Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    Z1205/104
  • Title
    Female. Farmer's wife. b. 25.12.1942 Side A (00 mins)Raised in Bedford. One older sister. (Paternal) Grandfather lived with them and his insurance business form the house. Father was a grain merchant - Quenby's. (05 mins)Maternal grandfather was a farmer. Memories of Saturday morning Bedford Cattle Market and Saturday afternoon Corn Exchange sessions. (10 mins)Grain transactions. Education prior to becoming a secretary for the family firm of seed merchants. Other agricultural merchants. (15 mins)More on Cattle Market and Corn exchange. Today's lack of understanding about agriculture. (20 mins)Reflections on how past generations had more contact with the countryside. Role of her mother. Living during a period of austerity. Home dress-making. (25 mins)Ball-room dancing. Young Farmers Club. Met husband to be. Married when aged 21. Father-in-law learned farming during First World War. Evacuees billeted on farm during Second World War. (30 mins)Progressive father-in-law farmer also had a fruit and vegetable business in Covent Garden, London. Cereal crops grown until the 1960s when oil-seed rape became profitable. (32 mins)End of Side A Side B (00 mins)Harvesting oil-seed rape. Impact of pollen on hay fever sufferers. (05 mins)Changers in farming over her lifetime. Arguments for national self-sufficiency in food. Relationship between farmers and brickfield owners. (10 mins)Paternalism of brick firms towards their workers. London Brick Company farms well-run. Pros and cons of having the brick works in the valley. Use of former clay pits for lakes and land-fill sites. (15 mins)Concerns regarding landfill policy. Downturn in agriculture in recent years. Despite mechanisation, doubt about the future of farming. (20 mins)End of Side.End of interview. Criginal Interview 50 mins
  • Date free text
    20 February 2002
  • Production date
    From: 1940 To: 2002
  • Level of description
    item
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