Z1205/130

Male. Police officer. Shooting syndicate licence holder. b. 02.03.1942 SIDEA (00 mins)Born in Norfolk, near North Walsham close to the North Sea coast. Maternal grandfather was a farm steward. Paternal grandfather was an agricultural labourer. Father was a farm worker. One brother 8 years older. Spent childhood on local farm. After village primary school, went to grammar school I North Walsham. Elder brother went to university and moved to Holland then new York to live. (05 mins)Left school at 16 and worked for an agricultural merchant, eventually becoming a sales rep. As teenage travelled to Norwich, 17 miles away for jazz concerts. As a child, horses were still used for working on local farms, then tractors were introduced. Small, close village community. No electricity on the farm. No mains water. Two cottages shared a well. His father grew their family vegetables. (10 mins)Good drinking water. In 1954 mains water was imposed on them. About 1956 mains electricity was installed. Paraffin lamps until then. Cooking range in their back room with an open fire and an oven I the wall. No television until about 1964. Wireless powered by a rechargeable accumulator until mains electric. (15 mins)Mother did everything by hand. No household machinery. She ran a post office and a small shop from their front room. About 150 living in the village (Ealingthorpe). Fresh fish were plentiful - shrimps and crabs in particular. Local fishing industry. Herrings were called Long Shores locally. (20 mins)Distribution around nearby villages, using a trade bicycle. Communities of fishermen, near the sea. 1952 floods caused devastating damage . Cargoes from off-shore wrecks sometimes washed up. (32 mins)End of Side A Z1205/130.Side B (00 mins)Village bus service one a week only. Cycle 3 miles to school. Local primary school was the local social centre. No village hall. Attended Methodist Sunday school on Sunday mornings and Church of England Sunday afternoon services in the village with his parents. Very few cars in the area. (05 mins)Got motorcycle in late teens and travelled further to meet girls. Father died in 1977 and Mother in 1995. Moved to Bedfordshire in 1963. (10 mins)Met a policeman outside a village dance who changed his life, by suggesting he join the police force. (15 mins)Joined Bedfordshire police force in June 1963 and was police officer for over 30 years. Digs in Kempston then moved to Houghton Conquest. 4 separate train journeys to get from parent's home to Bedford. Interest in shooting as a sport. Married in 1966. (32 mins)End of Side B. CONTINUED FROM CS130C Side A (00 mins)Had his house built for him. (05 mins)1971. Introduced to the Vale through shooting. (10 mins)Stewartby Gun Club sublet the shooting at Elstow and Kempston Hardwick to him and his shooting partners. Shooting rights from Hanson Bricks, later City and St. James Property. He has 3 syndicates, covering ground from Junction 13 of M1 to Kempston (mid Beds), now the area of the Forest of Marston Vale (excluding Millenium Country Park). (15 mins)Feeds the game birds in the area which attracts a wide range of birds. Charges syndicate members according to the various costs of shooting. Not a commercial enterprise. (20 mins)Damage caused by Canada geese. Balance between conservation and shooting. (25 mins)Survival of the fittest leads to one specie dominating an area. The role of culling in creating diversity of wildlife. (30 mins)Dividing the "bag" of birds killed after a shoot. (32 mins)End of Side A CS130C2 Side B (00 mins)Most people not prepared to pluck and "dress" dead game birds ready for cooking. Nearly as keen to "shoot" photographs of wildlife as shoot with shotguns. Once saw glow-worms in the area now the Millenium County Park. (05 mins)Duck shoots locally informal, mixed with rough shooting of rabbits or pheasants. (10 mins)Changes I Vale countryside over last 40 years. Transformation of pits from working areas to nature reserves. (15 mins)Positive attitude to continued brick working in area. (20 mins)Regards local countryside and its wildlife as "a gem" and feels very fortunate to have access to it. Coming to Bedfordshire has changed his life completely. (23 mins)End of Side B.END OF INTERVIEW Original Interview 115 mins.

9 May 2002

From: 1940 To: 2002

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police officer, shooting rights, licensee, farm worker, AGRICULTURE, primary schools, concerts, horses, water supply, electricity, vegetables, television, cooking, FIRE, radio, post office employee, shopkeeper, fish, bicycles, fishing, floods, Methodist chapels, Established Church, Sunday Schools, motorcycles, DANCE, Bedfordshire police, Marston Vale Trust, birds, geese, poaching, ducks, pheasants, rabbits, nature reserves, Norfolk, Holland, York, Norwich, HOUGHTON CONQUEST, ELSTOW, KEMPSTON