Mr Albert Planter – Farmer

 

Mr Albert Planter has farmed the land around the village for as long as anyone can remember, and possibly longer than that. He is a man of few words, most of which are delivered in a low mumble that usually translates to “busy” or “no time for nonsense.”

He travels everywhere on his tractor. Everywhere; the post office, the village green, the supermarket in the next town. Parking disputes have arisen, though Mr Planter remains unaware of them.

His daughter, Sharon, works at the teashop in Mrs Nugget’s Village Hall and makes frequent, determined attempts to involve her father in community life. These are met with polite resistance and the occasional sigh. Mr Planter does attend events when cornered, but only briefly, and usually while checking his watch.

He once tried a village drawing class. Asked to draw something he knew and loved, he chose his tractor. There was a misunderstanding. Mr Planter left the room, tied a rope to said tractor, and began pulling with considerable effort. 

Currently, Mr Planter is said to be repairing a gate. He has been repairing this gate for three days. Sharon says it’s “coming along nicely.” Mr Planter, when asked, nods and continues working. There was no dramatic snap or collapse. It simply reached a point where it could no longer pretend to be a gate.