I NEVER did see anyone ploughing with the big old traction engines of yesteryear when they had one at each end of the field to winch a many-furrowed plough back and forth across the field.

I did, however, many at time see a steam engine driving a threshing machine; although we always had a tractor-drawn threshing outfit to visit us.

What set me off on this tack was seeing an old photograph of an early traction engine on the road with a man walking in front with a red flag.

I understand this was the law in the those days.

So I got to thinking it might be a good idea for me to have someone with a red flag walk in front of the car the first time I have to negotiate Kendal's new traffic system.

There's one thing for sure, I'll know exactly where I' m going so in spite of any confusion, at least I won't be lost, I'll know exactly where I am, it's just whether the powers that be agree that's where I should be or not.

Up until the mid nineteenth century, many more people in Britain lived in the country than in than in the towns and cities.

Most of them, of course, lived in villages.

If we thought that the old cities were the oldest places where people lived, we would be wrong for I understand that particularly down country there are quite a few villages that go back further than the cities.

Some villages were arranged round village greens presumably for security so that their livestock could be driven from the common grazings and kept safe on the village green from the hands of marauders.

Some were built with a street effect, often along the site of an old Roman Road.

Even Windsor, which has been a borough since the thirteenth century, would have been a village long before then, even though it has its castle.

The village ponds which, with their birdlife, are a delight to the visitors of today, were initially for watering livestock.

Since those early days, many were the steam engines such as the ones I've already mentioned that took the opportunity to stop by the village pond to use a suction pipe and fill up with water.

No longer are most of the cottages lived in by farm workers, but are occupied by people from Urban areas seeking a life free from the stresses and strains of town life, or as holiday cottages.

It has to be said that the reason for the exodus of farm workers is not in any way due to the desire of more affluent people to move "back" into the country; rather it is due to the mechanisation of agriculture and the quest of managing with ever fewer workers.

Far wiser and cleverer people than me will understand why

today we have companies and associations eager to advise people on doing a job with an ever-decreasing number of workers.

While at the same time you have others advising on the creation of jobs.

But then, who says that today things have to make sense.

Herewith another piece of my useless information: The last time we took a train journey was October and it was to York.

On returning we were told at Leeds that our through train was now being diverted to Manchester as they could not get drivers so we had to complete the journey to Preston first by taxi then by coach.

We were told this was a common occurrence.

As people of my generation would say "I never remember it happening in my day."

Dialect Word: Ess meaning peat ash.

Origin could be Norse.

Thought of the day: A man gave up his seat to a woman on the London Underground whereupon she fainted, on coming round she duly thanked him and he fainted.