NEW GATES PLEASE.

Yes, I know, after two weeks of Wimbledon and our man Murray losing to Federer in the men's Singles Final, I've still got a bit of Wimbledon-itis. Curable until next year! That call of "New balls please." is still amusing even after all these years, in men's tennis at least.

Part of the cure of course is to start paying attention to things closer to home, like gates.

Now I always loved this rather rickety old gate up by the sheep pens. It has character, but ... it was getting to the point of being too elderly to be a barrier against sheep who didn't want to remain penned in, waiting for dosing or shearing, so it was really overdue replacement. I took this photo almost a year ago to the day, just before the big gather of the sheep off the commons. It is right by the cattle grid (not that we have cattle on the commons, only sheep & a few horses). That and it's rather rusty partner, used for human access between road and the commons, between them they formed a small and for me an intriguing corner.

To my surprise the other day, a large red tractor and trailer were parked beside it and one of the farmers was replacing the old wooden gate. And when I say old, I mean it. His father put those wooden posts in 26 years ago! Now that's what you call well seasoned wood ... even before it became part of a fence. One post was still fairly solid. But, with larger vehicles used in farming, one needs wider gates to allow access and they are no longer wooden. Modern gates make this old one seem more like a penning hurdle ... 

It all looks rather too shiny >>> and new. Rust and shine alongside each other. Somehow, I don't think the new main post will last 26 years. Talk amongst the farmers in the pub on Sunday, indicated that even the modern process of tanalising (despite being environmentally friendly) is just not as robust as the old ways of seasoning wood, which took patience and years of waiting. 

One wonders how few years will pass until this shiny new gate looks rusted and old-ish!

Will any of these modern barriers to humans and animals last as long as the old wooden ones? In 26 years time, what will their replacements be like, with what new technology?

You wouldn't think that something as simple as a gate could raise such ponderings in the mind. I personally love, the old and worn, but maybe one day someone else will stand here, take photo's with some mega digital camera and feel sentimental about the past.