[Laura]

almost on the subject of...
...we tried to buy a scythe - just a normal hand held/swung one back at the start of may, when the plot was out of hand...you would not believe the the looks we got in B & Q!!!  
ian being the intelligent one, said that you probably couldn't get one in this day and age (due to health, safety and police blade amnesties) but me being the agricultural innocent reckoned we could probably get one anywhere, even Wilkinsons!  we did a vague trail around several shops.  eventually i did admit defeat when i asked a very helpful assistant boy where i might be able to buy a scythe...and he suggested the 1920's!

(we used a cordless hedge trimmer in the end to clear the big weeds - it worked a treat)

[Gwiz]

being kind of "in the trade" i know i could get one i wonder how much it would cost to post it? it would make an interestingly shaped parcel!

[noshed]

My mattock arrived just with a bit of cardboard around the blade with a stamp on it. The postman was very impressed - he was pretending to be the grim reaper all the way up the High Road. The postage was £5.

[muntjac]

if you want to see a picture of an allen scythe there is one on my site with a link to an even earlier model