Your great-grandfather’s tale is very interesting. Have you any thoughts regarding publishing your mum’s memoirs as a book? My father’s side were all Wiltshire farmers and there were always old farm implements around the farms, used when my dad was a boy. He explained what they were used for. Uncle used two shire horses to pull the plough and carts right up until the late 50’s. The farrier used to visit and make any necessary repairs on the spot. My great uncle still milked his cows by hand even though his son had bought expensive milking equipment. Uncle said his cows didn’t like it. I loved getting the cows in.
In a way, the painting of wagons continues: I visited a truck show with my son and saw many beautifully painted units all gleaming paint and chrome, modern, yes, but the same pride was there. A few older hauliers still use the old fashioned lettering and detailing in green and yellow paint.
Oh it’s lovely to hear of your own farming family and memories Tracy. Thank you! I suspect that most of us have farming buried not that deeply in our ancestry. So many later turned away from the land either by choice or necessity, as fewer hands were needed. I can completely believe that cows would rather be milked by hand than machine, too! Interesting to hear that the old lining and lettering skills have not completely died out.
It’s a possibility to publish my mum’s memoir more widely in the future, but if that doesn’t happen at least there are a good handful of copies scattered around the family so someone someday may well find it and feel it’s of interest especially with its first hand account of Fenland ways. I would say it’s not all equally interesting to a general readership as she then covers her time at Leicester University just after the Second World War (admittedly with guest appearances by David Attenborough whose family lived on campus!) but I definitely plan to include some more snippets about cures, superstitions, household routines and so on.
Thank you for this rich exploration of traditions of the Lusty Month of May and what is blooming n in the Norfolk landscape. And that Iceni-inspired encampment sounds truly magical!
Your great-grandfather’s tale is very interesting. Have you any thoughts regarding publishing your mum’s memoirs as a book? My father’s side were all Wiltshire farmers and there were always old farm implements around the farms, used when my dad was a boy. He explained what they were used for. Uncle used two shire horses to pull the plough and carts right up until the late 50’s. The farrier used to visit and make any necessary repairs on the spot. My great uncle still milked his cows by hand even though his son had bought expensive milking equipment. Uncle said his cows didn’t like it. I loved getting the cows in.
In a way, the painting of wagons continues: I visited a truck show with my son and saw many beautifully painted units all gleaming paint and chrome, modern, yes, but the same pride was there. A few older hauliers still use the old fashioned lettering and detailing in green and yellow paint.
Oh it’s lovely to hear of your own farming family and memories Tracy. Thank you! I suspect that most of us have farming buried not that deeply in our ancestry. So many later turned away from the land either by choice or necessity, as fewer hands were needed. I can completely believe that cows would rather be milked by hand than machine, too! Interesting to hear that the old lining and lettering skills have not completely died out.
It’s a possibility to publish my mum’s memoir more widely in the future, but if that doesn’t happen at least there are a good handful of copies scattered around the family so someone someday may well find it and feel it’s of interest especially with its first hand account of Fenland ways. I would say it’s not all equally interesting to a general readership as she then covers her time at Leicester University just after the Second World War (admittedly with guest appearances by David Attenborough whose family lived on campus!) but I definitely plan to include some more snippets about cures, superstitions, household routines and so on.
Thank you for this rich exploration of traditions of the Lusty Month of May and what is blooming n in the Norfolk landscape. And that Iceni-inspired encampment sounds truly magical!