What does a Scyther do in his spare time? Why enter scythe competitions of course!
While Phil has been going to the West Country Scythe Festival since it’s beginning, he had never made it to the Eastern Counties Scythe Festival held annually at the National Trust property Wimpole.
This year, with no hay down and extra help on the farm, Phil grabbed the opportunity to jump on bike / train and go across to join in the fun. As well as lots of scythe related chat, there are scythe competitions for mowing an eighth of an acre, quarter of an acre, a 5m x 5m square and a 10m x 10m square.
Mowing 1/4 of an acre at Wimpole
Phil entered the quarter acre and 5m x 5m competitions, but had to leave before the 10m x 10m and, of course, the prize giving.
It was therefore a pleasant surprise to later discover that he had won the 5m x 5m competition. At Wimpole, mowers are scored on their speed and quality, with mowers incurring time penalties for every quality point dropped. So although Phil was not the fastest, his good quality score meant he came out in first place over all.
A full report of the day and lots of pictures can be seen here. Thanks to Kevin Austin for the photo.