Fading graffiti showing the remains of the lightning flash insignia of the British Union of Fascists daubed on the walls of farm buildings in North Norfolk, UK.

The first in Stiffkey displays the emblem of the movement, and the second in Aylsham reads Stand By The King, probably referring to the abdication crisis of 1936 .

Whoever made the marks, some 20 miles apart did so in bitumen, and intentionally or otherwise ensured they would survive the battering the wind coming off the North Sea gives to brick buildings in the county for the best part of a century.

The British Union of Fascists enjoyed some popularity as an insurgent political party in rural East Anglia during the 1930s as it opposed a forgotten, but despised tax known as Queen Anne’s Bounty, an 18th Century law laid upon a farmer's harvest by the Church of England, in addition to any taxes the farm might have to pay to the state. Not surprisingly, this tithe-tax was very unpopular especially in the 1930s when the effects of a long economic depression had made agriculture a difficult business and the impact of the combustion engine on commercial agriculture had reduced the requirement for labour, leading to unemployment and with it a disaffection for mainstream politics. A contemporary rhyme captured the feeling -

We’ve cheated the parson

We’ll cheat him again

For why should a blockhead

 Have one in ten 

 For prating so long like a book-learned sot 

 Till pudding and pumpling burn to pot? 

As times got harder and more farmers refused to pay the tithe the church commissioners began send bailiffs to enforce the debt, removing livestock or farm machinery. BUF members, the Blackshirts led by Oswald Mosley decided this offended against natural justice and formed squads that could be called up to defend, by force if necessary, the farmer’s property. These events became known as the Tithe Wars, the most famous of which was The Siege of Wortham Manor, when the Blackshirts and farm workers held off the church bailiffs for 19 days at Doreen Wallace’s farm in Suffolk. 

For some years before World War 2 and the BUF's alliance with Germany, Mosley was a popular figure on the British political scene, admired by mainstream figures like Aneurin Bevan for his progressive policies towards equality and welfare which included the ending of the common practise of allowing employers to sack women in their employ when they got married. 

 The above images have been retouched for clarity, the ones below are as the graffiti appears today.  

A mural of the Blessed Virgin cradling a bottle of beer on the rooftops of Boston, Lincolnshire. The image appeared overnight, shortly after a vodka still situated on the edge of town exploded killing five Lithuanian men.

The men were named as Vaidas Krupenkinas (39), Laimutis Simkus (32), Ovidijus Mejeris (26), Ricardas Gecas (24), and Erlandas Duzinskas (18). 

The inquest determined the likely cause was a cigarette igniting flammable vapours, with accidental death recorded as the verdict.  

It is speculated that the mural reflects on how much of the the migrant worker demographic of the town depends on alcohol to ameliorate the conditions in which they find themselves.

Dr Victoria Bateman, academic and economist presenting her thesis called Brexit Leaves Britain Naked, in which she expands on why the UK leaving the EU is an error. Whilst speaking, Dr Bateman removes her clothes and invites the audience to sign her body in a gesture of support.

Navenby, a village of around 2300 people. Despite its size, it boasts, at the time of writing, a butcher, a baker, two supermarkets, a chemist, a florist, an antique shop, and two pubs.

Originally a trading post along Ermine Street, the Roman road between London and York, Navenby’s strategic location fostered early connectivity in England, a legacy that persists in its modern role as a commuter hub for Lincoln and Grantham. While nearby villages are declining Navenby high street buzzes with independent commerce, shrugging off the dormitory town blight that has afflicted its neighbours.

St Peter’s Church Primary School, and its adherence to the Christian message contribute to the success of the village as a cohesive community along with more secular establishments such as the Lion & Royal pub, notable for it being the location of distinguished RAF pilot Guy Gibson’s wedding night.

Zydrunas & Vilma, butchers from Lithuania receive their first consignment of slaughtered pigs at their newly opened shop in King's Lynn, Norfolk.

Butchery in Lithuania and Eastern Europe, like in the UK is shaped by a combination of historical, cultural, political, and economic factors. Traditionally, pork dominated the Lithuanian diet, stemming from the suitability of pigs resilience to cold winters and their ability to thrive on pannage – rummaging for food in the vast forests of that continent.

During the era of Soviet domination when scarcity was deliberately engineered, Lithuanians became experts in that the Waitrose classes discovered only a few years ago – nose to tail eating; maximizing the use of the animal.

ZP & VP Butchers cater to the local Lithuanian population with dishes such as Pusgalvos, a half-head of pig in gelatinous broth, and Nugarinė su Oda, pork loin, with its fat layer and skin left intact.

For older Lithuanians in the UK, the best pig-meat is still home-slaughtered, knife-exsanguinated, and scalded in hot water to remove hair. Such practises are outlawed by the EU but some meat still sneaks through in small quantities, usually for celebrations such as birthdays & Christmas.

Honesty boxes are common in the countryside and in particular in the Fens. Indicative of a cohesive community they facilitate small-scale, trust based transactions for locally produced goods in a way which would be impossible in urban areas.

The honesty box is a throwback to pre-capitalist society. They eliminate the intervention of an intermediary between the producer and the consumer, echoing the direct exchange method of earlier economic systems.

In pre-capitalist communities, such as feudal villages trade often occurred without middlemen; producers bartered or sold goods directly to neighbours within tight-knit, localised networks where social relationships were deeply embedded within familial and blood ties.

Governments, of course dislike economic systems without intermediaries because the lack of paperwork or data trail limits their revenue raising opportunities.

Palm Sunday service, St Michael's Church, Swaton, Lincolnshire, recalling Christ's entry into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey.

"Your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey,"

Early morning shift change at Superflora on Washway Road, Fleet Hargate, Lincolnshire. The company which supplies flowers in bulk to supermarkets and wholesalers around the UK is a major employer in the area and part of the Dutch Flower Group, a significant player in the global floriculture industry.

The Dutch played a foundational role in shaping the flower trade in South Lincolnshire, particularly through their expertise in land reclamation, which over several hundred years brought employment and skills to the local economy.

In the 17th century, engineer Cornelius Vermuyden led drainage projects in the Fens, transforming the marshy expanse into fertile land with silt soils. This reclamation, continued by Philibert Vernatti, created the conditions for agriculture, including flower growing, by providing well-drained, nutrient-rich ground ideal for bulbs like tulips.

The Dutch model of fenland management didn’t just alter the landscape,it brought a mindset of precision agriculture to Britain. By the late 19th century, their influence deepened as farmers across the country looked to the Netherlands thriving bulb trade for inspiration.

The introduction of the Darwin Tulip around 1890, a Dutch-bred variety prized as a cut flower, spurred experimentation with forcing bulbs under glass—a technique borrowed from Holland's growers. The Fens eventually emerged as a rival to Holland, with production peaking in the early 20th century, when over a third of Britain’s bulbs came from the area.

                                                                   Spudflation

In 2023, the UK experienced a notably difficult year for potato production. A summer drought followed by heavy autumn rain resulted in one of the lowest potato harvests on record. The poor weather was compounded by rising energy costs caused by the Russia-Ukraine war and labour shortages at home after the threat of compulsory vaccinations following the Covid 19 Pandemic saw an exodus of migrant workers from the UK.

Some farmers reduced or abandoned potato planting altogether in favour of more lucrative crops such as oilseed rape. The situation worsened in 2024, with the wettest 18-month period since 1836 (October 2022 to March 2024) causing significant delays in planting and harvesting. Waterlogged fields prevented machinery from operating effectively, and some crops were left to rot. The National Farmers' Union and potato growers like Albert Bartlett warned of "spudflation"rising costs due to limited supply, with prices exceeding £1 per kilo at times, a 30-year high. 

The 2024 harvest came in at around 4.14 million tonnes, one of the smallest in recent history, further strained by a reduced planting area ,down 10-15% from 2022. The National Federation of Fish Friers noted that 2023 and 2024 were among the most expensive potato years since 1976 , with forecasts for spring 2025 suggesting chip shop prices could reach £20 per 25kg bag of potatoes, up from £15-£17 pre-drought.

In the Fens, a slow and relentless transformation is unfolding, one that stretches far beyond the soil itself. The agrarian farmers, once the heartbeat of the flat, fertile land, are dwindling. As they pass away their modest plots are increasingly amalgamated into the vast, faceless holdings of large agricorps.

Each death marks not only the loss of a steward of the land but the quiet unraveling of a rich cultural tapestry that has defined the region for half a millennia.

When the late Jessie Watson of Littleport, Cambridgeshire purchased a Tullos threshing machine in 1946 he transported it by train from Aberdeen to the Fens – a distance of 490 mles. Then it was a symbol of modern engineering ingenuity, requiring three workers to operate it and another to tow it by tractor. Today, its tasks are managed by a solitary operator, an illustration of how technology has streamlined labour while stripping away the human bonds it once fostered. Of course, farm work is hard work and should not be romanticised but working together is much more enjoyable than working alone as this retired labourer testifies.

The Labour government’s new plan to impose inheritance tax on farm sales is poised to accelerate this erosion, piling financial strain onto families. For generations, farmers like Watson handed down not just land but a legacy and a rhythm of life tied to the seasons.

The tax makes succession untenable, forcing heirs to sell not to neighbours who might honour those traditions, but to agricorps that see the soil as little more than a balance sheet.

As these corporate entities sweep in, the patchwork of fields that once bore the imprint of individual hands is giving way to a sterile uniformity, erasing the dialects, folklore, and a culture that thrived in the shadow of the hedgerows.

For further reading see Justin Partyka's photographs of the agrarian farmers of East Anglia.

Belt & braces for farmers this time of year as they employ both the old gods & new technologies in the hope of a bountiful year – and you're moaning about having to get up an hour earlier!

In pagan societies, early farmers relied on rituals and offerings to deities like Demeter or Ceres to ensure fertile soil and bountiful harvests, or in this case Jen, the local Barley Queen.

These acts, sowing seeds with prayers or blessing fields during seasonal festivals reflected a deep connection to nature’s cycles and a belief in supernatural influence over agriculture. With the spread of Christianity, these pagan traditions were adapted. Field blessings became tied to Christian rites, such as Rogation Days, where clergy and farmers prayed for divine protection against pests, drought, or floods. Saints like St. Isidore, patron of farmers, replaced earlier gods, but the intent, securing good harvests, remained unchanged. These blessings persisted into the medieval era, blending faith with practical land management.

The Industrial Revolution marked a turning point, introducing mechanised ploughs, fertilisers, and irrigation, shifting reliance from prayer to science. Today, cutting-edge technology drones, precision agriculture, and genetically modified crops maximises yields with data-driven efficiency. Daylight Saving Time (DST) complements this, extending daylight hours for farmers to work fields or manage livestock, especially during Spring planting and Autumn harvests.

While its usefulness is debated by the public at large, DST still aligns with modern farming’s need for flexibility. From pagan chants to satellite-guided tractors, husbandry’s journey reflects humanity’s relentless quest to master the land.

Women’s Institute members making tea at Isleham Gala, Cambridgeshire.

Looking for accommodation and opportunities in the window of the Russian shop, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.

On the fruities at the Bus Station Cafe, King's Lynn, Norfolk.

Agostinho from Portugal waits by the Britannia Cafe for the agency minibus to take him to work. A 'limb' worker in Wisbech, he has no contract of employment and is often employed on a daily basis for cash.

"The man who wrote Thomas The Tank Engine was from around here".

 Emneth, Norfolk.

A demonstration against the prorogation of Parliament and a no deal Brexit meets opposition in King's Lynn, Norfolk.

In defiance of the clear and unequivocal instruction by the British electorate to leave the European Union in the 2016 Referendum, opponents, many with undeclared interests in maintaining the federal relationship sought to overturn the democratic will of the country and reverse the decision. Despite the efforts of then Prime Minister Boris Johnson to avoid a no deal Brexit many obstacles were put in his way. As such, with the October 31st deadline for leaving looming, on September 10th 2019 he prorogued Parliament effectively cancelling the sitting of the House and further discussion on the issue. This led to demonstrations across the nation and was subsequently declared unlawful. As a result, Parliament resumed sitting on September 25, 2019. 

Britain eventually left the EU on 31st January 2020 at 11am.

Celery cutting gang, Ely, Cambridgeshire.

The Cross of St George painted on a the door of a home at 11 Falcon Road,Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, the day before the Brexit Referendum in 2016.

Exodus 12:23 "And when He seeth the blood upon the lintel and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you."