The Farmer & His Wife
John Taylor gives us a view of his domain . . .
ANNE’S baking for our church sale of work on Saturday, so I’ve retired to my Word Factory. That’s my granddaughter’s name for my office – really our wee bedroom, which has my writing desk in it and some shelves for books.
I’m sitting at my desk with a blank piece of paper in front of me. What should I tell you about? I’ll try to describe what I can see.
In summer, I can look out of the window across the farms between the Riggin and the Firth of Forth, with May Island in the distance. The view can be a distraction, because I like to watch what goes up and down that famous river.
The room has six bookcases. I’ve collected books, mostly second-hand, since I was a boy!
I’m sorry to say that, in the Twenties and Thirties, children were not encouraged to read. There was so much to do on the farm, and reading didn’t bring in the bawbees. If only they had learned the pleasure one can get from the written word!
On one wall in my study are 25 framed photographs. The oldest is Anne’s grandad with her elder brother, aged one, sitting on his knee.
Then there are pictures of our two bairns from the same age and their five children – at school, on horses and holding prize-winning beasts at our local show.
Everyone’s wedding photograph is there, plus Anne at various periods.
There aren’t many of me, thank goodness!
The other wall is filled with a tall gent’s wardrobe. On one side, the top half of the wardrobe has small drawers, which run beautifully.
On the other side there is a hanging area for suits, and at the bottom two big drawers I use for all my files. Files with stories. Another on doo’cots – we’ve more in Fife than any other county in Scotland. One on eels which I used to fish for in our local burn when I was a boy, and many other topics.
Anne found this table from a small ad in our local paper. It was at a farm 15 miles away.
“I wonder why they wanted to sell it?” Anne asked.
I knew, but said nothing. The farmer went bankrupt a month later.
It has a leather top, and I’ve made rather too many marks on it for Anne’s liking. But it has served me well. I’ve written all my best stories at that table!
Well, that’s my little Word Factory. It’s a room that has given me hours of pleasure, and I hope what I’ve written here has done the same for you.
I’d better go downstairs and see how the baking is going.
Good night, God bless.