To those of you reading this, we are now obviously in September with the autumnal mornings. I am often told, by a few fellow villagers, that it is great hop picking weather. Does anyone know what this means? What is hop picking weather? Does anyone know if they were any hop gardens in Whatlington or Vinehall Street. I know there used to be some in Robertsbridge and Salehurst, there even used to hop gardens owned by the Guinness Estate in nearby Bodiam. The website of Bygone Bodiam shows some of the hop gardens.
Did anyone, in the village, ever use beer tokens or those old clay ginger beer bottles? A photo can be seen here.
I hope everyone, who reads this blog, that lives in the village knows that there is a vineyard. I know of two people, who live in the village used to prune the vines, and I have picked the grapes. Sorry, you are supposed to cut the stalk of the bunch of grapes with secateurs. However with that hop picking weather, a form of foggy or misty morning where the sun's angle is starting to become lower in the sky, means that you will get really wet arms and upper chest from the picking through the foliage to find the grapes. Has anyone got any stories of pruning and picking the grape in Whatlington or does anyone know of any land within the village boundaries where a vineyard may have been. It should have a south facing slope but it could be south west or south east facing. I am hoping that someone will be able to tell me more exacting conditions for a vineyard.
Other activities within the village that could provide produce for a Harvest Festival include a strawberry and raspberry pick your own farm; milk from three dairies; beef from cattle, lamb from sheep; wheat, barley and potatoes. I shall give you some answers next week, but have I missed any produce that has been grown in the village?
Next week, what did villagers do in the village hall?
No comments:
Post a Comment