ASPARAGUS and the Vale of Evesham have always been synonymous and local historian Michael J Barnard has been telling Gerry Barnett how the crop was harvested years ago and how during the Second World War sometimes the Home Guard put the war on hold while members cut the gras. He begins with a description of how twigs were split to keep the bundles separate...

THE splitting of twigs during a six-week asparagus season was a painful business. Breaking of the thumbnail was commonplace, only endured knowing that a swig of home-made cider was at hand to deaden the pain.

The bundle of twigs was kept moist by soaking them in a bath of water in the yard, the twigs having been cut from the withy trees alongside Badsey Brook, a lovely job in the early spring with the colourful twigs sprouting out of the parent tree growing from the sparkling waters of the brook.

Mr Barnard's sketch shows the twig-splitting operation, surrounded by many asparagus trophies, the inevitable 80-gallon barrel of home-made cider with its horn drinking mug. On the bench is a champion hundred awaiting two or three layers towards its final stages of being twigged up with all the buds being no less than 13 inches long.

The webbing strap draped over the bundle brings all the buds gently into line by the pressure of the foot on the old bucket handle tied to the two ends of the webbing beneath the table. The twigs are twisted while one end is pushed into the divisions of the four separate bundles. Finally, the butts of the gras are trimmed level and disposed of on the muck miskin outside, a muck heap that grew into a small mountain over an asparagus growing season.

"The scene in my sketch," Mr Barnard said, "was in my grandfather's barn in Badsey High Street, showing Fred Dore splitting the twigs with background help from his cousins Cis and Ethel, who always put the woman's touch to the actual tying and placing of the buds, ably assisted by their brothers Fred and Jack Barnard.

The British Legion Champion Bundle was truly a masterpiece, always realising well over £250 at auction every year towards the Legion funds. "My job," said Mr Barnard, "was to draw the many posters which were displayed at the local pubs encouraging growers to bring their champion buds for this wonderful social occasion, happily with plenty of cider on tap and plenty of wives to escort their husbands home afterwards."

Mr Barnard's Home Guard poster, fortunately, has survived the years, being drawn many years before Dads Army appeared on television. Major Syd Carter, CO of the local Battalion, is shown on parade with Lt. Arthur Wheatley saluting, Sgt. Major Jim Cole with mascot, Sgt. Fred Barnard, Privates Bill and George Aldis and Cpl. Crawford in June 1943.

Mr Barnard said: "Parades were arranged before or after gras cutting hours and gardening members of the battalion were even excused these parades if a hot day meant longer hours spent bending over the gras alleys. This was approved by official Battalion orders - asparagus cutting must always come first, the war just had to wait."