The Karnser

 When I was a child we went to Stowmarket on the bus and got off before the town centre to walk to see Grandma and then we would walk into town which meant going over a raised path, which I've always known as the Karnser. Grandma and Mum were Stowmarket born and bred so that's what they called it.

There WAS a picture  below which I copied from a local 'Stowmarket In Old Photo's' Facebook page and several people commented that they'd never heard the word. Some references say that it's an East Anglian dialect word but below the report says it's much older.

The picture vanished and I couldn't find it again despite searching all the Stowmarket facebook sites - luckily I'd copied the text.......................

The raised pathway on one side of Station Road, whether it is spelled with a 'c' or a 'k', is an old word of Anglo-Saxon origin. There are other places in East Anglia with a reference to the word, such as Mellis Common in Suffolk and Blakeney in Norfolk, which refer to a raised footpath or causeway across a marshy area.

The Stowmarket spelling with a 'k' is quite unusual, but the meaning still has the same derivation of a raised footpath. In this case it was developed to allow brewers' drays to pull up beside Steven's Brewery, that later became part of the Greene King Group, so that barrels could be rolled directly onto the back of the carts without involving heavy lifting or rolling heavy casks up sloping ramps etc.

Information from Stowmarket Local History Group.

While searching for the picture that I copied here from facebook and which later vanished, I came across this one from a bit later when the brewery had been taken over by Greene King. It doesn't really show the Karnser except for the railings.

And here's what it looks like today. Back in the 60's there were breaks in the barriers with steps built into the wall to get down to road level, but they are long gone. This road is a very busy one now leading in and out to the town centre and the main carpark beside Asda.

It's a very, very long time since the building was a brewery and it's been rebuilt, stood empty or used as offices for many years.

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Sue

Thanks for comments yesterday, I thought I'd answered but I hadn't and then it was late!

There and Going, Going, Gone

I'm always sad when I hear or see mature trees being cut down, but sometimes when they are very big and in among houses it's probably safer for everyone.

These were the huge Willow and Sycamore trees in the sunshine on Sunday morning. The Willow on the left is in the garden of the house over the back and the Sycamore is right in the corner of my next door neighbours garden.

Both neighbours came to tell me they'd got together to have the trees cut down, both trees getting too big for where they are. 

My first thought was 'Oh No' but actually I'll get a lot more sun light into the bungalow, greenhouse and garden and no more leaves to clear - the Sycamore dumps loads in my garden.

Abby next door said she hates having to have the Sycamore down but it's damaging their shed and cutting out all the light from their house and garden and is just way too big for the space between their house, the house behind them and my bungalow. This bit of the estate was built in 1983 and I guess both trees were planted back then with no thought on how big they would get in 40 years.

The willow was first to go.

Then they moved onto the Sycamore

The Sycamore has now gone completely but the willow still stands. I thought they were going to take it right down but perhaps not. It looks really odd but will sprout in spring.

I won't really notice the difference until summer, but now I'll get sun right through the afternoon and evening. I think the greenhouse plants will appreciate it. I might get fewer pigeons in the garden too as they won't be able to nest in the Sycamore every year.

Before and after

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Sue

(and thank you for comments yesterday - I've replied to all now.)

From 11 Years Ago

 Short of ideas for blog posts this month so here's one from 11 years ago - February 2014.................. still at the smallholding of course.

You know how some days you can be busy without seeming to achieve much, well today I was busy and I can actually see what I've done.

The day started with my usual walk around the field to let out the chickens from their 3 different sheds, check they are all still upright and collect the eggs. Then a basket of washing was hung out good and early with sunshine and a drying wind forecast.
Next job was to get two loaves of bread started and rising in front of the Rayburn.
After a cuppa, I pricked out the next batch of seedlings comprising of a few of each of three types of tomato and a few peppers. Then the small seed trays were refilled with seed compost and some more tomatoes sown and popped into the windowsill propagator.
Then I got a shout to go over and help put the plastic over the small poly-tunnel at our neighbours. Him outside has now finished the job, the boat has been wheeled inside and our neighbour is very pleased.
I had a tidy up in the shed and then a tidy up indoors.
The postman  brought me some books that I'd ordered using my Christmas money. "5 acres and a dream" and "Skeoch - our new life on a Scottish Hill farm". Both look like a good read and both are by people who write blogs.
The bread was baked and turned out well.
The washing dried.
I covered two clumps of rhubarb with bottomless dustbins to get them going.
Leeks done for fritters to go with bacon chops for dinner.

But the best job of all, which will make such a difference, is that after 4 dry days with drying wind Him Outside managed to get the middle sized chicken shed moved away from the sea of mud onto fresh grass - AT LAST!

So many weeks of rain had turned more than half of their run into  a sticky mud mess.

 The shed is on 2 wide metal skids, with a chain attached, they can be moved with the tractor.

A while later after moving water butt, feed bin, straw bin, drinkers, electric fence and the connection to mains electric for the lighting, the chickens are in seventh heaven on fresh grass.

So a good productive day. Our neighbour is happy with her boat shelter, the chickens are happy on fresh grass, Him Outside is happy to have done both those things and I'm happy with two new books, dry washing, fresh bread, seedlings growing and seeds sown.

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Days were always as busy as this back then...........now is so different.

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Sue