The Village Blacksmith

Under a spreading chestnut-tree
The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With large and sinewy hands;
And the muscles of his brawny arms
Are strong as iron bands.

(Longfellow)

Tales from a Cumbrian Farmhouse - 2



'Support the Private Trader'

By the 60s horse-shoeing was no longer the most significant part of the smith’s trade.
Ernie, our local blacksmith, whose forge was in the next village a mile away, spent a large part of his time making and mending farm equipment. Dad believed in supporting the private traders (being one himself) and this included local tradesmen, too; any carpentry or building work was carried out by people from the village.

Ernie persuaded Dad that what he needed was ‘yen o’ thae thistle-cutters’ which duly appeared; it was a small trailer with a flat metal plate, under which were 4 rotating blades Then came a compact muck-spreader, both machines small enough to be towed by the Land-Rover.

Next Dad fancied an iron railing to replace the old fence at the near end of the orchard

Dad, - who was anxious to seem a true countryman - and Ernie sat in the morning-room having countryman-style conversations over a glass of Forest Brown Ale - (Dad was a tea-totaller really, but was happy to make the sacrifice for his country friends.)

I know that Dad envisaged a no-nonsense simple affair, in keeping with the farmyard, so he asked Ernie,

‘Now, Ernie - I need an iron railing for the orchard’

Three minutes pause

‘O, aye. I can do that fer yer alright’

Three minutes pause.

‘Right. That’s champion! ’

Men of few words.

So Ernie fashioned the railing in his forge, and eventually brought it down and placed it in position. Dad was at work, and later Mum rang him up.

‘Ernie’s finished the railings’, she said

‘O fine - how does it look?’

‘Wait and see,’ said Mum.

Ernie, who saw wrought-iron work as an escape from the more utilitarian tasks, had taken the opportunity to let his creative side flourish. He had fashioned an ornate panel with more curls than Shirley Temple :

Of course to Ernie, Dad said, ‘Oh, Grand. That’s grand, Ernie’

To us he said, ‘O heck, It makes the place look like a bloody dolls’ house’

An interesting word:

Atramentous \At'ra'MEN'tus\ adjective: of or pertaining to ink; inky; black, like ink; as 'atramental galls', 'atramentous spots'. (from the Latin atramentum - 'black liquid, ink')