Friday 11 January 2019

The Weather Vane

Again, our dear Sugar Factory.

We have northerly winds today. I know that for two reasons.

The first is that you can smell the sugar factory, the rich, organic and earthy sweet smell of roasting / refining / whatever the hell it is they do sugar beet. It lies to the north of the town, on The Great North Road, a retro looking mass of belching pipes and chimneys, and when you can smell it, you know the wind is from degree zero.

The second is that as I sit at work, watching the twilight behind the dark clouds of smoke it emits as I plan my journey home, I use it as a weather vane. When the smoke blows to the left, it means it is indeed a northerly wind, usually a cold one although not today, and will not be into my face.

Every day in autumn and  winter I check it, until the campaign ends in March, when warmer weather means I fear the wind less.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 11.01.19



3 comments:

  1. Brings back memories Si. When I was a child there was a sugar beet factory at Bardney in Lincolnshire. It was about seven miles away but we could smell it and your post brings back that smell as though it was yesterday.

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  2. Thank you Pat! I'll never forget the smell either

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