SEPTEMBER was an important part of the calendar in Britain for many centuries.

September 24 marked the beginning of harvests and a rush to complete the work before neighbouring farms ahead of the closing ceremony which was called ‘Calling in the Mare.’

Farmers would craft a horse from one of the sheaves which would be hurried to any farmer who had yet to complete the undertaking as a reminder that soon the horses would be feasting on his crops.

Of course long gone are the days when farms shared such customs.

It is perhaps sad that the era of farm labourers and such a large agricultural community has made way for machines and, more often than not, just enough work for a farmer and his extended family members.

However with a growing population and supermarket shelves needing to be filled then it perhaps just as well.

September will of course be remembered for the tragic events on September 11, 2000 in New York which were marked last week.

Anyone old enough to remember watching the events unfold on television will ever forget it and it is fair to say the world we live in today is remarkably different from the one which existed before that fateful day.

We are fortunate to live in such a peaceful part of the world where such tragedies are thankfully a world away but as humans we are all connected through empathy and shared grief.