RECENT articles involving stooks, reapers and gatherers evokes memories of my childhood in North Lincolnshire in the 1940s.

Another ancient activity, even mentioned in the Bible, was gleaning.

Having sought permission of the farmer, we went into the recently-harvested fields collecting any remaining grain to add to food for our chickens.

Nowadays a combined harvester would leave too little to make gleaning worthwhile.

Mike Shucksmith Fordingbridge