Z1205/141

Male. Farmer. b. 21.10.1923 SIDE A (00 mins)Born on a farm in Buckinghamshire and lived there for 11 years. (05 mins)Moved to Blackland Farm, Stewkley. Sheep, cattle and horses. Large farmhouse. (10 mins)Pony and trap transport. (15 mins)Lived with Uncle for two years in North Marston. Paternal grandmother. Move to Stewartby. Two sisters went to good schools. (20 mins)He went to Stewartby School from when it opened in 1937. Left school when he was still 13. Didn't start school until aged 6. North Marston village (between Winslow and Aylesbury). Love of wood. (25 mins)Father leased a London Brick Company farm in Stewartby. Cattle there had serious foot disease caused by emissions from the brick chimneys but he didn't know about that. Previous owner had compensation from Marston valley, Eastwoods and London Brick Company. The family built up a big milk herd there and supplied milk to the canteens. (30 mins)Took the farm on from 1935. (32 mins)End of Side A SIDEB (00 mins)Interference in wartime farming from Bedfordshire War Agricultural Executive Committee. Move from cattle to corn production. Rousberry Manor Farm, Stewartby (now occupied by the village of Stewartby), 1931 - 1961. (05 mins)Unfortunate experience of sheep breeding. Excessive hours working on farm during Second World War, 7.30am to 11pm. Italian prisoners of war working on farm. During war, farm house accommodated two evacuated teachers, three schoolboys, two lorry drivers and three Italian prisoners of war, from the Ampthill POW camp. (10 mins)Treating the prisoners of war to a trip to the cinema. German prisoners of war also employed. Italian prisoners treated like members of the family. (15 mins)Wartime incident - German plane machine-gunned brickworkers at Stewartby. Wartime food rations supplemented by rabbits and local game and killing pigs. (20 mins)Foxes. Bats. Owls. Roller skating. Watched Stewartby village being created. (25 mins)Skating rinks in Bedford. Making trailers from old lorry chassis. (30 mins)Reflections on changing to a new currency and the effect on the cost of living. Farming changed for the worst. (32 mins)End of Side B END OF INTERVIEW. Original Interview 60 mins.

7 June 2002

From: 1920 To: 2002

English

item

London Brick Farms Limited,
Marston Valley Brickworks,
Eastwood Flettons Brick Company,
London Brick Company

farmers, sheep, cattle, horses, Stewartby state schools, cattle disease, pollution, World War Two, evacuees, Italians, prisoners of war, cinema, Germans, air raids, rationing, rabbits, pigs, foxes, skating, Buckinghamshire, Stewkley, MARSTON MORETAINE, STEWARTBY, Wootton Rousbury Manor, AMPTHILL