Z1205/111

Male. Agricultural surveyor and land agent. b. 22.10.1953 Side A (00mins)Born and brought up in Somerset rectory. Father a vicar. Sent to a Bluecoat boarding school in Birmingham aged 8, then a public school (private secondary), Christ's Hospital, in Sussex. Agricultural college then Min. of Ag. in Oxford. Milton Keynes Development Corporation. Joined firm in Kings Langley, Herts. (05 mins)Witnessed reduction of London Brick Company estate office from approx. 35 down to 3 and the services of a firm of land agents. Memories of childhood the rich variety of people they met through their father's occupation and their mother's sideline offering bed and breakfast accommodation. (10 mins)Rural hierarchy in north Somerset. Reflection on changes in countryside there over the years. (15 mins)Father spoke Welsh, having spent time in Treorchy. Maternal grandfather was an engineer in Cardiff. Travel before the Severn Bridge existed. Was advised against becoming a vicar. Mother wanted him to be a lawyer. (20 mins)Family life. Holidays in caravan at Lyme Regis, Dorset. Boarding school life. Summer holidays spent working on a friend's farm. (25 mins)Childhood freedom in isolated countryside. Likes country life. The work of Land Agents. (30 mins)Legal side of land ownership and tenancy. Enjoyed vast range and variety of land agent's work. (32 mins)End of Side A Side B (00 mins)Dealings with farmer regarding tenancy agreements. Briefings from London Brick Land Agent and Property Director. London Brick farms. Characters he dealt with. (05 mins)Brogborough Pit. "Scams" got up to by some workers. Dramatic redundancies (7,5000 ? to 4,500?) after Hanson took over LBC without affecting productivity. Enormous contraction in number of brick works over the period he was involved. (10 mins)After closure of Ridgmont (formerly Marston Vale Co), occupation of site by itinerant people - 120 caravans at one stage. Re-development into Marston Park - large warehouse site. Brogborough Pit became large land fill site, managed by Shanks. Marston Vale tree planting project. London Brick farms ceased in 1988, farms re-let t0 a number of local farmers for a year then to British Agricultural Services (owned by Hanson) for 10 years. (15 mins)Enormous planning opportunities for former clay pit / brick work sites. Some land transferred to Marston Vale trust to create wetland within Millenium Country Park. Reflects on generally positive changes in people and countryside within Vale. Redevelopment of Vale Farm, Marston, into "Fire Earth" retail outlet and garden centre, example of adaptation. Effect of Marston By-pass (A421). (20 mins)Knowledge of tree planting in Milton Keynes and growth over 22 years enables him to imagine the future Forest of Marston Vale. Improved quality of air in Vale. Smell problem for local residents, from landfill sites. Looks forward to green landscape when landfill completed. (25 mins)Better relationship between local authorities and Hanson brick, after previous hostility. Reflects on good relationship between land gents and farmers, in his experience. Enjoyed work which involved being outside in the countryside. (32 mins)End of Side B. End of Interview. Original Interview 60 mins

20 March 2002

From: 1950 To: 2002

item

London Brick Company,
London Brick Farms Limited,
Hanson Brick Limited,
Marston Valley Brickworks,
Shanks McEwan

AGRICULTURE, surveyor, land agent, vicar, schools, Kings Langley, bed and breakfasts, vicarages, Welsh, farmer, land surveyor, tenancy, brick worker, traveller, warehouseman, Gypsies, landfill, trees, clay, Lidlington Vale House Farm, garden centre, pollution, grass, Somerset, Birmingham, Oxford, new town Milton Keynes, Wales, Cardiff, Lyme Regis, Dorset, BROGBOROUGH, RIDGMONT, new town Milton Keynes