Being from a farming background I was brought up with a strong work ethic, livestock still needs attending to on Christmas Day the same as any other day! This certainly had disadvantages at school when after feeding the pigs before I went to school my aroma was not very popular with either teachers or fellow pupils, I was the only kid in this school from a farming background.
On the plus side I had lots of school friends who used to come to my house to see the animals and poultry. To those not familiar with livestock, particularly geese and cockerels, they can be very territorial. We had one gander that was absolutely vicious and attacked any child that went anywhere near his female geese. My mum had a phone call from the irate mother of a little girl who was attacked and pecked by this rogue goose! Speaking of rogue animals, we had a pet rabbit that thought it was a guard dog. Its last act of viciousness was it bit my mum on her leg when she was hanging out the washing. It made a lovely rabbit pie – this may sound harsh but was the reality of farming.
In the summer time we were very busy harvesting and all my school mates used to come and help, they were such happy times when the sun always used to shine – or so it seemed. I had a wonderful childhood, my poor mum never knew when I would come home or what injured bird or animal I would bring with me, along with my five brothers and one sister we wandered the fields and woods from dawn until dusk much to my fathers annoyance when there was work to be done. Somehow we managed to get everything done before bed time.
Being one of seven children money was always in short supply and I would do anything to earn a few shillings. I did not get pocket money so had to earn it for myself. At about age 10 or 11 I was strong enough to earn a shilling an hour potato picking or threshing at local farms. I also supplemented this by selling conkers to school friends at a penny a dozen! I also have to admit to what today is a serious crime – 60 or 70 years ago, wild newts were very common, also sticklebacks. I would collect and sell them for sixpence each. Please forgive me for these past sins, at the time it didn’t seem I was doing anything wrong. I of course regret those actions, that’s how it was in those days when money was short you earned it how you could. As I got older and stronger each year my pay from the farmers got higher and by the time I was fourteen I earned a half crown an hour. The problem was the farmers used to give my money to my father and I was lucky to see anything of it. Looking back I can understand with so many mouths to feed my needs came second and I can say I never went hungry.
I never had new clothes though, only hand me downs from my brothers. That’s probably why to this day I am usually scruffy preferring work clothes to anything else. Farming 60 years ago was much more labour intensive. The corn would be cut with a binding machine and left in stooks in the field to dry before being brought into the farmyard and cut into stacks which would then go into a thrashing machine. This was very community based and each local farmer would help their neighbours. Now all this work is done by one machine, namely a combine harvester.
On the antiques front the shop is very quiet just now but we are still laying out for new stock. Of particularly high value at the moment is gold jewellery, the price is at a nearly 20 year high. Broken chains, odd earrings, rings without stones or simply gold not of any sentimental value is extremely valuable including gold and silver coins. Please bring them to the shop where I can weigh it and give good prices.
Thank you,
David.
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