The start of September heralds the arrival
of Autumn, the ‘season of mists and
mellow fruitfulness’ as John Keats famously
described it.

It is also the beginning of another school year
after the long summer holidays. Doubtless
many parents - myself included - have been
nearly bankrupted by the cost of new uniform,
PE kit and school shoes. Still, I would rather
have a uniform that I have to shell out for
once a year than have the daily grind of a
teenager deciding what to wear!

I imagine the harvests have been safely
gathered in by now, and this is the time of
year we traditionally have harvest festivals.
One of my favourite memories of primary
school is gathering at the village church,
singing ‘We plough the fi elds and scatter’
amongst other seasonal hymns, and then
heading off with our shoeboxes full of food to
be delivered to the older residents.

Those were the days when donations of tins
were quite acceptable - I know that there’s
a trend for only having fresh produce now.
However, it might be worth noting that not
every recipient of the harvest festival box
wants or needs or even eats a large cabbage,
several carrots, a pound of potatoes,
courgettes, artichokes, etc.

Some people would actually prefer tins of
good quality soup, baked beans, tomatoes
and other fruit and vegetables to put in their
store cupboards. Plus, tins keep and can
also be donated to food banks whereas fresh
food goes off quickly. Just a thought for any
teachers or PTAs reading.

I wonder if that’s when you know you’ve reached
your twilight years, when the local primary
school knocks on your door and hands you a
shoebox of goodies? I await that knock on the
door then with a mixture of pleasure - that I’ve
been remembered, and somebody’s taken the
time to donate food and deliver it to my door -
and dread, that I’m now considered to be in my
senior years!

 You can read more from me on my blog or in my weekly Northants Telegraph column. Many thanks. Hx  

Our Corner of Northamptonshire by Helen Bach