People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2 (VA 5/3/1)
Channel: EssexRecordOffice
Date: 2018-07-12

Recorded in 1989 and 1990 this amateur video is a compilation of interviews and reminiscences of people who lived in villages on the border between Essex and Suffolk.

The video includes details of the archaeological excavation of a Roman settlement at Hill Farm, Gestingthorpe, and cattle farming at Buntings Farm, Pentlow. 

[0:00:00] Recorded 23 November 1989: Fred Ruse and Phyllis Ruse of Long Melford [Suffolk]: early memories; family butchery business; difficulties caused by rationing during World War II; management of the business; changes such as decimalisation; price of meat; delivery of ice by bicycle to Kentwell Hall in Long Melford; photograph of their children and grandchildren.

[0:13:10] Recorded 2 January 1989: Alf Finch and Margaret Finch of Red House, Borley Green: village school at Borley; getting in to trouble at school; agricultural work; Saturday nights would walk in to Sudbury [Suffolk] to visit the Plough Inn and do shopping; Football team; Working Men's Club; Mrs Finch ran village Post Office; ghost at Borley Rectory; work as servant at Rectory; Home Guard during World War II; church choir.

[0:48:55] Recorded 5 February 1990: Frederick William Pawsey D.F.C. (Distinguished Flying Cross) of Cavendish [Suffolk]: description of village of Alpheton [Suffolk] between the wars; apprenticeship at RAF Holton [Suffolk]; joined RAF; sent to USA under the 'Arnold Scheme' to learn to fly; RAF career during World War II in North Africa and Italy; British support for partisans in Yugoslavia - sent on mission to teach Yugoslavs how to work with air support in battle; awarded (D.F.C.).

House in Alpheton with no mains water, gas, electricity; teacher at Hedingham School for over 30 years; Magistrate; Chairman of Governors of village school in Cavendish; Suffolk dialect; childhood pursuits - walking, bird nesting, sliding on ice, collecting kindling wood; wash day; modern conveniences; bus service; commuters.

[1:26:00] Recorded 22 March 1990: Doug Mullock of Cavendish [Suffolk]: served with RAF during World War II; market gardening and mushroom growing; landlord of The Bull pub in Cavendish; pub life; divorce; Cavendish characters; work in plastics factories in Sudbury [Suffolk] and Haverhill [Suffolk].

[1:38:45] Recorded 9 April 1990: Harold Cooper of Hill Farm, Gestingthorpe: took flying lessons before World War II with intention of joining RAF; attempted to build a plane; call-up deferred because he was a farmer; agriculture during WWII; mechanisation; purchased Fowe's Farm, Belchamp Otten which had not been farmed for 25 years; moved to Hill Farm, Gestingthorpe; Roman remains found - extensive excavations, most artefacts now in British Museum, report published by Ministry of the Environment [East Anglian Archaeology, number 25], complete roofing tile, history of the Roman settlement, site scheduled as ancient monument, position of Roman roads, tile used in heating system showing early Christian fish symbol, iron axe, plough shear, Roman plough, mill stone, attempt to grow Roman wheat variety, views of the site of the settlement.

[2:19:20] Recorded 2 July 1990: Peter Brand: Foxhole Herd of pedigree Holstein Friesian cattle at Buntings Farm, Pentlow: cattle in field; going in for milking; origins of the herd; CCTV monitor in Herdman's house; feeding; feed - silage and brewer's grain; farm buildings; information on embryo transplants; cattle being fattened for sale; cubicles; automatic slurry scraper; out-of-parlour computer controlled feeder; slurry separator; dirty water and slurry lagoon; silage; calves; office; selection of Holstein bulls; milking parlour; milking of cows; Head Herdsman; views of Stour Valley; irrigator; driver of milk lorry taking samples and collecting milk.

[2:59:50] Recorded 15 October 1990: Charles Gooch of Glemsford [Suffolk]: early memories; school; manager of grocery shop; landlord of The Crown pub in Glemsford from 1953; pub life; cribbage league; darts team; outings to the seaside; raffle in aid of OAPs [old age pensioners].

[2:57:40] End

Read more about the recording on Essex Archives Online:
https://www.essexarchivesonline.co.uk/result_details.aspx?ThisRecordsOffSet=1&id=565730

Used with kind permission from Mr G Hastie.

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