On Mon, 26 Apr 2004 17:59:56 +0100, Kay Easton
wrote:

before that, mowing was done with scythes ... and just try
doing that to a length of 3/8th inch!

I knew a guy who could do just that - well near enough ;-) He was an
old Dalesman by the name of Cecil (pronounced seesil for those not
familiar with that lovely part of the world) We used to get him to
trim off the ryegrass stalks that didn't get cut by the cylinder mower
on one or two of poorer lawns where I was working at that time. He was
of that age group of Dales farmers who grew up cutting hay with
scythes, alongside Irishmen who came over for haytime. In his late 70s
when I knew him he was tall and straight - every time you looked he
was filling his pipe or sharpening the scythe, but when you looked
behind him he was cutting quicker and cleaner than the lads in their
20s.

Rod

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