Things that go bump in the dark

We live fairly quietly in our part of the world. There’s the odd passing car. Or the occasional helicopter on its way out to the rigs in the North Sea. Monday evening was a bit different though. There was this unusual rumbling sound – Thunder – I thought. It actually sounded a bit like next door dragging their wheely-bin out to the road – and that was what I put it down to.

The following morning it happened again – around 6am!! Odd – can’t be thunder I thought. Then it happened again and continued to do so every two or three minutes. Next door couldn’t have bought that many wheely bins. Grabbing the camera, I set out to explore.

The darkness and gloom of the morning slowly disappeared and light spread across the fields opposite our dwelling. The daylight revealed a massive yellow monster trundling along the edge of the field near to a carefully positioned line of sugar beet.

The yellow peril (actually called a Ropa Maus 6… German in origin) was working its way along a 10m wide stretch of sugar beet, picking it up and pushing it up some sort of moving belt. It deposited its load, with a bump and a rumble into a fleet of waiting lorries, who were preparing to travel to the nearest sugar beet factory.

Why should I be interested in this? Firstly – the machine looked to be brand new. Secondly it was massive and thirdly it did the job as fast as the lorries could arrive and position themselves under the shoot. As each new lorry arrived in position sugar beet hurtled into the container behind the driver. The whole operation was so fast.

Drivers and the operator hardly had time to think or even eat their bacon butties which they brought with them before they were off again. We have had some interesting machinery in the field from time to time but never anything as large as this or as efficient.

Other evidence of speed? You missed the sight of an enthusiastic cameraman running out of the way across a deeply rutted field in wellies before 8 o’clock in the morning. A big sympathetic “Ahh” for him – “No?” I guessed not. Next week I’ll aim for something a lot more static and less energetic.

See you (providing I recover.)