Farmlife Framed: Pool parties, harvest and sunsets

Welcome to Farmers Weekly’s photo series – Farmlife Framed. We’re incredibly lucky to be sent a shedload of photographs by our fantastic readers, keen to share a snapshot of their lives.

From the scenic and the serious, to the fun and the funny, your pictures are a great insight into agriculture and rural living across the UK.

See also: Documentary aims to break silence on gay people in farming

Farmers have been battling to keep cool as temperatures soared and crops turned golden, prompting harvest to start a few weeks earlier than expected. 

© JB Photography

James Bagley of JB Photography took this photo of the barley harvest under way at Ragley Home Farms in Warwickshire. Spot the fire engine in the distance – a small fire had broken out in the super-dry crop during combining.

Marc McPhee took this photo of harvest in Northamptonshire, cutting Cassia winter barley at 12.5% moisture. Get it in the shed! 

Keeping cool, farmer style. These guys made a pool out of hay bales in Dorset. Edward Sealey sent this one to us.

To cool down, Harry Porter held a pool party for his mates at his farm in Mark, Somerset. This awesome swimming pool is made out of silage bales.

It’s not just the farmers who are trying to stay cool in the summer heat. Tom Beeby sent this great snap in.

Nice day for silaging picnic. Here’s 14-month-old Lexi McMullan with her busy dad, David, in Armoy, Northern Ireland. Mum Lynsey took this photo.

Best birthday cake ever? Seven-year-old Archie from Gloucestershire certainly thinks so. Mum Grace Watkins made this quality Case Quadtrac.

Not a bad view from Tom Garlick’s office. He took this sunset snap while spraying pheasant cover maize on the Preshaw Estate in Hampshire.

Spot the farmers on their summer camping trip. Matthew Tymkiv shared this one with us.

Morning walkies with Jet the labrador cross flat-coated retriever puppy provided the perfect picture for Tom Jeffries.

Is this the first sign of an intelligent sheep? Alison O’Neill thought so and took this photo. Spot the less clever ewe in the background getting soaked.

Huge congratulations to Fiona and Matt Reynolds on tying the knot. Looks like they had a Claas wedding day. James Hicks took this one of the happy couple.

When you’re on a hen do and the bride brings her FW instead of a glossy wedding magazine. Christina Rose Molyneux shared this snap with us.