Wood Park FarmAnother session with John and Sue Collins and Mary Willis. We met at the Tithe Barn in Polesworth with volunteer, Les Holmes, and tried out some group interviewing with a few different microphones. John, Sue and Mary generated some wonderful conversation about the realities of farm life with all its highs and lows, which I recorded on video.
A few weeks earlier, I copied this photo of John's Aunt Nora at Wood Park Farm, Polesworth. She's wearing a Tamworth High School uniform.
Hill Farm, ShuttingtonBack with Bill and Mary Willis in Warton this week, this time with Geoff Frisby. If my notes are correct, Geoff and Mary's father, Sidney, farmed at Hill Farm, Shuttington. The farmhouse is pictured here, before demolition to make way for opencast working. So much has changed.
Mary spent some time on the phone telling people about the My Farming Life project, and hopefully encouraging them to tell their farming story for the record.
This week I had a meeting with John Wilson, Archivist at RASE, based in the Arthur Rank building at Stoneleigh. I met John and student Librarian, Heather, in the cloistered environment of the library
From www.windowsonwarwickshire. Farm life as depicted for children in the 1950s.. Central to the room is a grand table with imposing chairs like something out of Hogwarts (apologies to those who have not read Harry Potter).
This week I recorded the interview with Mick Jerrard-Dinn. Before talking about the dairy unit at Shawbury School, he told me a little of his days as a Young Farmer, and also about the village hall dances that were popular in the area. I was very pleased to meet Mick's wife, Jill, whom he has known since childhood. I'm trying to encourage her to do an interview about Moreton Morrell as she was one of, if not the first female student.
I'm away (in Edinburgh) at the beginning of the week, returning on Friday to meet with volunteer, Les Holmes. Interviews lined up for the following week, include Mick Jerrard-Dinn who ran the dairy unit on the farm at Shawbury School. Susan Moore's book "Bare Bottoms and Stinging Nettles" covers the story of the school excellently, and I'm looking forward to hearing, first hand, about the farm.
The weather improved last weekend not only for harvesting, but also for enjoying Agricultural Shows at Canwell and Fillongley.
At Canwell I bumped into Julian Pickworth who told me a little of the history of the estate when it was managed by Birmingham City Council. Our project will include the Warwickshire County Council smallholdings at Waters Orton which created similar provision after the Great War.
The Whitacres and Shustoke Show made a highly enjoyable visit for me on Saturday. The rain held off during the middle of the day and I was able to meet some lovely visitors, stall holders and competition entrants. Too much ambient noise to make any recordings, but I've added several names to the growing list of people who should be interviewed. The list of Moreton Morrell alumni is also starting to grow. Calling former students: the project would like to see copies of your photos!
Fred Howell, about 1940
Lynne, one of our project volunteers, has used Photoshop to improve a portrait photograph of the late Fred Howell. I visited Pat at home last week for a very enjoyable chat and left a copy of the image with Lynne on the same day. It's an unusual photo, probably taken in about 1940 by Fred's uncle who was a professional photographer.
Fred and Pat later farmed at Holt Villas at Curdworth.
Cinefilm
Delighted to have been contacted by Michael and Barbara Hague about cinefilm taken in 1959 and 1960 on their farm at Millburn Grange near Kenilworth. It's a little bit outside the area for the project, but will be fascinating to see.
