Mrs Down's Diary

This fitted in with my views. Our farm would hardly hang together without knotted twists of polypropylene band in orange and blue.

It ties together fences, gates and pens. Twists into dog leads, belts for baggy trousers , secures gaping boiler suits and creates bucket handles to transform empty containers.

Last year it tied up the tallest sunflowers in the world for my granddaughter Jessica, created the vital link between tractor and baler to release bales, linked braces of pheasants/partridges or ducks to hang in the meal shed and currently is ensuring that my grandson Ollie cannot get up into our loft rooms by fastening the latches.

But there is a new contender for versatile farm kit. Big square bales. It's like having your very own giant Lego kit.

For full feature see West Sussex Gazette April 9