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DUDLEY
PARSONS
Born:
Stogumber,
Somerset, 1908
Lived:
Stogumber,
Wheddon Cross, Wootton Courtenay, Timberscombe
Recording made: 2001
Length of recording:
2 hrs 45 mins
To read a summary of the contents of the oral history recordings click CD1, CD2 or CD3.
Listen to an audio clip by clicking wma or mp3. (Click here for information about downloading audio clips)
Dudley Parsons, the oldest of eight children, was 13 when he went out to work, living in and driving horses, and 21 when he took a job with George Burnell, who ran the garage in Wootton Courtenay. He started as a general mechanic and ended up doing everything.
He drove the Home Guard around, brought R E S Pepper and his Beanos down from London and took Alfred Munnings out to paint. He picked cars up from Dagenham, did the refuse collection and the school bus run and met Mr Boots, the chemist, off the train. When Mr Burnell went to Africa he ran the business until his son took over.
He has been motorbike scrambling all his life and is a founder member of the Exmoor Motor Club. He has now moved to a sheltered bungalow in Timberscombe and given up driving, but he still plays bingo and does the calling. He has made 14 bingo machines in his time.