottom price as I left this evening in order to get the next batch on sale in the morning. I could smell the wood smoke as I drove by. It is incredible to think that only five trawlers are now based in Grimsby, where once to port was jam packed.

In our village is a lad who is going back to sea today for the first time in a year. Its hard and dangerous work on a trawler in the North Sea and God keep him safe and bring him home to his wife Amen. I nearly went to sea when I was a kid and came to Grimsby to take the Marconi entrance exam for radio operators. I passed and nearly joined up to go deep sea trawling, but joined the RAF instead. Back then the UK trawler fleet was massive and Grimsby totally taken over by the fishing industry. Now on the docks there is just one deep sea trawler tied up next to the museum and the water front will soon be expensive flats. Its sad when men cant earn a crust with the sweat of their brow and the labor of their hands. Such a waist now to see lads down at heel looking for work.