News

Yesterday evening the man who took over my business around 14 years ago contacted me once again. This time he gave me the news that his daughter, incidentally who I know, has just given birth to her first child a boy. I asked him if she would go back to work again, because she had a good paying job. He told me that she would be returning to work but not for a year as in the job she has is giving her a years maternity leave. I daren't ask if it was with pay. He then told me that her partner was going back to work on Monday next week. He had been of work for almost 3 weeks. It didn't make sense to me. as a youngster in the early 50s most women had their births at home and the main person involved was the midwife. Husbands were not encouraged at all at the birth of their children. More often than not the midwife would usher the Husband out and tell him he was not wanted, but would be allowed in to see the child soon after birth. The Men accepted this arrangement. There was, of course no such thing as maternity leave for the Husbands. Maybe I should say Partners, but to be honest, families stayed together in those days. Divorce was not only an expensive thing for the Man but not an easy thing to do. Today it is so easy. Whether it is better is open to debate.
This morning I got up to a light covering of snow. When I say light, I mean light. We had the odd flurry of snow on and off all day. It has been cold though. Still we are now into February filldyke so we are all the nearer to Spring. The immediate forecast is not too good. We will have to wait and see. I have dug up a couple of leeks and pulled up a few carrots out of the polytunnel so I am prepared. More soon.