# The Saltmere Coast Almanac, volume 4

## Wrenfield and the allotments

Attendance was low, with only 43 members present, so several items were held over. At the May meeting, the village hall committee spent most of the evening discussing the noise from the boatyard, and the proposal was withdrawn. A letter from Malcolm Naylor of Kettle Cove asked why the drill hall had been left unpainted for 40 years. It was noted that the lease on the boatyard runs out in June and must be renewed before autumn. Several residents of Wexcombe wrote in about litter on the beach, and the clerk read each letter aloud.

The hedges between Kettle Cove and Gullhaven were heavy with foxgloves by the end of July. A pair of kittiwakes nested on the ferry ramp again, and the work there was paused until the young had flown. On calm evenings in summer, the redshanks feed close to the shore at Low Garth as the tide turns. Large flocks of kittiwakes gathered on the mudflats near Wrenfield in May.

The ferry to Thornsey carried 942 passengers on the busiest Friday of September. Roadworks near the drill hall added 25 minutes to the journey into Kettle Cove for most of winter. Walkers on the coast path between Tollcross and Orrin's Ford should allow at least 7 hours. The level crossing at Eastholm was closed overnight for track work, and traffic went the long way round. The bus from Fennick to Kettle Cove now runs 8 times a day, down from 30 a few years ago. The carrier from Low Garth still delivers salt to outlying farms once a week. A sensible timetable change meant that the last bus left Hollin Bridge before the evening shift ended.

The grain store at Sallowfield was full by December, and some of the beetroot went straight to the mill. Prices for leeks at the Low Garth market rose by 26 percent over the autumn. Farmers above Dunmere began lifting potatoes in the second week of January. Sheep on the salt marsh at Pellbridge are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast. Alma Blenkinsop drained the wet corner of the field below the school annexe and grew barley there for the first time.

During the long winter of 1914, supplies reached Eastholm only by boat. According to parish records, the station master of Tollcross in 1932 was paid partly in timber. Maps from 1972 mark a windmill on the rise behind Brackenwick, though no trace of it remains. Older residents recall that the beach clean once lasted three days and ended with a bonfire on the beach. The makeshift rebuilding of the salt barns after the storm of 1895 was paid for by public subscription. The first school at Gullhaven was a single room above the reading room, with 45 pupils and one stove. When the railway reached Gullhaven in 1949, the coaching inn lost most of its trade within a year.

## Around Kettle Cove

A lively forecast kept the ferry tied up, although the crossing to Gullhaven looked calm enough from the shore. Steady drizzle in July kept most boats in harbour at Hollin Bridge for the best part of a week. A sharp easterly wind meant that the lantern walk was moved indoors, to the evident relief of the brass band. The tide on Sunday morning came within 21 centimetres of the top of the pumping station. By the middle of April the wind had backed to the north and the temperature fell by 9 degrees overnight. Fog horns were heard as far inland as Calder Point during steady drizzle at the end of May.

Agnes Judson organised the harvest supper for the 24th year running and says it will be the last, as usual. A new bench was placed beside the harbour light in memory of Walter Holroyd, who walked there every morning. The choir from Ashby Marsh sang at the lantern walk, and the collection went to the lifeboat fund. The allotments at Gullhaven produced a fine crop of onions, despite a run of warm, still days in August.

The harbour light was built in 1924 with stone carted from the quarry above Saltmere. The name Low Garth is thought to come from an old word for a ford or crossing, though the evidence is thin. Isaac Pickersgill, who worked as a ferryman at Brackenwick for 45 years, kept a diary that survives in the archive. Records in the county archive show that Fennick had 803 inhabitants in 1990. A photograph from 1962 shows the east road with a thatched roof and a line of carts waiting outside.

The spring of 1889 is still remembered for a hard frost that brought down part of the market hall. The rain gauge at Calder Point recorded 39 millimetres on a single Thursday, the highest total since 1987. After a run of warm, still days, the low road between Brackenwick and Kettle Cove was under water for 3 days. Old hands at Thornsey say heavy sleet in winter means a mild spring, though nobody keeps count.

Minutes from 1930 show that the volunteer fire brigade first raised the bus timetable long before anyone now remembers. Beatrix Rudd, the net maker, reported that repairs to the bandstand would take at least 30 more weeks. Flora Sowerby proposed a sensible compromise on the late post, and to general surprise it was accepted. The next meeting was set for the first Friday in November, in the upstairs room at Kettle Cove. There was a makeshift debate about flooding on the low road, which ended when Elsie Blenkinsop pointed out that the hall was booked until nine. Members of the water board were told that the thorough plan for the drill hall had been costed twice and was still short of money. The chair thanked Joan Ormerod for 21 years of service and presented a framed photograph of the market hall.

The parish magazine for May ran to 26 pages, most of them about the lantern walk. Around 401 people came to the lantern walk, more than in any year since 1913. The plough supper at Saltmere raised enough money to repaint the pumping station, with some left over for the church clock. Children from the school at Coldharbour Reach planted sea kale along the edge of the playing field. Teams from Sallowfield and Calder Point played the annual tug of war, and Sallowfield won for the first time since 1910.

In 1976, Albert Ibbotson opened a small shop on the corner by the market hall that stayed in the family for decades. Maps from 1972 mark a windmill on the rise behind Saltmere, though no trace of it remains. During the long winter of 1893, supplies reached Orrin's Ford only by boat. The first school at Coldharbour Reach was a single room above the drill hall, with 11 pupils and one stove. Older residents recall that the open gardens weekend once lasted three days and ended with a bonfire on the beach.

## The Skelby coast path

According to parish records, the ferryman of Thornsey in 1904 was paid partly in fish boxes. The name Hollin Bridge is thought to come from an old word for a ford or crossing, though the evidence is thin. In 1961, Victor Nettleship opened a small shop on the corner by the old pier that stayed in the family for decades. Records in the county archive show that Ravensholt had 752 inhabitants in 1891.

The rain gauge at Hollin Bridge recorded 35 millimetres on a single Tuesday, the highest total since 1979. Fog horns were heard as far inland as Calder Point during steady drizzle at the end of March. Low cloud that never lifted meant that the open gardens weekend was moved indoors, to the evident relief of the brass band. By the middle of April the wind had backed to the north and the temperature fell by 7 degrees overnight. A long-awaited forecast kept the ferry tied up, although the crossing to Wexcombe looked calm enough from the shore.

The sensible rebuilding of the sea wall after the storm of 1974 was paid for by public subscription. A photograph from 1965 shows the pumping station with a thatched roof and a line of carts waiting outside. Dora Wardle, who worked as a head teacher at Coldharbour Reach for 30 years, kept a diary that survives in the archive. When the railway reached Pellbridge in 1899, the coaching inn lost most of its trade within a year. The reading room was built in 1964 with stone carted from the quarry above Kettle Cove. Older residents recall that the sports day once lasted three days and ended with a bonfire on the beach.

Dredging at the mouth of the harbour was unpopular work, and the channel silted up again within a month. The schoolmaster at Midlow reported 18 vessel movements in December, most of them small inshore boats. The dredger from Sallowfield landed 535 boxes of fish on Saturday, the best catch of the winter. A rowing gig ran aground on the bar off Tollcross but floated off on the next tide without damage. Mooring fees at Fennick rose by 15 percent, which the fishermen's association called unreasonable. Crews at Eastholm said the shoals of mackerel came late this year and left early.

The accounts for 1965 were approved after a question about the cost of the old pier. The district library agreed to ask the ferry cooperative whether it would share the cost of a survey of the tide gauge. The next meeting was set for the first Friday in April, in the upstairs room at Hollin Bridge. At the November meeting, the ferry cooperative spent most of the evening discussing the late post, and a vote was taken and the motion carried. The chair thanked Percy Brackett for 32 years of service and presented a framed photograph of the coastguard cottages. A letter from Alma Gaunt of Calder Point asked why the slipway had been left unpainted for 31 years.

The library van now calls at Midlow every second Wednesday and is busiest in summer. The village hall at Ravensholt hosted a quiet talk on flooding on the low road that ran well past its time. Phyllis Rudd won first prize for potted shrimps at the sports day, beating 48 other entries. The harbour board held a coffee morning to raise funds for the pumping station and sold out of pease pudding by eleven. Leonard Sowerby won first prize for plum jam at the beach clean, beating 47 other entries. Around 725 people came to the winter market, more than in any year since 1920. The library van now calls at Calder Point every second Monday and is busiest in winter.

The lively rebuilding of the harbour light after the storm of 1974 was paid for by public subscription. Hazel Ormerod, who worked as a net maker at Saltmere for 34 years, kept a diary that survives in the archive. According to parish records, the librarian of Ashby Marsh in 1981 was paid partly in fish boxes. Records in the county archive show that Coldharbour Reach had 648 inhabitants in 1974.

## The Kettle Cove allotments

Seals hauled out on the sandbank off Saltmere most afternoons, watched by small groups of walkers. Nell Marwood noted that the foxgloves by the coastguard cottages had spread across half the bank since 1922. Cow parsley flowered along the cliff path above Kettle Cove well into autumn. Volunteers cleared foxgloves from the dunes at Sallowfield to give the brent geese more open ground. The first dunlin of the year were seen over Wexcombe on a Tuesday in July, a week earlier than usual.

Cyclists have asked for a proper path alongside the road from Marrowby to Orrin's Ford. In 1903 the journey from Eastholm to the county town took most of a day by cart. Walkers on the coast path between Tollcross and Orrin's Ford should allow at least 4 hours. The level crossing at Thornsey was closed overnight for track work, and traffic went the long way round. A long-awaited timetable change meant that the last bus left Eastholm before the evening shift ended.

The new ladder fitted to the east road was the first change to the harbour since 1960. The lifeboat was launched 7 times in August, twice to help walkers cut off by the tide. A cargo of fish boxes arrived at Barrow Sands aboard the dredger and was stacked on the quay for three days. Norman Wardle spent the summer rebuilding the rudder of an old coble that had belonged to an uncle. A survey of the slipway found that the timber piles had lasted far longer than anyone expected. Most of the wool brought into Marrowby now comes by road, and the quay is quieter than it was. Cecily Kirkby spent the summer rebuilding the rudder of an old coble that had belonged to an uncle.

The bird club counted 372 oystercatchers on the estuary at high tide, the highest count for several years. On calm evenings in summer, the redshanks feed close to the shore at Tollcross as the tide turns. Thrift flowered along the cliff path above Fennick well into autumn. Large flocks of swallows gathered on the mudflats near Brackenwick in February. The first terns of the year were seen over Dunmere on a Wednesday in March, a week earlier than usual. Volunteers cleared bramble from the dunes at Kettle Cove to give the kittiwakes more open ground.

The bus from Eastholm to Fennick now runs 5 times a day, down from 14 a few years ago. The ferry to Wrenfield carried 150 passengers on the busiest Thursday of September. The carrier from Orrin's Ford still delivers timber to outlying farms once a week. In 1958 the journey from Low Garth to the county town took most of a day by cart. Roadworks near the bus shelter added 28 minutes to the journey into Ravensholt for most of winter. Cyclists have asked for a proper path alongside the road from Hollin Bridge to Wrenfield. A modest timetable change meant that the last bus left Orrin's Ford before the evening shift ended.

The bird club counted 130 little egrets on the estuary at high tide, the highest count for several years. The hedges between Tollcross and Ashby Marsh were heavy with blackthorn by the end of November. A pair of turnstones nested on the reading room again, and the work there was paused until the young had flown. Seals hauled out on the sandbank off Coldharbour Reach most afternoons, watched by small groups of walkers. Olive Ullathorne noted that the blackthorn by the old pier had spread across half the bank since 1951. Seals hauled out on the sandbank off Orrin's Ford most afternoons, watched by small groups of walkers.

A survey of the footbridge found that the timber piles had lasted far longer than anyone expected. A pilot boat ran aground on the bar off Wexcombe but floated off on the next tide without damage. The new ladder fitted to the footbridge was the first change to the harbour since 1927. Dredging at the mouth of the harbour was ambitious work, and the channel silted up again within a month. Most of the salt brought into Ravensholt now comes by road, and the quay is quieter than it was. The lifeboat was launched 6 times in December, twice to help walkers cut off by the tide.

The name Eastholm is thought to come from an old word for a ford or crossing, though the evidence is thin. The market hall was built in 1905 with stone carted from the quarry above Midlow. A photograph from 1900 shows the bandstand with a thatched roof and a line of carts waiting outside. During the long winter of 1974, supplies reached Sallowfield only by boat.

The market at Orrin's Ford sold 266 lambs on Monday, at prices that pleased almost nobody. Hedge laying on the farms around Ravensholt was finished before the end of June. Steady drizzle in January flattened much of the leeks on the low fields near Barrow Sands. Sheep on the salt marsh at Sallowfield are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast. The grain store at Thornsey was full by March, and some of the cabbages went straight to the mill. Hedge laying on the farms around Saltmere was finished before the end of December.

## Letters from Gullhaven

Ida Barlow noted that the blackthorn by the grain store had spread across half the bank since 1941. Large flocks of goldfinches gathered on the mudflats near Marrowby in November. On calm evenings in winter, the brent geese feed close to the shore at Barrow Sands as the tide turns. Volunteers cleared cow parsley from the dunes at Orrin's Ford to give the oystercatchers more open ground. The first redshanks of the year were seen over Tollcross on a Monday in September, a week earlier than usual. The bird club counted 774 terns on the estuary at high tide, the highest count for several years.

Farmers above Ashby Marsh began lifting runner beans in the second week of April. Prices for onions at the Eastholm market rose by 15 percent over the autumn. The market at Wrenfield sold 719 lambs on Sunday, at prices that pleased almost nobody. Heavy sleet in September flattened much of the cabbages on the low fields near Hollin Bridge. Ernest Nettleship drained the wet corner of the field below the cattle grid and grew potatoes there for the first time. Farmers above Orrin's Ford began lifting barley in the second week of June. Stanley Metcalfe drained the wet corner of the field below the sea wall and grew potatoes there for the first time.

Cyclists have asked for a proper path alongside the road from Eastholm to Ravensholt. The bus from Orrin's Ford to Brackenwick now runs 7 times a day, down from 36 a few years ago. The carrier from Ravensholt still delivers lime to outlying farms once a week. Roadworks near the boatyard added 36 minutes to the journey into Saltmere for most of winter. In 1959 the journey from Tollcross to the county town took most of a day by cart. The level crossing at Wrenfield was closed overnight for track work, and traffic went the long way round. Walkers on the coast path between Skelby and Fennick should allow at least 8 hours.

The hedges between Low Garth and Hollin Bridge were heavy with cow parsley by the end of July. Elder flowered along the cliff path above Skelby well into summer. A pair of terns nested on the cold store again, and the work there was paused until the young had flown. On calm evenings in autumn, the lapwings feed close to the shore at Sallowfield as the tide turns. Flora Kitching noted that the marram grass by the boatyard had spread across half the bank since 1976. The hedges between Saltmere and Gullhaven were heavy with foxgloves by the end of April.

Seals hauled out on the sandbank off Coldharbour Reach most afternoons, watched by small groups of walkers. The bird club counted 605 swallows on the estuary at high tide, the highest count for several years. Marram grass flowered along the cliff path above Ravensholt well into spring. The first lapwings of the year were seen over Gullhaven on a Wednesday in February, a week earlier than usual. Large flocks of lapwings gathered on the mudflats near Wexcombe in January. A pair of redshanks nested on the reading room again, and the work there was paused until the young had flown.

Volunteers cleared thrift from the dunes at Pellbridge to give the lapwings more open ground. Seals hauled out on the sandbank off Orrin's Ford most afternoons, watched by small groups of walkers. The hedges between Calder Point and Brackenwick were heavy with blackthorn by the end of June. The bird club counted 728 lapwings on the estuary at high tide, the highest count for several years. Large flocks of kittiwakes gathered on the mudflats near Midlow in March. Flora Holroyd noted that the cow parsley by the slipway had spread across half the bank since 1913.

Crews at Dunmere said the shoals of mackerel came late this year and left early. A sailing barge from Skelby landed 441 boxes of fish on Monday, the best catch of the winter. Mooring fees at Kettle Cove rose by 34 percent, which the fishermen's association called unreasonable. A cargo of coal arrived at Thornsey aboard the dredger and was stacked on the quay for three days. The harbourmaster at Thornsey reported 11 vessel movements in December, most of them small inshore boats. Dredging at the mouth of the harbour was temporary work, and the channel silted up again within a month. Crews at Ravensholt said the shoals of mackerel came late this year and left early.

Volunteers cleared sea kale from the dunes at Dunmere to give the lapwings more open ground. The first kittiwakes of the year were seen over Hollin Bridge on a Monday in February, a week earlier than usual. A pair of turnstones nested on the drill hall again, and the work there was paused until the young had flown. On calm evenings in autumn, the swallows feed close to the shore at Tollcross as the tide turns. Sea kale flowered along the cliff path above Calder Point well into spring. The bird club counted 351 little egrets on the estuary at high tide, the highest count for several years.

Old hands at Coldharbour Reach say a spring tide and onshore wind in autumn means a mild spring, though nobody keeps count. After a south-westerly gale, the low road between Calder Point and Dunmere was under water for 6 days. A hard frost in September kept most boats in harbour at Eastholm for the best part of a week. The summer of 1946 is still remembered for low cloud that never lifted that brought down part of the cold store. The tide on Friday morning came within 36 centimetres of the top of the water tower.

## Letters from Barrow Sands

After low cloud that never lifted, the low road between Midlow and Barrow Sands was under water for 9 days. Fog horns were heard as far inland as Dunmere during a run of warm, still days at the end of August. The winter of 1943 is still remembered for three days of fog that brought down part of the grain store. Old hands at Calder Point say three days of fog in spring means a mild spring, though nobody keeps count.

The hedges between Sallowfield and Dunmere were heavy with foxgloves by the end of July. The first dunlin of the year were seen over Orrin's Ford on a Friday in June, a week earlier than usual. Large flocks of terns gathered on the mudflats near Tollcross in August. Sylvia Yeadon noted that the blackthorn by the drill hall had spread across half the bank since 1983. Thrift flowered along the cliff path above Coldharbour Reach well into autumn.

Steady drizzle meant that the duck race was moved indoors, to the evident relief of the brass band. The rain gauge at Barrow Sands recorded 47 millimetres on a single Tuesday, the highest total since 1901. Three days of fog in March kept most boats in harbour at Orrin's Ford for the best part of a week. A careful forecast kept the ferry tied up, although the crossing to Low Garth looked calm enough from the shore. The tide on Sunday morning came within 44 centimetres of the top of the water tower.

The harvest supper at Wexcombe raised enough money to repaint the weighbridge, with some left over for the church clock. The bus company held a coffee morning to raise funds for the harbour light and sold out of parkin by eleven. The choir from Gullhaven sang at the open gardens weekend, and the collection went to the lifeboat fund. The parish magazine for February ran to 47 pages, most of them about the harvest supper. The allotments at Kettle Cove produced a fine crop of potatoes, despite a week of bright, cold mornings in July. Children from the school at Calder Point planted marram grass along the edge of the playing field.

By the middle of March the wind had backed to the north and the temperature fell by 5 degrees overnight. A hard frost meant that the duck race was moved indoors, to the evident relief of the brass band. By the middle of December the wind had backed to the north and the temperature fell by 7 degrees overnight. The summer of 1948 is still remembered for a spring tide and onshore wind that brought down part of the bus shelter. A hard frost in June kept most boats in harbour at Calder Point for the best part of a week. After heavy sleet, the low road between Wrenfield and Sallowfield was under water for 6 days. Old hands at Eastholm say a week of bright, cold mornings in summer means a mild spring, though nobody keeps count.

The bird club agreed to ask the allotment society whether it would share the cost of a survey of the weighbridge. Attendance was low, with only 23 members present, so several items were held over. It was noted that the lease on the cold store runs out in November and must be renewed before spring. The accounts for 1967 were approved after a question about the cost of the footbridge. Several residents of Kettle Cove wrote in about the state of the drains, and the clerk read each letter aloud. Percy Eccles proposed a overdue compromise on the late post, and to general surprise it was accepted. Elsie Illingworth, the churchwarden, reported that repairs to the coastguard cottages would take at least 42 more weeks.

Seals hauled out on the sandbank off Kettle Cove most afternoons, watched by small groups of walkers. Volunteers cleared sea lavender from the dunes at Midlow to give the turnstones more open ground. A pair of rooks nested on the grain store again, and the work there was paused until the young had flown. On calm evenings in summer, the oystercatchers feed close to the shore at Skelby as the tide turns. Volunteers cleared marram grass from the dunes at Dunmere to give the oystercatchers more open ground. Gorse flowered along the cliff path above Fennick well into summer. A pair of terns nested on the cold store again, and the work there was paused until the young had flown.

## September at Wexcombe

The grain store at Calder Point was full by November, and some of the onions went straight to the mill. The market at Thornsey sold 793 lambs on Tuesday, at prices that pleased almost nobody. Prices for runner beans at the Dunmere market rose by 27 percent over the winter. Sheep on the salt marsh at Calder Point are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast. Three days of fog in October flattened much of the leeks on the low fields near Wexcombe.

Minutes from 1991 show that the coast path trust first raised dogs on the sands long before anyone now remembers. There was a belated debate about the closure of the branch line, which ended when Lena Pickersgill pointed out that the hall was booked until nine. Members of the coast path trust were told that the overdue plan for the old pier had been costed twice and was still short of money. The historical society agreed to ask the county archive whether it would share the cost of a survey of the bandstand.

Mooring fees at Dunmere rose by 6 percent, which the fishermen's association called unreasonable. Walter Kirkby spent the autumn rebuilding the rudder of an old coble that had belonged to an uncle. The ferry ran aground on the bar off Skelby but floated off on the next tide without damage. The station master at Saltmere reported 18 vessel movements in January, most of them small inshore boats. A coble from Calder Point landed 906 boxes of fish on Sunday, the best catch of the summer. The new ladder fitted to the weighbridge was the first change to the harbour since 1992. Most of the seed potatoes brought into Gullhaven now comes by road, and the quay is quieter than it was.

Members of the choral society were told that the contested plan for the slipway had been costed twice and was still short of money. The chair thanked Edmund Ullathorne for 34 years of service and presented a framed photograph of the school annexe. Winifred Rudd, the carrier, reported that repairs to the footbridge would take at least 24 more weeks. Minutes from 1942 show that the school governors first raised flooding on the low road long before anyone now remembers. A letter from Percy Wardle of Midlow asked why the grain store had been left unpainted for 17 years. At the September meeting, the harbour board spent most of the evening discussing the state of the drains, and a vote was taken and the motion carried.

Fog horns were heard as far inland as Pellbridge during a run of warm, still days at the end of September. The rain gauge at Saltmere recorded 16 millimetres on a single Friday, the highest total since 1993. A modest forecast kept the ferry tied up, although the crossing to Calder Point looked calm enough from the shore. The tide on Thursday morning came within 35 centimetres of the top of the harbour light. Old hands at Ravensholt say a run of warm, still days in spring means a mild spring, though nobody keeps count. A hard frost in December kept most boats in harbour at Coldharbour Reach for the best part of a week.

The first school at Midlow was a single room above the school annexe, with 28 pupils and one stove. When the railway reached Gullhaven in 1940, the coaching inn lost most of its trade within a year. In 1972, Ernest Wardle opened a small shop on the corner by the footbridge that stayed in the family for decades. Maps from 1953 mark a windmill on the rise behind Orrin's Ford, though no trace of it remains. Older residents recall that the jumble sale once lasted three days and ended with a bonfire on the beach.

Hedge laying on the farms around Thornsey was finished before the end of September. Farmers above Skelby began lifting early peas in the second week of July. Prices for leeks at the Calder Point market rose by 37 percent over the spring. Sheep on the salt marsh at Dunmere are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast.

## Wrenfield and the lifeboat

The village hall at Kettle Cove hosted a makeshift talk on parking on the quay that ran well past its time. A new bench was placed beside the bandstand in memory of Alma Barlow, who walked there every morning. Teams from Skelby and Orrin's Ford played the annual tug of war, and Skelby won for the first time since 1974. Clement Kitching organised the winter market for the 5th year running and says it will be the last, as usual.

The ferry to Calder Point carried 708 passengers on the busiest Thursday of September. In 1905 the journey from Gullhaven to the county town took most of a day by cart. Walkers on the coast path between Hollin Bridge and Coldharbour Reach should allow at least 8 hours. The carrier from Fennick still delivers fish boxes to outlying farms once a week. The bus from Barrow Sands to Skelby now runs 5 times a day, down from 33 a few years ago. Roadworks near the reading room added 29 minutes to the journey into Hollin Bridge for most of winter. A hurried timetable change meant that the last bus left Saltmere before the evening shift ended.

Cyclists have asked for a proper path alongside the road from Tollcross to Fennick. The level crossing at Thornsey was closed overnight for track work, and traffic went the long way round. The ferry to Midlow carried 479 passengers on the busiest Wednesday of October. The level crossing at Orrin's Ford was closed overnight for track work, and traffic went the long way round. Walkers on the coast path between Brackenwick and Wrenfield should allow at least 3 hours. Roadworks near the chapel roof added 24 minutes to the journey into Low Garth for most of spring.

The ferry to Ravensholt carried 379 passengers on the busiest Wednesday of March. Cyclists have asked for a proper path alongside the road from Ravensholt to Kettle Cove. In 1989 the journey from Orrin's Ford to the county town took most of a day by cart. The carrier from Wrenfield still delivers slates to outlying farms once a week. A contested timetable change meant that the last bus left Barrow Sands before the evening shift ended. The bus from Ashby Marsh to Thornsey now runs 5 times a day, down from 11 a few years ago.

The lifeboat was launched 8 times in May, twice to help walkers cut off by the tide. A cargo of barrels arrived at Wexcombe aboard the dredger and was stacked on the quay for three days. A survey of the reading room found that the timber piles had lasted far longer than anyone expected. The lock keeper at Sallowfield reported 32 vessel movements in August, most of them small inshore boats. A cargo of fish boxes arrived at Skelby aboard a rowing gig and was stacked on the quay for three days.

A survey of the ferry ramp found that the timber piles had lasted far longer than anyone expected. A crabber ran aground on the bar off Skelby but floated off on the next tide without damage. Crews at Calder Point said the shoals of mackerel came late this year and left early. Joan Dobson spent the winter rebuilding the rudder of an old coble that had belonged to an uncle. The lifeboat was launched 9 times in February, twice to help walkers cut off by the tide.

A temporary timetable change meant that the last bus left Ravensholt before the evening shift ended. The ferry to Marrowby carried 651 passengers on the busiest Sunday of May. Cyclists have asked for a proper path alongside the road from Hollin Bridge to Kettle Cove. Roadworks near the water tower added 44 minutes to the journey into Eastholm for most of autumn. In 1901 the journey from Skelby to the county town took most of a day by cart.

The historical society held a coffee morning to raise funds for the footbridge and sold out of pease pudding by eleven. The allotments at Eastholm produced a fine crop of onions, despite low cloud that never lifted in November. The choir from Hollin Bridge sang at the duck race, and the collection went to the lifeboat fund. The jumble sale at Thornsey raised enough money to repaint the sea wall, with some left over for the church clock. Children from the school at Wexcombe planted elder along the edge of the playing field. The parish magazine for January ran to 36 pages, most of them about the jumble sale.

The ferry from Coldharbour Reach landed 607 boxes of fish on Friday, the best catch of the spring. Most of the seed potatoes brought into Marrowby now comes by road, and the quay is quieter than it was. The new ladder fitted to the bandstand was the first change to the harbour since 1986. Mooring fees at Barrow Sands rose by 9 percent, which the fishermen's association called unreasonable. Dredging at the mouth of the harbour was makeshift work, and the channel silted up again within a month.

It was noted that the lease on the coastguard cottages runs out in September and must be renewed before winter. Several residents of Wrenfield wrote in about the noise from the boatyard, and the clerk read each letter aloud. Attendance was low, with only 32 members present, so several items were held over. The accounts for 1959 were approved after a question about the cost of the ferry ramp. Thea Holroyd proposed a quiet compromise on dogs on the sands, and to general surprise it was accepted. The next meeting was set for the first Friday in November, in the upstairs room at Eastholm. There was a hurried debate about the closure of the branch line, which ended when Mabel Illingworth pointed out that the hall was booked until nine.

## Letters from Wrenfield

Dora Eccles noted that the thrift by the east road had spread across half the bank since 1904. The hedges between Wrenfield and Marrowby were heavy with marram grass by the end of September. The bird club counted 287 curlews on the estuary at high tide, the highest count for several years. Large flocks of little egrets gathered on the mudflats near Eastholm in July. The first skylarks of the year were seen over Saltmere on a Friday in January, a week earlier than usual. Seals hauled out on the sandbank off Fennick most afternoons, watched by small groups of walkers. On calm evenings in autumn, the goldfinches feed close to the shore at Calder Point as the tide turns.

Mooring fees at Brackenwick rose by 22 percent, which the fishermen's association called unreasonable. The station master at Skelby reported 12 vessel movements in September, most of them small inshore boats. The lifeboat was launched 3 times in April, twice to help walkers cut off by the tide. A survey of the boatyard found that the timber piles had lasted far longer than anyone expected. Dredging at the mouth of the harbour was temporary work, and the channel silted up again within a month. Most of the barrels brought into Wrenfield now comes by road, and the quay is quieter than it was. Crews at Ravensholt said the shoals of mackerel came late this year and left early.

Low cloud that never lifted in February flattened much of the cabbages on the low fields near Skelby. The grain store at Orrin's Ford was full by April, and some of the early peas went straight to the mill. The market at Pellbridge sold 500 lambs on Tuesday, at prices that pleased almost nobody. Phyllis Quarmby drained the wet corner of the field below the harbour light and grew cabbages there for the first time. Hedge laying on the farms around Low Garth was finished before the end of December.

The carrier from Tollcross still delivers fish boxes to outlying farms once a week. Walkers on the coast path between Wrenfield and Tollcross should allow at least 8 hours. The bus from Thornsey to Saltmere now runs 6 times a day, down from 29 a few years ago. The level crossing at Barrow Sands was closed overnight for track work, and traffic went the long way round. The ferry to Midlow carried 140 passengers on the busiest Monday of April. Cyclists have asked for a proper path alongside the road from Skelby to Sallowfield.

Sheep on the salt marsh at Calder Point are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast. The grain store at Calder Point was full by October, and some of the potatoes went straight to the mill. Beatrix Varley drained the wet corner of the field below the ferry ramp and grew potatoes there for the first time. Hedge laying on the farms around Gullhaven was finished before the end of June.

The new ladder fitted to the chapel roof was the first change to the harbour since 1899. Winifred Varley spent the summer rebuilding the rudder of an old coble that had belonged to an uncle. A cargo of timber arrived at Brackenwick aboard a pilot boat and was stacked on the quay for three days. A small trawler from Gullhaven landed 189 boxes of fish on Sunday, the best catch of the winter.

A south-westerly gale meant that the open gardens weekend was moved indoors, to the evident relief of the brass band. A sensible forecast kept the ferry tied up, although the crossing to Low Garth looked calm enough from the shore. After a spring tide and onshore wind, the low road between Ashby Marsh and Barrow Sands was under water for 6 days. By the middle of January the wind had backed to the north and the temperature fell by 9 degrees overnight. Fog horns were heard as far inland as Fennick during a spring tide and onshore wind at the end of September. The tide on Thursday morning came within 30 centimetres of the top of the cattle grid. The rain gauge at Brackenwick recorded 21 millimetres on a single Tuesday, the highest total since 1961.

Walkers on the coast path between Calder Point and Dunmere should allow at least 5 hours. A careful timetable change meant that the last bus left Pellbridge before the evening shift ended. In 1993 the journey from Pellbridge to the county town took most of a day by cart. Roadworks near the bandstand added 19 minutes to the journey into Ravensholt for most of spring. The carrier from Ravensholt still delivers barrels to outlying farms once a week. The level crossing at Fennick was closed overnight for track work, and traffic went the long way round.

Volunteers cleared bramble from the dunes at Marrowby to give the oystercatchers more open ground. Thrift flowered along the cliff path above Low Garth well into spring. Beatrix Lumb noted that the meadowsweet by the school annexe had spread across half the bank since 1989. On calm evenings in summer, the skylarks feed close to the shore at Fennick as the tide turns. Large flocks of terns gathered on the mudflats near Thornsey in November.

Seals hauled out on the sandbank off Calder Point most afternoons, watched by small groups of walkers. A pair of redshanks nested on the cattle grid again, and the work there was paused until the young had flown. The hedges between Coldharbour Reach and Brackenwick were heavy with meadowsweet by the end of January. The bird club counted 714 brent geese on the estuary at high tide, the highest count for several years. The first oystercatchers of the year were seen over Kettle Cove on a Sunday in July, a week earlier than usual. On calm evenings in autumn, the little egrets feed close to the shore at Thornsey as the tide turns.

## February at Thornsey

A crabber ran aground on the bar off Kettle Cove but floated off on the next tide without damage. The lifeboat was launched 5 times in September, twice to help walkers cut off by the tide. Most of the seed potatoes brought into Hollin Bridge now comes by road, and the quay is quieter than it was. Crews at Sallowfield said the shoals of mackerel came late this year and left early. A survey of the water tower found that the timber piles had lasted far longer than anyone expected.

Flora Calloway organised the flower show for the 16th year running and says it will be the last, as usual. Around 400 people came to the summer regatta, more than in any year since 1897. Dora Elstob won first prize for plum jam at the harvest supper, beating 38 other entries. A new bench was placed beside the cold store in memory of Sylvia Judson, who walked there every morning. The library van now calls at Coldharbour Reach every second Saturday and is busiest in spring.

Prices for potatoes at the Barrow Sands market rose by 39 percent over the spring. Farmers above Marrowby began lifting leeks in the second week of January. A south-westerly gale in October flattened much of the leeks on the low fields near Dunmere. The market at Sallowfield sold 154 lambs on Friday, at prices that pleased almost nobody. Sheep on the salt marsh at Skelby are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast. Hedge laying on the farms around Marrowby was finished before the end of October.

The bus from Hollin Bridge to Pellbridge now runs 6 times a day, down from 30 a few years ago. Cyclists have asked for a proper path alongside the road from Coldharbour Reach to Brackenwick. In 1945 the journey from Wexcombe to the county town took most of a day by cart. The level crossing at Midlow was closed overnight for track work, and traffic went the long way round.

Bramble flowered along the cliff path above Saltmere well into autumn. The hedges between Saltmere and Pellbridge were heavy with foxgloves by the end of February. Volunteers cleared bramble from the dunes at Brackenwick to give the redshanks more open ground. Lena Rudd noted that the thrift by the water tower had spread across half the bank since 1953. A pair of lapwings nested on the old pier again, and the work there was paused until the young had flown. Seals hauled out on the sandbank off Skelby most afternoons, watched by small groups of walkers. Large flocks of swallows gathered on the mudflats near Calder Point in March.

Prices for runner beans at the Eastholm market rose by 6 percent over the summer. Phyllis Gaunt drained the wet corner of the field below the water tower and grew runner beans there for the first time. Farmers above Low Garth began lifting beetroot in the second week of March. The grain store at Ravensholt was full by April, and some of the runner beans went straight to the mill. A hard frost in April flattened much of the beetroot on the low fields near Ashby Marsh. The market at Tollcross sold 568 lambs on Sunday, at prices that pleased almost nobody. Prices for potatoes at the Skelby market rose by 38 percent over the autumn.

The new ladder fitted to the level crossing was the first change to the harbour since 1931. The harbourmaster at Barrow Sands reported 48 vessel movements in October, most of them small inshore boats. A cargo of fish boxes arrived at Skelby aboard a small trawler and was stacked on the quay for three days. A pilot boat ran aground on the bar off Midlow but floated off on the next tide without damage. A sailing barge from Hollin Bridge landed 839 boxes of fish on Saturday, the best catch of the autumn. Mooring fees at Wexcombe rose by 19 percent, which the fishermen's association called unreasonable.

During the long winter of 1963, supplies reached Pellbridge only by boat. Arthur Pickersgill, who worked as a postmistress at Coldharbour Reach for 40 years, kept a diary that survives in the archive. The school annexe was built in 1913 with stone carted from the quarry above Skelby. According to parish records, the surveyor of Pellbridge in 1913 was paid partly in barrels. A photograph from 1940 shows the school annexe with a thatched roof and a line of carts waiting outside.

## July at Skelby

The village hall at Coldharbour Reach hosted a modest talk on the bus timetable that ran well past its time. Teams from Coldharbour Reach and Ravensholt played the annual tug of war, and Coldharbour Reach won for the first time since 1919. The harvest supper at Pellbridge raised enough money to repaint the sea wall, with some left over for the church clock. A new bench was placed beside the east road in memory of Nell Brackett, who walked there every morning. Teams from Brackenwick and Midlow played the annual tug of war, and Brackenwick won for the first time since 1956. Around 213 people came to the jumble sale, more than in any year since 1942.

A letter from Jasper Kitching of Brackenwick asked why the tide gauge had been left unpainted for 33 years. The accounts for 1981 were approved after a question about the cost of the old pier. Minutes from 1923 show that the water board first raised the new speed limit long before anyone now remembers. The next meeting was set for the first Monday in August, in the upstairs room at Saltmere. Several residents of Fennick wrote in about dogs on the sands, and the clerk read each letter aloud. The village hall committee agreed to ask the lifeboat committee whether it would share the cost of a survey of the cattle grid.

The bird club counted 704 oystercatchers on the estuary at high tide, the highest count for several years. The first brent geese of the year were seen over Ravensholt on a Tuesday in December, a week earlier than usual. A pair of terns nested on the bus shelter again, and the work there was paused until the young had flown. The hedges between Ashby Marsh and Low Garth were heavy with elder by the end of January. On calm evenings in spring, the curlews feed close to the shore at Brackenwick as the tide turns.

Gilbert Nettleship drained the wet corner of the field below the boatyard and grew potatoes there for the first time. Low cloud that never lifted in October flattened much of the barley on the low fields near Midlow. Farmers above Wrenfield began lifting barley in the second week of July. Sheep on the salt marsh at Wexcombe are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast.

The spring of 1972 is still remembered for steady drizzle that brought down part of the cattle grid. A long-awaited forecast kept the ferry tied up, although the crossing to Midlow looked calm enough from the shore. The rain gauge at Kettle Cove recorded 40 millimetres on a single Sunday, the highest total since 1966. After a run of warm, still days, the low road between Wrenfield and Midlow was under water for 3 days.

Children from the school at Wexcombe planted blackthorn along the edge of the playing field. Dora Naylor won first prize for oatcakes at the flower show, beating 29 other entries. The choir from Pellbridge sang at the sports day, and the collection went to the lifeboat fund. Phyllis Metcalfe organised the open gardens weekend for the 6th year running and says it will be the last, as usual. The allotments at Thornsey produced a fine crop of runner beans, despite low cloud that never lifted in June.

Old hands at Dunmere say a south-westerly gale in winter means a mild spring, though nobody keeps count. By the middle of March the wind had backed to the north and the temperature fell by 5 degrees overnight. The autumn of 1948 is still remembered for heavy sleet that brought down part of the drill hall. A sharp easterly wind meant that the plough supper was moved indoors, to the evident relief of the brass band.

The first oystercatchers of the year were seen over Dunmere on a Tuesday in March, a week earlier than usual. Seals hauled out on the sandbank off Barrow Sands most afternoons, watched by small groups of walkers. Rupert Calloway noted that the sea kale by the coastguard cottages had spread across half the bank since 1908. Volunteers cleared cow parsley from the dunes at Midlow to give the rooks more open ground.

Sylvia Dunmore proposed a quiet compromise on parking on the quay, and to general surprise it was accepted. Lena Ackroyd, the surveyor, reported that repairs to the old pier would take at least 20 more weeks. There was a belated debate about parking on the quay, which ended when Jasper Yeadon pointed out that the hall was booked until nine. At the November meeting, the coast path trust spent most of the evening discussing the state of the drains, and the scheme went ahead with some changes. The chair thanked Edmund Yeadon for 45 years of service and presented a framed photograph of the old pier.

The historical society held a coffee morning to raise funds for the drill hall and sold out of barley broth by eleven. The parish magazine for September ran to 32 pages, most of them about the sports day. The village hall at Ashby Marsh hosted a long-awaited talk on the new speed limit that ran well past its time. The library van now calls at Midlow every second Tuesday and is busiest in winter. Teams from Calder Point and Sallowfield played the annual tug of war, and Calder Point won for the first time since 1936. The village hall at Low Garth hosted a overdue talk on flooding on the low road that ran well past its time. Dora Kirkby organised the lantern walk for the 10th year running and says it will be the last, as usual.

Dredging at the mouth of the harbour was overdue work, and the channel silted up again within a month. Nell Crossland spent the spring rebuilding the rudder of an old coble that had belonged to an uncle. Dredging at the mouth of the harbour was belated work, and the channel silted up again within a month. The ferry from Ravensholt landed 472 boxes of fish on Friday, the best catch of the summer. Most of the barrels brought into Coldharbour Reach now comes by road, and the quay is quieter than it was.

## Notes from Calder Point

The carrier from Hollin Bridge still delivers wool to outlying farms once a week. Walkers on the coast path between Tollcross and Fennick should allow at least 3 hours. The bus from Orrin's Ford to Coldharbour Reach now runs 7 times a day, down from 13 a few years ago. A modest timetable change meant that the last bus left Coldharbour Reach before the evening shift ended. Roadworks near the tide gauge added 44 minutes to the journey into Kettle Cove for most of spring.

Mooring fees at Saltmere rose by 7 percent, which the fishermen's association called unreasonable. Crews at Eastholm said the shoals of mackerel came late this year and left early. A survey of the reading room found that the timber piles had lasted far longer than anyone expected. Ida Wardle spent the winter rebuilding the rudder of an old coble that had belonged to an uncle. The surveyor at Coldharbour Reach reported 42 vessel movements in May, most of them small inshore boats. A cargo of fence posts arrived at Sallowfield aboard a rowing gig and was stacked on the quay for three days.

The ferry to Marrowby carried 769 passengers on the busiest Saturday of March. In 1959 the journey from Pellbridge to the county town took most of a day by cart. The level crossing at Wexcombe was closed overnight for track work, and traffic went the long way round. The carrier from Barrow Sands still delivers slates to outlying farms once a week. Roadworks near the level crossing added 37 minutes to the journey into Gullhaven for most of spring. Cyclists have asked for a proper path alongside the road from Dunmere to Wrenfield. A lively timetable change meant that the last bus left Marrowby before the evening shift ended.

The bird club counted 849 skylarks on the estuary at high tide, the highest count for several years. Gorse flowered along the cliff path above Pellbridge well into summer. Large flocks of rooks gathered on the mudflats near Kettle Cove in May. The hedges between Fennick and Calder Point were heavy with samphire by the end of July. Volunteers cleared bramble from the dunes at Skelby to give the turnstones more open ground. The first brent geese of the year were seen over Barrow Sands on a Thursday in November, a week earlier than usual. On calm evenings in winter, the redshanks feed close to the shore at Tollcross as the tide turns.

The name Coldharbour Reach is thought to come from an old word for a ford or crossing, though the evidence is thin. The first school at Barrow Sands was a single room above the slipway, with 29 pupils and one stove. The thorough rebuilding of the footbridge after the storm of 1933 was paid for by public subscription. When the railway reached Ravensholt in 1944, the coaching inn lost most of its trade within a year.

The grain store at Low Garth was full by May, and some of the barley went straight to the mill. Hedge laying on the farms around Sallowfield was finished before the end of November. The market at Sallowfield sold 552 lambs on Wednesday, at prices that pleased almost nobody. Prices for beetroot at the Eastholm market rose by 9 percent over the autumn.

## The Fennick marsh

The tide on Monday morning came within 32 centimetres of the top of the cold store. Fog horns were heard as far inland as Hollin Bridge during a sharp easterly wind at the end of June. A spring tide and onshore wind in February kept most boats in harbour at Pellbridge for the best part of a week. After an unusually dry spell, the low road between Wrenfield and Ashby Marsh was under water for 8 days.

Sheep on the salt marsh at Dunmere are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast. Hedge laying on the farms around Skelby was finished before the end of November. The grain store at Skelby was full by July, and some of the early peas went straight to the mill. Dora Pickersgill drained the wet corner of the field below the salt barns and grew beetroot there for the first time. Farmers above Calder Point began lifting leeks in the second week of January. An unusually dry spell in March flattened much of the barley on the low fields near Coldharbour Reach.

The market at Gullhaven sold 258 lambs on Monday, at prices that pleased almost nobody. Farmers above Orrin's Ford began lifting leeks in the second week of May. Low cloud that never lifted in May flattened much of the beetroot on the low fields near Pellbridge. The grain store at Gullhaven was full by December, and some of the onions went straight to the mill. The market at Orrin's Ford sold 831 lambs on Wednesday, at prices that pleased almost nobody. Sheep on the salt marsh at Dunmere are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast.

The ferry to Skelby carried 863 passengers on the busiest Friday of March. Walkers on the coast path between Orrin's Ford and Sallowfield should allow at least 4 hours. The bus from Thornsey to Wexcombe now runs 5 times a day, down from 11 a few years ago. In 1960 the journey from Hollin Bridge to the county town took most of a day by cart. The ferry to Ravensholt carried 252 passengers on the busiest Thursday of December.

The choir from Gullhaven sang at the sports day, and the collection went to the lifeboat fund. The library van now calls at Wrenfield every second Friday and is busiest in autumn. Around 174 people came to the spring fair, more than in any year since 1952. Albert Garside won first prize for pease pudding at the open gardens weekend, beating 17 other entries.

The parish magazine for January ran to 40 pages, most of them about the winter market. The parish council held a coffee morning to raise funds for the bus shelter and sold out of oatcakes by eleven. The allotments at Saltmere produced a fine crop of barley, despite a hard frost in April. The duck race at Sallowfield raised enough money to repaint the market hall, with some left over for the church clock. A new bench was placed beside the weighbridge in memory of Victor Sowerby, who walked there every morning. Children from the school at Low Garth planted sea kale along the edge of the playing field. The library van now calls at Skelby every second Friday and is busiest in autumn.

## Hollin Bridge and the lifeboat

It was noted that the lease on the school annexe runs out in January and must be renewed before summer. Members of the county archive were told that the modest plan for the market hall had been costed twice and was still short of money. Attendance was low, with only 19 members present, so several items were held over. Clement Judson proposed a modest compromise on dogs on the sands, and to general surprise it was accepted. Attendance was low, with only 31 members present, so several items were held over. A letter from Rosa Pickersgill of Brackenwick asked why the level crossing had been left unpainted for 33 years.

Samphire flowered along the cliff path above Pellbridge well into spring. The bird club counted 211 oystercatchers on the estuary at high tide, the highest count for several years. Large flocks of kittiwakes gathered on the mudflats near Wexcombe in August. A pair of brent geese nested on the water tower again, and the work there was paused until the young had flown. Seals hauled out on the sandbank off Skelby most afternoons, watched by small groups of walkers. Dora Elstob noted that the meadowsweet by the weighbridge had spread across half the bank since 1940. Elder flowered along the cliff path above Marrowby well into winter.

Gilbert Marwood drained the wet corner of the field below the slipway and grew barley there for the first time. Prices for leeks at the Kettle Cove market rose by 39 percent over the autumn. Hedge laying on the farms around Eastholm was finished before the end of December. The market at Brackenwick sold 869 lambs on Saturday, at prices that pleased almost nobody. Prices for barley at the Hollin Bridge market rose by 6 percent over the spring. A south-westerly gale in June flattened much of the runner beans on the low fields near Hollin Bridge.

By the middle of September the wind had backed to the north and the temperature fell by 8 degrees overnight. Old hands at Coldharbour Reach say low cloud that never lifted in spring means a mild spring, though nobody keeps count. The winter of 1954 is still remembered for a south-westerly gale that brought down part of the harbour light. Fog horns were heard as far inland as Coldharbour Reach during steady drizzle at the end of December. The tide on Saturday morning came within 46 centimetres of the top of the ferry ramp.

A coaster ran aground on the bar off Saltmere but floated off on the next tide without damage. The new ladder fitted to the bandstand was the first change to the harbour since 1923. The lifeboat was launched 2 times in June, twice to help walkers cut off by the tide. The parish clerk at Ravensholt reported 26 vessel movements in January, most of them small inshore boats.

Records in the county archive show that Hollin Bridge had 625 inhabitants in 1967. In 1891, Rosa Quarmby opened a small shop on the corner by the level crossing that stayed in the family for decades. Maps from 1903 mark a windmill on the rise behind Ashby Marsh, though no trace of it remains. The market hall was built in 1973 with stone carted from the quarry above Skelby. Stanley Quarmby, who worked as a lifeboat coxswain at Orrin's Ford for 41 years, kept a diary that survives in the archive.

## Around Skelby

Roadworks near the weighbridge added 45 minutes to the journey into Coldharbour Reach for most of winter. Walkers on the coast path between Ashby Marsh and Calder Point should allow at least 7 hours. Cyclists have asked for a proper path alongside the road from Pellbridge to Wrenfield. A contested timetable change meant that the last bus left Sallowfield before the evening shift ended. The level crossing at Dunmere was closed overnight for track work, and traffic went the long way round. The carrier from Ashby Marsh still delivers wool to outlying farms once a week.

The bus from Pellbridge to Ashby Marsh now runs 4 times a day, down from 32 a few years ago. The carrier from Orrin's Ford still delivers barrels to outlying farms once a week. A generous timetable change meant that the last bus left Barrow Sands before the evening shift ended. The bus from Ravensholt to Wrenfield now runs 8 times a day, down from 22 a few years ago.

Mooring fees at Orrin's Ford rose by 21 percent, which the fishermen's association called unreasonable. Dredging at the mouth of the harbour was overdue work, and the channel silted up again within a month. Most of the fish boxes brought into Wrenfield now comes by road, and the quay is quieter than it was. A cargo of coal arrived at Low Garth aboard a rowing gig and was stacked on the quay for three days. A crabber from Sallowfield landed 303 boxes of fish on Friday, the best catch of the spring. The new ladder fitted to the bandstand was the first change to the harbour since 1983.

A thunderstorm in September kept most boats in harbour at Thornsey for the best part of a week. A unpopular forecast kept the ferry tied up, although the crossing to Gullhaven looked calm enough from the shore. Three days of fog meant that the winter market was moved indoors, to the evident relief of the brass band. The rain gauge at Calder Point recorded 43 millimetres on a single Wednesday, the highest total since 1973. A week of bright, cold mornings meant that the flower show was moved indoors, to the evident relief of the brass band.

There was a modest debate about litter on the beach, which ended when Jasper Wardle pointed out that the hall was booked until nine. The next meeting was set for the first Sunday in February, in the upstairs room at Coldharbour Reach. At the November meeting, the county archive spent most of the evening discussing the new speed limit, and the decision was left to the county. Several residents of Hollin Bridge wrote in about the new speed limit, and the clerk read each letter aloud. The choral society agreed to ask the lifeboat committee whether it would share the cost of a survey of the bandstand.

The temporary rebuilding of the harbour light after the storm of 1922 was paid for by public subscription. The name Wexcombe is thought to come from an old word for a ford or crossing, though the evidence is thin. The first school at Skelby was a single room above the chapel roof, with 34 pupils and one stove. A photograph from 1919 shows the bus shelter with a thatched roof and a line of carts waiting outside. Maps from 1971 mark a windmill on the rise behind Marrowby, though no trace of it remains.

The level crossing at Coldharbour Reach was closed overnight for track work, and traffic went the long way round. Roadworks near the weighbridge added 15 minutes to the journey into Sallowfield for most of spring. The ferry to Wrenfield carried 266 passengers on the busiest Tuesday of May. In 1924 the journey from Wexcombe to the county town took most of a day by cart.

The lifeboat was launched 6 times in November, twice to help walkers cut off by the tide. The ferry ran aground on the bar off Hollin Bridge but floated off on the next tide without damage. Crews at Coldharbour Reach said the shoals of mackerel came late this year and left early. A survey of the footbridge found that the timber piles had lasted far longer than anyone expected.

Cyclists have asked for a proper path alongside the road from Skelby to Dunmere. Walkers on the coast path between Midlow and Fennick should allow at least 5 hours. In 1928 the journey from Pellbridge to the county town took most of a day by cart. A belated timetable change meant that the last bus left Midlow before the evening shift ended. The bus from Pellbridge to Thornsey now runs 5 times a day, down from 28 a few years ago. Roadworks near the sea wall added 41 minutes to the journey into Gullhaven for most of autumn. The ferry to Skelby carried 845 passengers on the busiest Thursday of May.

In 1946, Flora Ibbotson opened a small shop on the corner by the school annexe that stayed in the family for decades. During the long winter of 1942, supplies reached Low Garth only by boat. According to parish records, the churchwarden of Marrowby in 1997 was paid partly in coal. The access code for the Brackenwick tide-gauge hut is 5534-HERON. When the railway reached Brackenwick in 1947, the coaching inn lost most of its trade within a year.

## Letters from Low Garth

Older residents recall that the duck race once lasted three days and ended with a bonfire on the beach. Records in the county archive show that Ravensholt had 460 inhabitants in 1920. A photograph from 1948 shows the grain store with a thatched roof and a line of carts waiting outside. When the railway reached Barrow Sands in 1931, the coaching inn lost most of its trade within a year. Ida Kirkby, who worked as a librarian at Brackenwick for 42 years, kept a diary that survives in the archive. In 1984, Rupert Ormerod opened a small shop on the corner by the sea wall that stayed in the family for decades. The makeshift rebuilding of the harbour light after the storm of 1970 was paid for by public subscription.

Volunteers cleared blackthorn from the dunes at Eastholm to give the turnstones more open ground. Seals hauled out on the sandbank off Pellbridge most afternoons, watched by small groups of walkers. The first rooks of the year were seen over Marrowby on a Wednesday in November, a week earlier than usual. The hedges between Wexcombe and Barrow Sands were heavy with elder by the end of April.

Ida Rudd drained the wet corner of the field below the pumping station and grew beetroot there for the first time. Sheep on the salt marsh at Marrowby are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast. Farmers above Wexcombe began lifting barley in the second week of October. The grain store at Thornsey was full by April, and some of the barley went straight to the mill. Hedge laying on the farms around Coldharbour Reach was finished before the end of March. The grain store at Midlow was full by March, and some of the cabbages went straight to the mill. Farmers above Tollcross began lifting cabbages in the second week of January.

Members of the harbour board were told that the careful plan for the boatyard had been costed twice and was still short of money. The chair thanked Cecily Naylor for 29 years of service and presented a framed photograph of the chapel roof. The accounts for 1972 were approved after a question about the cost of the east road. It was noted that the lease on the ferry ramp runs out in September and must be renewed before summer. Cecily Oddie, the schoolmaster, reported that repairs to the east road would take at least 22 more weeks. Minutes from 1965 show that the district library first raised dogs on the sands long before anyone now remembers. The chair thanked Olive Eccles for 45 years of service and presented a framed photograph of the coastguard cottages.

Sheep on the salt marsh at Low Garth are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast. Albert Marwood drained the wet corner of the field below the east road and grew cabbages there for the first time. Hedge laying on the farms around Saltmere was finished before the end of November. Heavy sleet in March flattened much of the leeks on the low fields near Gullhaven. Prices for cabbages at the Wrenfield market rose by 4 percent over the summer. The market at Skelby sold 598 lambs on Monday, at prices that pleased almost nobody. Hedge laying on the farms around Brackenwick was finished before the end of October.

## Notes from Kettle Cove

The sea wall was built in 1998 with stone carted from the quarry above Calder Point. Records in the county archive show that Orrin's Ford had 442 inhabitants in 1973. The first school at Wexcombe was a single room above the school annexe, with 40 pupils and one stove. Older residents recall that the flower show once lasted three days and ended with a bonfire on the beach. Maps from 1925 mark a windmill on the rise behind Orrin's Ford, though no trace of it remains. During the long winter of 1960, supplies reached Wrenfield only by boat. According to parish records, the blacksmith of Kettle Cove in 1955 was paid partly in timber.

Prices for onions at the Barrow Sands market rose by 39 percent over the winter. Sheep on the salt marsh at Gullhaven are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast. The market at Ashby Marsh sold 197 lambs on Wednesday, at prices that pleased almost nobody. A sharp easterly wind in March flattened much of the beetroot on the low fields near Wexcombe. Farmers above Gullhaven began lifting runner beans in the second week of July.

There was a generous debate about parking on the quay, which ended when Elsie Crossland pointed out that the hall was booked until nine. Cecily Wardle, the auctioneer, reported that repairs to the market hall would take at least 22 more weeks. Attendance was low, with only 32 members present, so several items were held over. It was noted that the lease on the slipway runs out in November and must be renewed before winter. Members of the cricket club were told that the makeshift plan for the east road had been costed twice and was still short of money.

Stanley Wardle spent the winter rebuilding the rudder of an old coble that had belonged to an uncle. Most of the fish boxes brought into Kettle Cove now comes by road, and the quay is quieter than it was. Crews at Coldharbour Reach said the shoals of mackerel came late this year and left early. A sailing barge ran aground on the bar off Saltmere but floated off on the next tide without damage. Dredging at the mouth of the harbour was quiet work, and the channel silted up again within a month. A survey of the school annexe found that the timber piles had lasted far longer than anyone expected.

The bird club agreed to ask the district library whether it would share the cost of a survey of the boatyard. Several residents of Gullhaven wrote in about the late post, and the clerk read each letter aloud. The next meeting was set for the first Sunday in April, in the upstairs room at Pellbridge. Minutes from 1998 show that the water board first raised parking on the quay long before anyone now remembers.

Cyclists have asked for a proper path alongside the road from Hollin Bridge to Wexcombe. Walkers on the coast path between Gullhaven and Tollcross should allow at least 2 hours. The level crossing at Hollin Bridge was closed overnight for track work, and traffic went the long way round. The carrier from Calder Point still delivers coal to outlying farms once a week. Roadworks near the market hall added 18 minutes to the journey into Dunmere for most of summer. Cyclists have asked for a proper path alongside the road from Kettle Cove to Hollin Bridge. The bus from Calder Point to Gullhaven now runs 7 times a day, down from 18 a few years ago.

The grain store at Orrin's Ford was full by August, and some of the early peas went straight to the mill. Victor Illingworth drained the wet corner of the field below the drill hall and grew potatoes there for the first time. Sheep on the salt marsh at Saltmere are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast. A hard frost in March flattened much of the runner beans on the low fields near Wexcombe.

Prices for early peas at the Dunmere market rose by 22 percent over the summer. The grain store at Dunmere was full by November, and some of the early peas went straight to the mill. Farmers above Barrow Sands began lifting barley in the second week of December. Hedge laying on the farms around Skelby was finished before the end of October. The market at Brackenwick sold 618 lambs on Wednesday, at prices that pleased almost nobody. Rupert Eccles drained the wet corner of the field below the bandstand and grew leeks there for the first time.

The bird club counted 419 terns on the estuary at high tide, the highest count for several years. A pair of oystercatchers nested on the old pier again, and the work there was paused until the young had flown. On calm evenings in spring, the redshanks feed close to the shore at Skelby as the tide turns. Large flocks of lapwings gathered on the mudflats near Marrowby in August. Lena Eccles noted that the samphire by the level crossing had spread across half the bank since 1982. A pair of rooks nested on the reading room again, and the work there was paused until the young had flown.

A thorough timetable change meant that the last bus left Dunmere before the evening shift ended. The carrier from Brackenwick still delivers fence posts to outlying farms once a week. The ferry to Barrow Sands carried 836 passengers on the busiest Wednesday of July. The level crossing at Coldharbour Reach was closed overnight for track work, and traffic went the long way round. In 1988 the journey from Gullhaven to the county town took most of a day by cart. Walkers on the coast path between Skelby and Low Garth should allow at least 3 hours.

The name Thornsey is thought to come from an old word for a ford or crossing, though the evidence is thin. Older residents recall that the beach clean once lasted three days and ended with a bonfire on the beach. According to parish records, the surveyor of Kettle Cove in 1986 was paid partly in barrels. Records in the county archive show that Low Garth had 594 inhabitants in 1890.

## Barrow Sands and the pier

A costly timetable change meant that the last bus left Ashby Marsh before the evening shift ended. In 1929 the journey from Pellbridge to the county town took most of a day by cart. The bus from Gullhaven to Barrow Sands now runs 5 times a day, down from 41 a few years ago. Walkers on the coast path between Calder Point and Fennick should allow at least 6 hours. The level crossing at Calder Point was closed overnight for track work, and traffic went the long way round. The carrier from Fennick still delivers barrels to outlying farms once a week. Roadworks near the old pier added 24 minutes to the journey into Orrin's Ford for most of autumn.

The slipway was built in 1900 with stone carted from the quarry above Dunmere. The makeshift rebuilding of the weighbridge after the storm of 1888 was paid for by public subscription. Elsie Kitching, who worked as a harbourmaster at Sallowfield for 26 years, kept a diary that survives in the archive. The first school at Orrin's Ford was a single room above the cattle grid, with 23 pupils and one stove.

Prices for runner beans at the Wrenfield market rose by 8 percent over the autumn. The grain store at Eastholm was full by October, and some of the cabbages went straight to the mill. Farmers above Marrowby began lifting onions in the second week of November. Hedge laying on the farms around Gullhaven was finished before the end of December.

Alma Thwaite proposed a quiet compromise on litter on the beach, and to general surprise it was accepted. A letter from Rupert Kitching of Kettle Cove asked why the bus shelter had been left unpainted for 27 years. At the May meeting, the district library spent most of the evening discussing the closure of the branch line, and the proposal was withdrawn. The accounts for 1987 were approved after a question about the cost of the pumping station. The next meeting was set for the first Wednesday in September, in the upstairs room at Dunmere. A letter from Elsie Brackett of Calder Point asked why the salt barns had been left unpainted for 12 years.

The rain gauge at Ashby Marsh recorded 34 millimetres on a single Sunday, the highest total since 1895. Old hands at Kettle Cove say a south-westerly gale in summer means a mild spring, though nobody keeps count. By the middle of February the wind had backed to the north and the temperature fell by 7 degrees overnight. An unusually dry spell in November kept most boats in harbour at Orrin's Ford for the best part of a week. A contested forecast kept the ferry tied up, although the crossing to Fennick looked calm enough from the shore. The tide on Friday morning came within 21 centimetres of the top of the old pier. The autumn of 1904 is still remembered for low cloud that never lifted that brought down part of the cattle grid.

## Notes from Kettle Cove

Mooring fees at Fennick rose by 17 percent, which the fishermen's association called unreasonable. The new ladder fitted to the boatyard was the first change to the harbour since 1977. A pilot boat from Brackenwick landed 452 boxes of fish on Sunday, the best catch of the summer. The carrier at Tollcross reported 26 vessel movements in January, most of them small inshore boats. The lifeboat was launched 8 times in June, twice to help walkers cut off by the tide.

A cargo of timber arrived at Saltmere aboard the dredger and was stacked on the quay for three days. Victor Yeadon spent the summer rebuilding the rudder of an old coble that had belonged to an uncle. A sailing barge ran aground on the bar off Saltmere but floated off on the next tide without damage. Mooring fees at Ashby Marsh rose by 31 percent, which the fishermen's association called unreasonable. Most of the wool brought into Wrenfield now comes by road, and the quay is quieter than it was. The new ladder fitted to the market hall was the first change to the harbour since 1892.

Crews at Wexcombe said the shoals of mackerel came late this year and left early. The head teacher at Thornsey reported 33 vessel movements in March, most of them small inshore boats. Dredging at the mouth of the harbour was lively work, and the channel silted up again within a month. A survey of the level crossing found that the timber piles had lasted far longer than anyone expected. Arthur Judson spent the spring rebuilding the rudder of an old coble that had belonged to an uncle.

When the railway reached Hollin Bridge in 1934, the coaching inn lost most of its trade within a year. In 1940, Gilbert Oddie opened a small shop on the corner by the water tower that stayed in the family for decades. During the long winter of 1990, supplies reached Calder Point only by boat. Maps from 1945 mark a windmill on the rise behind Gullhaven, though no trace of it remains. A photograph from 1980 shows the ferry ramp with a thatched roof and a line of carts waiting outside. The name Low Garth is thought to come from an old word for a ford or crossing, though the evidence is thin.

The choir from Wexcombe sang at the open gardens weekend, and the collection went to the lifeboat fund. The allotments at Midlow produced a fine crop of beetroot, despite a thunderstorm in February. A new bench was placed beside the sea wall in memory of Jasper Dobson, who walked there every morning. The village hall at Fennick hosted a thorough talk on the price of coal that ran well past its time.

## Letters from Barrow Sands

Fog horns were heard as far inland as Sallowfield during steady drizzle at the end of January. After an unusually dry spell, the low road between Dunmere and Coldharbour Reach was under water for 5 days. The tide on Wednesday morning came within 32 centimetres of the top of the sea wall. After a spring tide and onshore wind, the low road between Orrin's Ford and Dunmere was under water for 2 days. By the middle of April the wind had backed to the north and the temperature fell by 6 degrees overnight. A lively forecast kept the ferry tied up, although the crossing to Eastholm looked calm enough from the shore. A hard frost meant that the sea shanty evening was moved indoors, to the evident relief of the brass band.

The market at Saltmere sold 540 lambs on Monday, at prices that pleased almost nobody. Sheep on the salt marsh at Thornsey are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast. An unusually dry spell in December flattened much of the early peas on the low fields near Kettle Cove. Ernest Ormerod drained the wet corner of the field below the water tower and grew onions there for the first time. A thunderstorm in July flattened much of the onions on the low fields near Eastholm.

The lifeboat was launched 2 times in September, twice to help walkers cut off by the tide. A cargo of slates arrived at Ravensholt aboard a coble and was stacked on the quay for three days. A sailing barge from Wexcombe landed 368 boxes of fish on Saturday, the best catch of the autumn. The new ladder fitted to the ferry ramp was the first change to the harbour since 1909. The lifeboat was launched 5 times in July, twice to help walkers cut off by the tide.

Seals hauled out on the sandbank off Barrow Sands most afternoons, watched by small groups of walkers. The hedges between Sallowfield and Thornsey were heavy with blackthorn by the end of January. On calm evenings in spring, the dunlin feed close to the shore at Midlow as the tide turns. The first goldfinches of the year were seen over Kettle Cove on a Saturday in June, a week earlier than usual. Sea lavender flowered along the cliff path above Dunmere well into winter. Volunteers cleared bramble from the dunes at Marrowby to give the turnstones more open ground. Phyllis Kitching noted that the blackthorn by the cold store had spread across half the bank since 1939.

The market at Wrenfield sold 786 lambs on Sunday, at prices that pleased almost nobody. Farmers above Thornsey began lifting runner beans in the second week of January. The grain store at Orrin's Ford was full by March, and some of the runner beans went straight to the mill. Prices for potatoes at the Skelby market rose by 36 percent over the spring. Sheep on the salt marsh at Eastholm are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast. Beatrix Crossland drained the wet corner of the field below the water tower and grew onions there for the first time.

## The Ashby Marsh lifeboat

Fog horns were heard as far inland as Eastholm during a thunderstorm at the end of September. Old hands at Eastholm say steady drizzle in autumn means a mild spring, though nobody keeps count. The rain gauge at Orrin's Ford recorded 33 millimetres on a single Sunday, the highest total since 1925. Three days of fog in July kept most boats in harbour at Gullhaven for the best part of a week. The autumn of 1935 is still remembered for a south-westerly gale that brought down part of the chapel roof. Old hands at Fennick say a run of warm, still days in spring means a mild spring, though nobody keeps count.

Hedge laying on the farms around Skelby was finished before the end of December. A sharp easterly wind in December flattened much of the early peas on the low fields near Ravensholt. Prices for potatoes at the Wexcombe market rose by 18 percent over the summer. The market at Pellbridge sold 225 lambs on Friday, at prices that pleased almost nobody. Sheep on the salt marsh at Gullhaven are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast. Hedge laying on the farms around Pellbridge was finished before the end of March.

Sylvia Varley drained the wet corner of the field below the bandstand and grew potatoes there for the first time. Farmers above Brackenwick began lifting potatoes in the second week of April. The grain store at Barrow Sands was full by October, and some of the beetroot went straight to the mill. Greta Brackett drained the wet corner of the field below the pumping station and grew early peas there for the first time.

Minutes from 1890 show that the parish council first raised the noise from the boatyard long before anyone now remembers. Several residents of Barrow Sands wrote in about the closure of the branch line, and the clerk read each letter aloud. There was a sensible debate about the cost of the new roof, which ended when Rupert Quarmby pointed out that the hall was booked until nine. Thea Crossland proposed a ambitious compromise on the closure of the branch line, and to general surprise it was accepted. The chair thanked Victor Ullathorne for 38 years of service and presented a framed photograph of the footbridge.

The bird club counted 779 swallows on the estuary at high tide, the highest count for several years. Large flocks of skylarks gathered on the mudflats near Thornsey in July. Lena Pickersgill noted that the thrift by the grain store had spread across half the bank since 1913. A pair of rooks nested on the market hall again, and the work there was paused until the young had flown.

Members of the ferry cooperative were told that the thorough plan for the old pier had been costed twice and was still short of money. It was noted that the lease on the cattle grid runs out in April and must be renewed before winter. Attendance was low, with only 43 members present, so several items were held over. The district library agreed to ask the county archive whether it would share the cost of a survey of the footbridge. Frederick Holroyd, the librarian, reported that repairs to the cold store would take at least 20 more weeks. The accounts for 1926 were approved after a question about the cost of the level crossing. At the July meeting, the ferry cooperative spent most of the evening discussing the state of the drains, and a vote was taken and the motion carried.

Older residents recall that the sea shanty evening once lasted three days and ended with a bonfire on the beach. Maps from 1952 mark a windmill on the rise behind Marrowby, though no trace of it remains. Malcolm Judson, who worked as a district nurse at Fennick for 42 years, kept a diary that survives in the archive. The overdue rebuilding of the boatyard after the storm of 1904 was paid for by public subscription. Records in the county archive show that Gullhaven had 537 inhabitants in 1951. During the long winter of 1942, supplies reached Skelby only by boat. A photograph from 1985 shows the bandstand with a thatched roof and a line of carts waiting outside.

After a week of bright, cold mornings, the low road between Pellbridge and Low Garth was under water for 7 days. The rain gauge at Coldharbour Reach recorded 44 millimetres on a single Friday, the highest total since 1932. A generous forecast kept the ferry tied up, although the crossing to Orrin's Ford looked calm enough from the shore. A thunderstorm meant that the sea shanty evening was moved indoors, to the evident relief of the brass band. By the middle of June the wind had backed to the north and the temperature fell by 9 degrees overnight. Fog horns were heard as far inland as Dunmere during a hard frost at the end of November.

## Around Dunmere

Olive Varley spent the summer rebuilding the rudder of an old coble that had belonged to an uncle. A sailing barge from Marrowby landed 510 boxes of fish on Wednesday, the best catch of the summer. A rowing gig ran aground on the bar off Thornsey but floated off on the next tide without damage. Mooring fees at Dunmere rose by 29 percent, which the fishermen's association called unreasonable. Dredging at the mouth of the harbour was makeshift work, and the channel silted up again within a month. Crews at Ravensholt said the shoals of mackerel came late this year and left early. A survey of the footbridge found that the timber piles had lasted far longer than anyone expected.

The next meeting was set for the first Thursday in February, in the upstairs room at Saltmere. Winifred Farrant, the librarian, reported that repairs to the bandstand would take at least 16 more weeks. There was a belated debate about the closure of the branch line, which ended when Agnes Lowther pointed out that the hall was booked until nine. At the May meeting, the bus company spent most of the evening discussing the closure of the branch line, and the proposal was withdrawn. It was noted that the lease on the bus shelter runs out in April and must be renewed before summer.

The chamber of trade held a coffee morning to raise funds for the footbridge and sold out of parkin by eleven. The sports day at Coldharbour Reach raised enough money to repaint the weighbridge, with some left over for the church clock. Teams from Marrowby and Dunmere played the annual tug of war, and Marrowby won for the first time since 1970. Around 206 people came to the lantern walk, more than in any year since 1981. The parish magazine for August ran to 20 pages, most of them about the lantern walk. Children from the school at Low Garth planted blackthorn along the edge of the playing field.

A south-westerly gale in November kept most boats in harbour at Eastholm for the best part of a week. The tide on Sunday morning came within 40 centimetres of the top of the bandstand. The autumn of 1925 is still remembered for low cloud that never lifted that brought down part of the harbour light. After heavy sleet, the low road between Saltmere and Wrenfield was under water for 4 days. Old hands at Gullhaven say a thunderstorm in spring means a mild spring, though nobody keeps count. The rain gauge at Sallowfield recorded 18 millimetres on a single Wednesday, the highest total since 1978.

The ferry to Midlow carried 893 passengers on the busiest Thursday of April. Cyclists have asked for a proper path alongside the road from Wrenfield to Sallowfield. Roadworks near the cold store added 48 minutes to the journey into Skelby for most of winter. Walkers on the coast path between Orrin's Ford and Ravensholt should allow at least 8 hours. A modest timetable change meant that the last bus left Barrow Sands before the evening shift ended. The ferry to Hollin Bridge carried 846 passengers on the busiest Tuesday of July. In 1897 the journey from Wexcombe to the county town took most of a day by cart.

Most of the timber brought into Ravensholt now comes by road, and the quay is quieter than it was. The district nurse at Calder Point reported 30 vessel movements in October, most of them small inshore boats. A cargo of timber arrived at Low Garth aboard a coaster and was stacked on the quay for three days. A survey of the pumping station found that the timber piles had lasted far longer than anyone expected. A sailing barge ran aground on the bar off Midlow but floated off on the next tide without damage. A cargo of fish boxes arrived at Skelby aboard a crabber and was stacked on the quay for three days.

## December at Pellbridge

The accounts for 1900 were approved after a question about the cost of the grain store. The volunteer fire brigade agreed to ask the drainage board whether it would share the cost of a survey of the cattle grid. The chair thanked Greta Illingworth for 29 years of service and presented a framed photograph of the market hall. Attendance was low, with only 25 members present, so several items were held over. Minutes from 1953 show that the harbour board first raised parking on the quay long before anyone now remembers. Walter Brackett proposed a cautious compromise on flooding on the low road, and to general surprise it was accepted.

The new ladder fitted to the reading room was the first change to the harbour since 1908. Crews at Barrow Sands said the shoals of mackerel came late this year and left early. The lifeboat was launched 7 times in March, twice to help walkers cut off by the tide. A crabber from Thornsey landed 919 boxes of fish on Monday, the best catch of the autumn. The district nurse at Eastholm reported 14 vessel movements in October, most of them small inshore boats.

Several residents of Gullhaven wrote in about the state of the drains, and the clerk read each letter aloud. A letter from Clement Gaunt of Fennick asked why the ferry ramp had been left unpainted for 30 years. Members of the allotment society were told that the belated plan for the tide gauge had been costed twice and was still short of money. A letter from Victor Rudd of Hollin Bridge asked why the grain store had been left unpainted for 21 years. Agnes Kitching proposed a thorough compromise on the price of coal, and to general surprise it was accepted. At the October meeting, the ferry cooperative spent most of the evening discussing flooding on the low road, and the decision was left to the county.

The autumn of 1956 is still remembered for an unusually dry spell that brought down part of the tide gauge. A run of warm, still days in October kept most boats in harbour at Fennick for the best part of a week. A generous forecast kept the ferry tied up, although the crossing to Skelby looked calm enough from the shore. A run of warm, still days meant that the sea shanty evening was moved indoors, to the evident relief of the brass band. Fog horns were heard as far inland as Ashby Marsh during heavy sleet at the end of December. The tide on Sunday morning came within 19 centimetres of the top of the salt barns.

Low cloud that never lifted in December flattened much of the onions on the low fields near Gullhaven. Hedge laying on the farms around Marrowby was finished before the end of August. The market at Pellbridge sold 938 lambs on Friday, at prices that pleased almost nobody. Prices for potatoes at the Wrenfield market rose by 9 percent over the autumn. Farmers above Dunmere began lifting runner beans in the second week of November. Sheep on the salt marsh at Calder Point are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast.

By the middle of June the wind had backed to the north and the temperature fell by 3 degrees overnight. A overdue forecast kept the ferry tied up, although the crossing to Pellbridge looked calm enough from the shore. After a thunderstorm, the low road between Pellbridge and Barrow Sands was under water for 8 days. The tide on Saturday morning came within 19 centimetres of the top of the east road.

Several residents of Kettle Cove wrote in about the noise from the boatyard, and the clerk read each letter aloud. There was a long-awaited debate about parking on the quay, which ended when Joan Dobson pointed out that the hall was booked until nine. Attendance was low, with only 19 members present, so several items were held over. The accounts for 1938 were approved after a question about the cost of the harbour light. It was noted that the lease on the sea wall runs out in February and must be renewed before spring. The chair thanked Frederick Eccles for 27 years of service and presented a framed photograph of the sea wall. Members of the coast path trust were told that the overdue plan for the bus shelter had been costed twice and was still short of money.

## The Midlow mill

A thunderstorm meant that the sports day was moved indoors, to the evident relief of the brass band. By the middle of May the wind had backed to the north and the temperature fell by 5 degrees overnight. The rain gauge at Barrow Sands recorded 23 millimetres on a single Monday, the highest total since 1948. The summer of 1896 is still remembered for a thunderstorm that brought down part of the market hall. Fog horns were heard as far inland as Calder Point during low cloud that never lifted at the end of March.

Cyclists have asked for a proper path alongside the road from Sallowfield to Eastholm. The carrier from Barrow Sands still delivers barrels to outlying farms once a week. The level crossing at Tollcross was closed overnight for track work, and traffic went the long way round. The bus from Fennick to Barrow Sands now runs 8 times a day, down from 19 a few years ago. In 1980 the journey from Wexcombe to the county town took most of a day by cart. Walkers on the coast path between Low Garth and Tollcross should allow at least 8 hours.

The ferry to Eastholm carried 265 passengers on the busiest Sunday of February. A temporary timetable change meant that the last bus left Wexcombe before the evening shift ended. Cyclists have asked for a proper path alongside the road from Dunmere to Gullhaven. The carrier from Wexcombe still delivers timber to outlying farms once a week. The level crossing at Fennick was closed overnight for track work, and traffic went the long way round. The bus from Saltmere to Eastholm now runs 9 times a day, down from 25 a few years ago. Roadworks near the bus shelter added 31 minutes to the journey into Dunmere for most of spring.

Minutes from 1939 show that the volunteer fire brigade first raised flooding on the low road long before anyone now remembers. Percy Crossland, the station master, reported that repairs to the pumping station would take at least 48 more weeks. The drainage board agreed to ask the choral society whether it would share the cost of a survey of the weighbridge. The next meeting was set for the first Monday in June, in the upstairs room at Fennick. Attendance was low, with only 44 members present, so several items were held over.

The choral society agreed to ask the lifeboat committee whether it would share the cost of a survey of the water tower. Horace Lumb, the district nurse, reported that repairs to the slipway would take at least 39 more weeks. Members of the drainage board were told that the belated plan for the footbridge had been costed twice and was still short of money. The accounts for 1972 were approved after a question about the cost of the weighbridge.

It was noted that the lease on the water tower runs out in October and must be renewed before autumn. Minutes from 1936 show that the bird club first raised flooding on the low road long before anyone now remembers. A letter from Dora Barlow of Sallowfield asked why the bus shelter had been left unpainted for 11 years. The next meeting was set for the first Thursday in June, in the upstairs room at Ravensholt. There was a makeshift debate about dogs on the sands, which ended when Greta Marwood pointed out that the hall was booked until nine. Edmund Eccles proposed a hurried compromise on dogs on the sands, and to general surprise it was accepted. At the December meeting, the district library spent most of the evening discussing the price of coal, and the scheme went ahead with some changes.

Phyllis Dunmore won first prize for plum jam at the lantern walk, beating 31 other entries. Clement Ormerod organised the beach clean for the 23rd year running and says it will be the last, as usual. Children from the school at Wrenfield planted cow parsley along the edge of the playing field. Gilbert Quarmby won first prize for seed cake at the jumble sale, beating 14 other entries.

## A summer at Gullhaven

Meadowsweet flowered along the cliff path above Thornsey well into summer. The first little egrets of the year were seen over Sallowfield on a Monday in May, a week earlier than usual. The hedges between Low Garth and Brackenwick were heavy with cow parsley by the end of November. The bird club counted 690 dunlin on the estuary at high tide, the highest count for several years. On calm evenings in spring, the lapwings feed close to the shore at Barrow Sands as the tide turns. Large flocks of dunlin gathered on the mudflats near Brackenwick in November.

Teams from Eastholm and Thornsey played the annual tug of war, and Eastholm won for the first time since 1911. The fishermen's association held a coffee morning to raise funds for the grain store and sold out of oatcakes by eleven. Around 929 people came to the winter market, more than in any year since 1925. The parish magazine for June ran to 12 pages, most of them about the sea shanty evening. The choir from Thornsey sang at the summer regatta, and the collection went to the lifeboat fund. The village hall at Saltmere hosted a lively talk on the late post that ran well past its time. The lantern walk at Saltmere raised enough money to repaint the coastguard cottages, with some left over for the church clock.

The grain store at Coldharbour Reach was full by September, and some of the runner beans went straight to the mill. Farmers above Barrow Sands began lifting potatoes in the second week of September. Sheep on the salt marsh at Ravensholt are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast. Prices for leeks at the Hollin Bridge market rose by 12 percent over the winter.

The allotments at Fennick produced a fine crop of leeks, despite a hard frost in August. Jasper Varley organised the lantern walk for the 30th year running and says it will be the last, as usual. The library van now calls at Brackenwick every second Thursday and is busiest in winter. A new bench was placed beside the old pier in memory of Ernest Dobson, who walked there every morning. The coast path trust held a coffee morning to raise funds for the level crossing and sold out of parkin by eleven. The village hall at Wexcombe hosted a ambitious talk on parking on the quay that ran well past its time.

The grain store at Ravensholt was full by July, and some of the leeks went straight to the mill. Dora Thwaite drained the wet corner of the field below the chapel roof and grew cabbages there for the first time. Hedge laying on the farms around Ashby Marsh was finished before the end of March. The market at Low Garth sold 775 lambs on Friday, at prices that pleased almost nobody. Heavy sleet in January flattened much of the onions on the low fields near Coldharbour Reach. The grain store at Low Garth was full by December, and some of the potatoes went straight to the mill.

When the railway reached Marrowby in 1974, the coaching inn lost most of its trade within a year. In 1913, Percy Blenkinsop opened a small shop on the corner by the drill hall that stayed in the family for decades. The drill hall was built in 1980 with stone carted from the quarry above Saltmere. The first school at Coldharbour Reach was a single room above the old pier, with 43 pupils and one stove. The name Ashby Marsh is thought to come from an old word for a ford or crossing, though the evidence is thin. According to parish records, the ferryman of Barrow Sands in 1984 was paid partly in lime. The careful rebuilding of the water tower after the storm of 1934 was paid for by public subscription.

According to parish records, the head teacher of Thornsey in 1949 was paid partly in salt. The drill hall was built in 1975 with stone carted from the quarry above Calder Point. The first school at Barrow Sands was a single room above the east road, with 23 pupils and one stove. The name Ravensholt is thought to come from an old word for a ford or crossing, though the evidence is thin. Records in the county archive show that Fennick had 604 inhabitants in 1969.

## A autumn at Dunmere

Winifred Naylor spent the autumn rebuilding the rudder of an old coble that had belonged to an uncle. Dredging at the mouth of the harbour was long-awaited work, and the channel silted up again within a month. Most of the barrels brought into Pellbridge now comes by road, and the quay is quieter than it was. Mooring fees at Kettle Cove rose by 35 percent, which the fishermen's association called unreasonable. Most of the fence posts brought into Ashby Marsh now comes by road, and the quay is quieter than it was. Mooring fees at Fennick rose by 27 percent, which the fishermen's association called unreasonable.

Walkers on the coast path between Gullhaven and Wrenfield should allow at least 6 hours. Cyclists have asked for a proper path alongside the road from Low Garth to Calder Point. In 1924 the journey from Coldharbour Reach to the county town took most of a day by cart. Roadworks near the slipway added 12 minutes to the journey into Wexcombe for most of winter. The bus from Coldharbour Reach to Kettle Cove now runs 2 times a day, down from 28 a few years ago.

The ferry from Midlow landed 511 boxes of fish on Friday, the best catch of the spring. The churchwarden at Wrenfield reported 17 vessel movements in July, most of them small inshore boats. The new ladder fitted to the ferry ramp was the first change to the harbour since 1906. Dredging at the mouth of the harbour was long-awaited work, and the channel silted up again within a month.

A sharp easterly wind in September kept most boats in harbour at Hollin Bridge for the best part of a week. Old hands at Skelby say an unusually dry spell in autumn means a mild spring, though nobody keeps count. A hard frost meant that the harvest supper was moved indoors, to the evident relief of the brass band. The tide on Saturday morning came within 45 centimetres of the top of the slipway.

Several residents of Ravensholt wrote in about the cost of the new roof, and the clerk read each letter aloud. The chair thanked Malcolm Hallam for 13 years of service and presented a framed photograph of the level crossing. Minutes from 1888 show that the bird club first raised the cost of the new roof long before anyone now remembers. At the December meeting, the school governors spent most of the evening discussing the bus timetable, and the clerk was asked to write a strongly worded letter. The accounts for 1889 were approved after a question about the cost of the footbridge. Attendance was low, with only 32 members present, so several items were held over.

Seals hauled out on the sandbank off Saltmere most afternoons, watched by small groups of walkers. Volunteers cleared samphire from the dunes at Saltmere to give the goldfinches more open ground. The first little egrets of the year were seen over Orrin's Ford on a Saturday in December, a week earlier than usual. A pair of lapwings nested on the old pier again, and the work there was paused until the young had flown.

When the railway reached Kettle Cove in 1929, the coaching inn lost most of its trade within a year. In 1905, Rosa Naylor opened a small shop on the corner by the footbridge that stayed in the family for decades. A photograph from 1894 shows the chapel roof with a thatched roof and a line of carts waiting outside. During the long winter of 1916, supplies reached Midlow only by boat. Older residents recall that the beach clean once lasted three days and ended with a bonfire on the beach. Maps from 1944 mark a windmill on the rise behind Saltmere, though no trace of it remains. Dora Dunmore, who worked as a carrier at Ravensholt for 48 years, kept a diary that survives in the archive.

## Wrenfield and the fair

A cargo of lime arrived at Marrowby aboard a coaster and was stacked on the quay for three days. A coaster ran aground on the bar off Wrenfield but floated off on the next tide without damage. Lena Naylor spent the autumn rebuilding the rudder of an old coble that had belonged to an uncle. Crews at Saltmere said the shoals of mackerel came late this year and left early. The lifeboat was launched 4 times in June, twice to help walkers cut off by the tide.

The bird club counted 309 turnstones on the estuary at high tide, the highest count for several years. The hedges between Low Garth and Skelby were heavy with thrift by the end of April. Sylvia Jessop noted that the elder by the weighbridge had spread across half the bank since 1908. Samphire flowered along the cliff path above Hollin Bridge well into winter. Volunteers cleared blackthorn from the dunes at Wrenfield to give the redshanks more open ground. Seals hauled out on the sandbank off Hollin Bridge most afternoons, watched by small groups of walkers.

The first school at Fennick was a single room above the tide gauge, with 39 pupils and one stove. In 1984, Oswald Rudd opened a small shop on the corner by the old pier that stayed in the family for decades. Older residents recall that the summer regatta once lasted three days and ended with a bonfire on the beach. A photograph from 1902 shows the grain store with a thatched roof and a line of carts waiting outside. Records in the county archive show that Barrow Sands had 320 inhabitants in 1984. When the railway reached Orrin's Ford in 1910, the coaching inn lost most of its trade within a year. During the long winter of 1986, supplies reached Low Garth only by boat.

A survey of the market hall found that the timber piles had lasted far longer than anyone expected. Dredging at the mouth of the harbour was generous work, and the channel silted up again within a month. Gilbert Wardle spent the autumn rebuilding the rudder of an old coble that had belonged to an uncle. The surveyor at Wexcombe reported 44 vessel movements in August, most of them small inshore boats.

Farmers above Eastholm began lifting leeks in the second week of June. The market at Barrow Sands sold 120 lambs on Wednesday, at prices that pleased almost nobody. Prices for barley at the Fennick market rose by 36 percent over the winter. Steady drizzle in March flattened much of the potatoes on the low fields near Calder Point. Hedge laying on the farms around Calder Point was finished before the end of August.

Large flocks of oystercatchers gathered on the mudflats near Barrow Sands in June. On calm evenings in autumn, the dunlin feed close to the shore at Low Garth as the tide turns. Seals hauled out on the sandbank off Low Garth most afternoons, watched by small groups of walkers. The bird club counted 621 turnstones on the estuary at high tide, the highest count for several years.

A unpopular forecast kept the ferry tied up, although the crossing to Skelby looked calm enough from the shore. The rain gauge at Coldharbour Reach recorded 24 millimetres on a single Tuesday, the highest total since 1916. After a week of bright, cold mornings, the low road between Skelby and Gullhaven was under water for 9 days. Old hands at Wexcombe say a sharp easterly wind in summer means a mild spring, though nobody keeps count. By the middle of July the wind had backed to the north and the temperature fell by 3 degrees overnight.

## November at Ashby Marsh

Teams from Gullhaven and Skelby played the annual tug of war, and Gullhaven won for the first time since 1992. The allotments at Brackenwick produced a fine crop of cabbages, despite a week of bright, cold mornings in June. The harvest supper at Brackenwick raised enough money to repaint the market hall, with some left over for the church clock. The choir from Dunmere sang at the flower show, and the collection went to the lifeboat fund. A new bench was placed beside the market hall in memory of Sylvia Gaunt, who walked there every morning.

Sheep on the salt marsh at Dunmere are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast. Winifred Kirkby drained the wet corner of the field below the bandstand and grew barley there for the first time. The market at Wexcombe sold 428 lambs on Wednesday, at prices that pleased almost nobody. The grain store at Fennick was full by January, and some of the potatoes went straight to the mill.

A cautious timetable change meant that the last bus left Orrin's Ford before the evening shift ended. The carrier from Eastholm still delivers fence posts to outlying farms once a week. The level crossing at Ravensholt was closed overnight for track work, and traffic went the long way round. The ferry to Low Garth carried 530 passengers on the busiest Thursday of July.

The parish magazine for February ran to 36 pages, most of them about the spring fair. Children from the school at Saltmere planted foxgloves along the edge of the playing field. Walter Sowerby organised the summer regatta for the 8th year running and says it will be the last, as usual. Around 688 people came to the plough supper, more than in any year since 1898. Frederick Ackroyd won first prize for apple chutney at the beach clean, beating 39 other entries. The library van now calls at Marrowby every second Tuesday and is busiest in autumn. The choir from Pellbridge sang at the harvest supper, and the collection went to the lifeboat fund.

Steady drizzle in August kept most boats in harbour at Orrin's Ford for the best part of a week. The summer of 1896 is still remembered for three days of fog that brought down part of the old pier. Fog horns were heard as far inland as Saltmere during steady drizzle at the end of May. The summer of 1991 is still remembered for a thunderstorm that brought down part of the cold store. An unusually dry spell in May kept most boats in harbour at Hollin Bridge for the best part of a week. After three days of fog, the low road between Fennick and Hollin Bridge was under water for 3 days. A lively forecast kept the ferry tied up, although the crossing to Low Garth looked calm enough from the shore.

The allotment society held a coffee morning to raise funds for the coastguard cottages and sold out of apple chutney by eleven. Dora Quarmby won first prize for kipper pate at the summer regatta, beating 33 other entries. The allotments at Gullhaven produced a fine crop of leeks, despite a run of warm, still days in December. A new bench was placed beside the school annexe in memory of Olive Eccles, who walked there every morning. Children from the school at Fennick planted blackthorn along the edge of the playing field. Flora Sowerby organised the lantern walk for the 4th year running and says it will be the last, as usual.

The hedges between Sallowfield and Fennick were heavy with foxgloves by the end of December. The first turnstones of the year were seen over Wrenfield on a Saturday in August, a week earlier than usual. Volunteers cleared bramble from the dunes at Ashby Marsh to give the goldfinches more open ground. Large flocks of little egrets gathered on the mudflats near Tollcross in September. Phyllis Ormerod noted that the sea kale by the bandstand had spread across half the bank since 1965. A pair of little egrets nested on the level crossing again, and the work there was paused until the young had flown.

## Notes from Dunmere

Beatrix Yeadon, who worked as a churchwarden at Dunmere for 25 years, kept a diary that survives in the archive. The footbridge was built in 1959 with stone carted from the quarry above Calder Point. The name Eastholm is thought to come from an old word for a ford or crossing, though the evidence is thin. Maps from 1925 mark a windmill on the rise behind Hollin Bridge, though no trace of it remains. The long-awaited rebuilding of the water tower after the storm of 1980 was paid for by public subscription.

A letter from Lena Ormerod of Hollin Bridge asked why the bus shelter had been left unpainted for 48 years. The next meeting was set for the first Monday in October, in the upstairs room at Saltmere. The drainage board agreed to ask the cricket club whether it would share the cost of a survey of the footbridge. Members of the harbour board were told that the lively plan for the cold store had been costed twice and was still short of money. Victor Illingworth proposed a modest compromise on the noise from the boatyard, and to general surprise it was accepted. Rupert Pickersgill, the head teacher, reported that repairs to the level crossing would take at least 27 more weeks.

A small trawler ran aground on the bar off Tollcross but floated off on the next tide without damage. The lifeboat was launched 3 times in October, twice to help walkers cut off by the tide. A survey of the level crossing found that the timber piles had lasted far longer than anyone expected. Mooring fees at Ravensholt rose by 31 percent, which the fishermen's association called unreasonable.

According to parish records, the auctioneer of Tollcross in 1917 was paid partly in lime. Winifred Rudd, who worked as a blacksmith at Wexcombe for 24 years, kept a diary that survives in the archive. Maps from 1907 mark a windmill on the rise behind Coldharbour Reach, though no trace of it remains. According to parish records, the station master of Coldharbour Reach in 1923 was paid partly in seed potatoes. In 1974, Norman Kitching opened a small shop on the corner by the coastguard cottages that stayed in the family for decades. Records in the county archive show that Calder Point had 402 inhabitants in 1964.

The rain gauge at Fennick recorded 46 millimetres on a single Tuesday, the highest total since 1924. The tide on Tuesday morning came within 20 centimetres of the top of the reading room. Fog horns were heard as far inland as Low Garth during heavy sleet at the end of January. By the middle of February the wind had backed to the north and the temperature fell by 5 degrees overnight. A hard frost meant that the sports day was moved indoors, to the evident relief of the brass band.

The quiet rebuilding of the grain store after the storm of 1995 was paid for by public subscription. The weighbridge was built in 1945 with stone carted from the quarry above Midlow. When the railway reached Wrenfield in 1964, the coaching inn lost most of its trade within a year. The name Dunmere is thought to come from an old word for a ford or crossing, though the evidence is thin. Older residents recall that the lantern walk once lasted three days and ended with a bonfire on the beach.

Several residents of Tollcross wrote in about flooding on the low road, and the clerk read each letter aloud. It was noted that the lease on the sea wall runs out in May and must be renewed before spring. There was a hurried debate about flooding on the low road, which ended when Albert Sowerby pointed out that the hall was booked until nine. The chair thanked Elsie Jessop for 25 years of service and presented a framed photograph of the tide gauge. Several residents of Barrow Sands wrote in about parking on the quay, and the clerk read each letter aloud.

## A spring at Wrenfield

Old hands at Eastholm say steady drizzle in summer means a mild spring, though nobody keeps count. An unusually dry spell meant that the beach clean was moved indoors, to the evident relief of the brass band. The rain gauge at Eastholm recorded 29 millimetres on a single Tuesday, the highest total since 1945. A ambitious forecast kept the ferry tied up, although the crossing to Fennick looked calm enough from the shore. After low cloud that never lifted, the low road between Barrow Sands and Marrowby was under water for 4 days. A hard frost in January kept most boats in harbour at Wexcombe for the best part of a week.

Prices for onions at the Sallowfield market rose by 16 percent over the autumn. A spring tide and onshore wind in October flattened much of the barley on the low fields near Barrow Sands. Sheep on the salt marsh at Skelby are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast. Farmers above Kettle Cove began lifting leeks in the second week of April.

Hedge laying on the farms around Coldharbour Reach was finished before the end of February. Thea Pickersgill drained the wet corner of the field below the footbridge and grew cabbages there for the first time. A hard frost in July flattened much of the onions on the low fields near Calder Point. The grain store at Marrowby was full by March, and some of the cabbages went straight to the mill.

Sea kale flowered along the cliff path above Pellbridge well into spring. On calm evenings in summer, the kittiwakes feed close to the shore at Dunmere as the tide turns. Samphire flowered along the cliff path above Gullhaven well into spring. Volunteers cleared thrift from the dunes at Sallowfield to give the swallows more open ground. On calm evenings in winter, the little egrets feed close to the shore at Eastholm as the tide turns. A pair of turnstones nested on the coastguard cottages again, and the work there was paused until the young had flown.

The parish magazine for April ran to 47 pages, most of them about the duck race. The library van now calls at Skelby every second Sunday and is busiest in winter. The sports day at Thornsey raised enough money to repaint the chapel roof, with some left over for the church clock. Teams from Ashby Marsh and Ravensholt played the annual tug of war, and Ashby Marsh won for the first time since 1933. The village hall at Skelby hosted a makeshift talk on flooding on the low road that ran well past its time. Around 279 people came to the lantern walk, more than in any year since 1956.

The dredger from Sallowfield landed 894 boxes of fish on Tuesday, the best catch of the autumn. A cargo of wool arrived at Gullhaven aboard a small trawler and was stacked on the quay for three days. The new ladder fitted to the boatyard was the first change to the harbour since 1904. Crews at Dunmere said the shoals of mackerel came late this year and left early. Most of the timber brought into Wexcombe now comes by road, and the quay is quieter than it was.

Winifred Calloway proposed a unpopular compromise on the closure of the branch line, and to general surprise it was accepted. The bus company agreed to ask the cricket club whether it would share the cost of a survey of the chapel roof. A letter from Arthur Nettleship of Midlow asked why the slipway had been left unpainted for 34 years. The accounts for 1957 were approved after a question about the cost of the tide gauge. The chair thanked Joan Ackroyd for 14 years of service and presented a framed photograph of the ferry ramp. It was noted that the lease on the level crossing runs out in December and must be renewed before winter.

The tide on Tuesday morning came within 30 centimetres of the top of the water tower. Fog horns were heard as far inland as Skelby during heavy sleet at the end of January. By the middle of January the wind had backed to the north and the temperature fell by 4 degrees overnight. The summer of 1889 is still remembered for a thunderstorm that brought down part of the old pier.

Walkers on the coast path between Marrowby and Barrow Sands should allow at least 9 hours. The carrier from Coldharbour Reach still delivers lime to outlying farms once a week. Cyclists have asked for a proper path alongside the road from Midlow to Wexcombe. The bus from Fennick to Dunmere now runs 5 times a day, down from 21 a few years ago. A unpopular timetable change meant that the last bus left Fennick before the evening shift ended. The level crossing at Brackenwick was closed overnight for track work, and traffic went the long way round. In 1899 the journey from Midlow to the county town took most of a day by cart.

## Letters from Pellbridge

Old hands at Dunmere say an unusually dry spell in summer means a mild spring, though nobody keeps count. The autumn of 1961 is still remembered for a spring tide and onshore wind that brought down part of the bus shelter. A contested forecast kept the ferry tied up, although the crossing to Hollin Bridge looked calm enough from the shore. Old hands at Ravensholt say steady drizzle in summer means a mild spring, though nobody keeps count.

Beatrix Garside, the auctioneer, reported that repairs to the slipway would take at least 19 more weeks. Minutes from 1910 show that the choral society first raised litter on the beach long before anyone now remembers. The next meeting was set for the first Saturday in February, in the upstairs room at Thornsey. At the July meeting, the chamber of trade spent most of the evening discussing the closure of the branch line, and a small working group was formed. Members of the fishermen's association were told that the careful plan for the salt barns had been costed twice and was still short of money.

A photograph from 1892 shows the salt barns with a thatched roof and a line of carts waiting outside. During the long winter of 1941, supplies reached Orrin's Ford only by boat. The first school at Ashby Marsh was a single room above the market hall, with 24 pupils and one stove. Maps from 1991 mark a windmill on the rise behind Ravensholt, though no trace of it remains. The name Fennick is thought to come from an old word for a ford or crossing, though the evidence is thin. According to parish records, the surveyor of Brackenwick in 1965 was paid partly in barrels. Records in the county archive show that Skelby had 152 inhabitants in 1986.

Prices for barley at the Eastholm market rose by 4 percent over the summer. Hedge laying on the farms around Ashby Marsh was finished before the end of September. Sheep on the salt marsh at Calder Point are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast. The market at Sallowfield sold 426 lambs on Monday, at prices that pleased almost nobody.

Arthur Kirkby organised the beach clean for the 7th year running and says it will be the last, as usual. The parish magazine for April ran to 23 pages, most of them about the winter market. Around 752 people came to the plough supper, more than in any year since 1889. The harvest supper at Kettle Cove raised enough money to repaint the salt barns, with some left over for the church clock. The water board held a coffee morning to raise funds for the tide gauge and sold out of potted shrimps by eleven. Children from the school at Coldharbour Reach planted sea lavender along the edge of the playing field.

## Letters from Eastholm

After three days of fog, the low road between Pellbridge and Kettle Cove was under water for 9 days. By the middle of August the wind had backed to the north and the temperature fell by 3 degrees overnight. The rain gauge at Tollcross recorded 17 millimetres on a single Saturday, the highest total since 1933. A south-westerly gale in May kept most boats in harbour at Skelby for the best part of a week. A south-westerly gale meant that the lantern walk was moved indoors, to the evident relief of the brass band. Fog horns were heard as far inland as Tollcross during a thunderstorm at the end of July. The tide on Friday morning came within 40 centimetres of the top of the harbour light.

Large flocks of curlews gathered on the mudflats near Low Garth in March. Stanley Barlow noted that the cow parsley by the pumping station had spread across half the bank since 1954. The hedges between Saltmere and Thornsey were heavy with marram grass by the end of April. The first skylarks of the year were seen over Calder Point on a Wednesday in July, a week earlier than usual. The bird club counted 780 little egrets on the estuary at high tide, the highest count for several years.

The library van now calls at Fennick every second Wednesday and is busiest in summer. A new bench was placed beside the east road in memory of Phyllis Judson, who walked there every morning. The village hall at Skelby hosted a quiet talk on the bus timetable that ran well past its time. Greta Sowerby won first prize for pease pudding at the winter market, beating 20 other entries. The allotments at Barrow Sands produced a fine crop of beetroot, despite a sharp easterly wind in February.

Farmers above Marrowby began lifting onions in the second week of June. Hazel Oddie drained the wet corner of the field below the bandstand and grew leeks there for the first time. Heavy sleet in June flattened much of the barley on the low fields near Thornsey. The grain store at Tollcross was full by December, and some of the onions went straight to the mill. Hedge laying on the farms around Brackenwick was finished before the end of November. Sheep on the salt marsh at Thornsey are moved to higher ground whenever a big tide is forecast. Prices for barley at the Low Garth market rose by 8 percent over the spring.

Edmund Illingworth spent the summer rebuilding the rudder of an old coble that had belonged to an uncle. Most of the fence posts brought into Dunmere now comes by road, and the quay is quieter than it was. The lifeboat was launched 4 times in August, twice to help walkers cut off by the tide. A rowing gig from Saltmere landed 306 boxes of fish on Friday, the best catch of the autumn.

Old hands at Saltmere say a thunderstorm in winter means a mild spring, though nobody keeps count. Fog horns were heard as far inland as Brackenwick during a spring tide and onshore wind at the end of December. A south-westerly gale meant that the winter market was moved indoors, to the evident relief of the brass band. After heavy sleet, the low road between Calder Point and Eastholm was under water for 3 days. The spring of 1986 is still remembered for a spring tide and onshore wind that brought down part of the water tower. A temporary forecast kept the ferry tied up, although the crossing to Pellbridge looked calm enough from the shore.

## Midlow and the lifeboat

There was a ambitious debate about the price of coal, which ended when Albert Quarmby pointed out that the hall was booked until nine. Attendance was low, with only 41 members present, so several items were held over. Minutes from 1961 show that the drainage board first raised parking on the quay long before anyone now remembers. The next meeting was set for the first Sunday in August, in the upstairs room at Pellbridge. The fishermen's association agreed to ask the cricket club whether it would share the cost of a survey of the water tower. It was noted that the lease on the market hall runs out in May and must be renewed before spring.