Chapter 19. Market garden

The next morning Finn walked with Nain Joan into town

to the farmers market. The markets were held every

weekend in an open paddock near the train station.

As she looked around at the caged birds, Finn heard

the stall holders talking amongst themselves.

This was going to be the last market for awhile until they

could find somewhere else to set up - the army wanted to

use the open paddock space.

"This War is going to bring food shortages." Nain Joan said.

Finn had noticed the freshly turned garden beds and newly

built chicken coops in the house yard.

"Who's going to work the farms and get the crops in when

all you men go off to your War - and it won't just be

England either, it'll be all the European countries that are

involved... even the folk in Germany."

That was something Finn hadn't considered.

He was still thinking about it as he walked back up the

hill carrying bags of market produce.

He helped set up a trestle table undercover at the back of

the house and watched as Nain Joan sorted out the

different vegetables to go into the garden beds as

root stock or into the kitchen pantries.

''Hello, is anybody home?"

There was a voice at the front door.

"Coming." Nain Joan called out.

"Go and see who that is Finn will you. If it's the market

people with the hens, tell them to come around the side

of the house."

Finn wiped his hands and went to see. At the front door

he was surprised to see a school friend he hadn't seen since

they'd both left to go to university. ''Hello Bish."

Bish smiled. "I thought I saw you and Nain Joan at the

markets this morning."

"Still studying Law at Cambridge?" Finn asked.

"I am, or rather I was. I enlisted. My call up is at the end of

next week. Are you still at Oxford?"

"I enlisted too." Finn said." My call up is in a few days."

"We're having bit of a get together up at the house. Most of

the family have moved back here to St.Ives to get away from

all the War business in London. It would be great if you could

come along tonight."

"Thanks for invite Bish, but I was planning a quiet night in."

Bish grinned. "My sisters have invited quite a few of their

unattached female friends."

"Have they now?" Nain Joan said.

Finn laughed, of course she was standing behind him.

"It's nice to see you again Nain Joan."

"And you too Bish."

Nain Joan produced a bottle of whiskey from behind her

back and handed it to him. "Finn will be there by eight."

*