Stockton, N.E. Coast was very wet now dry though windy, a clear sunny spell working its way from north and will stop around ten miles above us so hard luck GWRS it will not get to you.
Grandchildren tell me it is soon School holiday??? What? we did not have school holidays, it was Haymaking, then Reaping gathering stooking stacking and Threshing, then in October two weeks Potato picking. We went to school on the bus as usual then on to another bus into the countryside and dropped off at farms. Every local not on war work would be in the fields for the back breaking work of filling wire creels with potato's turned up by the spindle of the Scuffler. We got a short break in the field the Farmers wife bringing urns of tea and fresh biscuits made that morning then a lunch break usually in the Barn, Sandwiches home made bread followed by cake, sometimes hot soup as those winters were some of the coldest known. It was quite a social event although we worked hard for our Five shillings a week and there by hangs a tale. One of the village girls called me over, sit with me sonny I will put my coat over our knees and keep warm. I almost spilled my soup when I realised her hands were doing things they should not be and I flew up in the air to raucous laughter, with a face that took all afternoon to regain its normal colour and many jocular remarks from the village women I was happy to get back on the bus home. Modern Children cannot even imagine what we took for granted, it was certainly character building gave us a work ethic and prepared us for going out into a rough world, we may have had the best upbringing though often a weird learning curve.
Born in 1948 to a farm worker I can remember being in the fields doing all these things with my Mum right up to when I left school and became a farm worker myself. I can honestly say that none of this hurt me and I am convinced I enjoyed life more than kids of today do. It was certainly this background that taught me how to grow things and give me a hobby for my old age
Argyranthemum, Those were the days Uncle Arthur and Aunt Mabel started with a hill sheep farm at Goathland, then they had a Dairy farm about two fields from where I live now and moved to a large general farm so I saw it all. We had a smallholding I grew up with animals and their welfare and often stayed with Aunt Mabel where you were expected to work. The big AGA would be damped down around nine and the porridge pot put on for the overnight slow cook. We would be up at four and I would bring the Cows down for milking, it was hand milking with some of the Farm hands wives helping, through the cooler and filters then into the churns, I would then after a good old slurp of still warm milk walk the cows to a new field.
There were three one up one down cottages on the farm and it amazed me how many people lived in them. When the early morning jobs were done we all sat in the big kitchen and had breakfast, always porridge then Bacon, (I never remember not having bacon for breakfast, the experts said it was bad for us, I am still here where are they) then off to the general work.
A wonderful healthy life as everything was outside apart from Sunday, the animals first then Church Sunday roast and the front room fire would be lit and the piano dusted off, I played or my Cousin we all sang then it was evening milking early tea and bed ready for another week. I forgot Turnip Snagging in the first list,
GWRS. Grasp the turnip by the top leafy growth, tug it from the ground then swing your heavy flat bladed knife slicing off the thin sliver of base complete with roots and soil then toss it in the Rulley. It was not the best job in the world and we are not talking a couple for the kitchen we are talking a load from a field of them. It was a time when about all that was bought in for animal food was Linseed cake which was actually pellets you added to winter feed when animals had to be kept indoors. We had sweet hay chopped straw some Silage Turnips Swedes and Beets plus brans oats and if there was plenty corn. The Rulley was a two wheeled cart that tipped so we could fill the cart and tip it in the barn. I would then put the swedes in the mangle that chopped it up it was mixed with other things and fed to the animals. Sometimes we would let the sheep into the turnip field and they would eat the tops. Grass does not grow in winter but we would let the cows out during daylight then feed them extra when we got them in.
I always took some ripe Turnips into the kitchen as we all love potato turnip mash which was usually mashed with our home made butter salt and pepper I could have lived on it. A different world GW and i am glad I saw it.
Posts
BL hope you recover quickly
Nice day weather wise , spent day at allotment
Did have a 5 of minute rain ☔️
Lincoln
Thank you.
Looks a lovely day here, blue sky and sunshine.
Very windy , rain forecast for later on - Lincoln
Stockton, N.E. Coast was very wet now dry though windy, a clear sunny spell working its way from north and will stop around ten miles above us so hard luck GWRS it will not get to you.
Grandchildren tell me it is soon School holiday??? What? we did not have school holidays, it was Haymaking, then Reaping gathering stooking stacking and Threshing, then in October two weeks Potato picking. We went to school on the bus as usual then on to another bus into the countryside and dropped off at farms. Every local not on war work would be in the fields for the back breaking work of filling wire creels with potato's turned up by the spindle of the Scuffler. We got a short break in the field the Farmers wife bringing urns of tea and fresh biscuits made that morning then a lunch break usually in the Barn, Sandwiches home made bread followed by cake, sometimes hot soup as those winters were some of the coldest known. It was quite a social event although we worked hard for our Five shillings a week and there by hangs a tale. One of the village girls called me over, sit with me sonny I will put my coat over our knees and keep warm. I almost spilled my soup when I realised her hands were doing things they should not be and I flew up in the air to raucous laughter, with a face that took all afternoon to regain its normal colour and many jocular remarks from the village women I was happy to get back on the bus home. Modern Children cannot even imagine what we took for granted, it was certainly character building gave us a work ethic and prepared us for going out into a rough world, we may have had the best upbringing though often a weird learning curve.
Frank.
Frank , happy memories
Born in 1948 to a farm worker I can remember being in the fields doing all these things with my Mum right up to when I left school and became a farm worker myself. I can honestly say that none of this hurt me and I am convinced I enjoyed life more than kids of today do. It was certainly this background that taught me how to grow things and give me a hobby for my old age
Last edited: 11 October 2017 10:57:27
Argyranthemum, Those were the days Uncle Arthur and Aunt Mabel started with a hill sheep farm at Goathland, then they had a Dairy farm about two fields from where I live now and moved to a large general farm so I saw it all. We had a smallholding I grew up with animals and their welfare and often stayed with Aunt Mabel where you were expected to work. The big AGA would be damped down around nine and the porridge pot put on for the overnight slow cook. We would be up at four and I would bring the Cows down for milking, it was hand milking with some of the Farm hands wives helping, through the cooler and filters then into the churns, I would then after a good old slurp of still warm milk walk the cows to a new field.
There were three one up one down cottages on the farm and it amazed me how many people lived in them. When the early morning jobs were done we all sat in the big kitchen and had breakfast, always porridge then Bacon, (I never remember not having bacon for breakfast, the experts said it was bad for us, I am still here where are they) then off to the general work.
A wonderful healthy life as everything was outside apart from Sunday, the animals first then Church Sunday roast and the front room fire would be lit and the piano dusted off, I played or my Cousin we all sang then it was evening milking early tea and bed ready for another week. I forgot Turnip Snagging in the first list,
Frank.
Frank , what’s Turnip Snagging ?
GWRS. Grasp the turnip by the top leafy growth, tug it from the ground then swing your heavy flat bladed knife slicing off the thin sliver of base complete with roots and soil then toss it in the Rulley. It was not the best job in the world and we are not talking a couple for the kitchen we are talking a load from a field of them. It was a time when about all that was bought in for animal food was Linseed cake which was actually pellets you added to winter feed when animals had to be kept indoors. We had sweet hay chopped straw some Silage Turnips Swedes and Beets plus brans oats and if there was plenty corn. The Rulley was a two wheeled cart that tipped so we could fill the cart and tip it in the barn. I would then put the swedes in the mangle that chopped it up it was mixed with other things and fed to the animals. Sometimes we would let the sheep into the turnip field and they would eat the tops. Grass does not grow in winter but we would let the cows out during daylight then feed them extra when we got them in.
I always took some ripe Turnips into the kitchen as we all love potato turnip mash which was usually mashed with our home made butter salt and pepper I could have lived on it. A different world GW and i am glad I saw it.
Frank.
Frank , thanks for the information , very interesting
I grew up in Birmingham , although we had a big garden , as far as you could see even with binoculars you could see houses and factories