I have just been down to see the owners of a horse-breeding establishment down the lane. They tell me that there are new EU rules governing muck heaps which may affect gardeners. At the risk of being contentious, do overpaid, shiny-backsided Eurocrats have nothing better to do with their time?
It seems that "private" muck heaps are now illegal, although what defines a muck heap as "private" does not seem to be specified. "Commercial" muck heaps must now be cleared every year, so good, old and well-rotted manure may be a thing of the past. They are going to show me the paperwork in a day or two, when they have fully digested the import of it themselves.
Meanwhile, in a world which would be quite happily divorced from Euro-Utopia, the owners have cleared the main part of their heap, leaving quite a lot of rich, black, straw-free compost dating back to the 1980s and before in inaccessible corners. I am on my way to glean as many barrow-loads as possible before they have to clear that away, too.