Page 17 - Demo

PAGE 17As well as being a very costly operation, (dragging a large chunk of metal through the compacted soil and turning over the top 6-8%u201d , burns a lot of diesel in a tractor) we are now more aware of carbon sequestration and moisture retention, and the act of bringing the bottom soil to the top unfortunately releases a lot of carbon and moisture into the atmosphere. We all experience this in the garden when we turn over a patch of soil one day in the summer and compare it to the colour of the same soil that we dug over 7 days ago. The difference is because the soil from last week has lost a lot of moisture that was previously locked up at depth.As I write this on a very wet September day, the worry is less evident than it was 1 month ago as we were leaving our fourth heatwave of the year, but warmer and drier weather patterns are forecast to continue so expect to see less and less ploughs in action going forward as changes continue to occur.Like many villages, we used to hold a Harvest Festival and supper in Astwood, but this event has now disappeared from our calendar as villagers juggle busy lives.Jobs, sports, clubs, holidays and other activities eat into what little %u2018spare time%u2019 everybody has and the days of taking your prize marrow or tomatoes to be auctioned off for charity are now but a distant memory. I am sure that Astwood is not alone in this change.The Village hall however, having just had a recent refurbishment to its exterior, continues to thrive as a hub, and as one event such as the Harvest supper ceases to be more than a memory, then another takes its place.There is a quiz night planned for Friday 17th October for teams of 6. Pizzas will be available from the Old Swan pub, which coincidently will also be releasing its new Italian menu around the same time! As is the current tradition, we will be holding a Halloween event for the children of Astwood and Hardmead%u2026 although I am pretty sure that the adult that partake in this event, probably get as much enjoyment from it as the children do! Details to follow on the Astwood and Hardmead Village website.The recently formed table tennis club continues to grow in popularity, as does the weekly yoga class and we are hosting our annual Christmas Fayre on the 9th November which coincides with the Astwood Farmers market as it is the 2nd Sunday of the month.If you wish to book the Village Hall, or to enquire about one of the many activities hosted there or in the village, please contact a member of the Village Hall Team on AstwoodVillageHall@Outlook.comI think that is about it for now, but as I said earlier, don%u2019t be surprised if things change%u2026.. because the only constant is change, and life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change%u2026%u2026%u2026Till next time%u2026Great Tit.