Matt’s Tractor! (From ‘TALES FROM A COUNTRY BOY’ – to be published soon.)

The evening calm of light breeze, birdsong, and the fragrance of roses, was abruptly shattered by a loud clattering on our shingle drive. As a score of birds stopped singing, and took off in alarm, we lowered our glasses of chilled white wine, and swung round to view the intrusion. 

“Are yer alroight?” said our good friend Matt, grinning broadly at our obvious consternation. “Oi was passing boi on moi tractor, and thought Oi’d drarp in on yer”. He dismounted from his tractor, sauntered over to the patio, and drew up a chair. 

Ruddy-faced Matt is a born and bred Norfolkman. He farms, he trims hedges, he supplies manure, and almost anything else of a rural nature that needs supplying, harvesting or fixing. And he often travels by tractor. He told us he had driven his tractor to Fakenham that morning, where there was an agricultural show, and though he was almost home now, thought he would drop in. 

“You haven’t driven that tractor all the way to Fakenham and back, have you?” I enquired, estimating that Fakenham must be around 30 miles away, that Matt’s tractor was not exactly modern state-of-the-art, and that much of the road was single carriageway.

“Cors Oi hev”, said Matt.

“And how many hundred cars and trucks were held up behind you?” I had to ask.

“Didn’t look”. Another big grin.

Normal for Norfolk would be an apt description of Matt’s journey to Fakenham.

Thank you to those who have enquired about when the book will be available. A slight hold-up, and so will not be on book shop shelves before Christmas, I fear. I am away for a while after Christmas, but those who have ordered from me personally will have copies as soon as it’s out. Promise!