CD2

(73 mins)
 

2/1

FIRST PAY / REGAL CINEMA / WARTIME FILM / CANADIAN PLANE CRASH / SPITFIRE CHASE / AMERICAN SOLDIERS / VISIT TO PEGASUS BRIDGE

[BJ recaps - he left school and went back home to work with his brother] He was paid 5 shillings a week, but he got his keep and clothes, mind. Five shillings was their social life. It used to go a long way, mind. The main attraction in those days was the Regal Cinema at Minehead. He still remembers that in a village like Porlock, most weekends, on a Friday and Saturday night, about 100 people used to leave Porlock for the cinema. And that cinema would take a capacity of 1500. It used to be packed, mind, at weekends. [BJ double checks 1500] Yes, 1500 people. It used to be packed. And there was one film made during the war, he'll never forget, called, 'Mrs Minniver', a wartime film on the home front. It was sad, mind. People were crying. That was in the war, what can you do about it?

One thing he'll never forget, mind. His brother and him were out in the field doing something one morning, and there was a very thick fog, it was 1943. Quite a number of planes were flying over. He thought they were exceptionally low in the fog, mind. And all of a there was a terrific bang, one of them had crashed into the side of the hill. So they downed tools and ran in case they could do anything to help. They didn't know where the plane had come down. They got within about 200 yards of where the plane had crashed, and one of the members of the crew was caught in the tree, he'd been thrown out. And DW said to his brother that they daren't move him as they might do more harm than good. They went down to Worthy Manor, Dr Waterhouse, lucky he was home. They had an old people's home [there] after the Arkwrights left. And they came up and gave him morphia and whatnot, but he died on the way to hospital. He was knocked about bad, mind.

It was a Canadian plane, a Halifax. Four died and 2 survived. But this kind of thing happened in the war, what could you do about it? The number of planes that came down in that area, mind, it was unfortunate.

Another thing which he'll never forget. They were tying up sheaves of corn. It must have been August, it would be for harvesting. And they heard this plane coming. It couldn't have been 500-1000 feet up, a German plane with a Spitfire on his tail. You could see the tracer bullets mind, in between the 2 planes. And he was eventually shot down at Brayford, not all that far away, and the Spitfire came back over Porlock and did the victory roll. He thought it was lovely to see that, mind.

Mind, he thinks the wartime was a way of life. But there was one thing towards the end of war which he didn't appreciate mind, when the Americans came to camp in that area. You'd go out of a night, with our lads home on leave, they hadn't got much money to spend, but the Americans had pots of money. Money was no object, not a bit. You're ashamed really when things like that happen. Very much so. No, he doesn't really think there was any advantage in the Americans having money to spend. He won't say all of them, but a lot of them were no senior to the British people, or [though] they thought they were, mind. No, he doesn't think there was really any competition between the American and British forces, the Americans kept themselves to themselves more or less.

[BJ asks about the land girls] The land girls were mainly in this area on the Forestry Commission, helping fell timber and what not. [BJ says she was wondering whether there was competition with the American soldiers for their attention] No, it wasn't much. It might have been mind. No. He means, the Americans didn't really come there in quantities until early '44, before D-Day. But he was lucky enough to go over to France, 5 or 6 years ago, to Pegasus bridge, the first bridge the army captured. And they put on a show for them. They were with the Lynton and Lynmouth twinning with Bénouville, and they put on a show for them, searchlights and arc lights in the evening, showing exactly what had happened. About a month after he came back, he was in Minehead walking about, and he met someone who had been at Minehead school when he was there, and told him he had just been over to Bénouville and looked around. And he said, 'you won't believe this, I was on one of the 3 gliders that landed and helped take that bridge.' And he thought that was outstanding, mind, to know somebody who'd been there and done it. He was a person called Townsend, he can't remember his first name. He thought that was most interesting.

They went with a twinning party of about 40, he supposes, from Lynton and Lynmouth. [BJ mentions that Dr Mold, from Lynton (fellow contributor to the archive) was also involved with Pegasus bridge. This is actually wrong, Dr Mold was involved in Operation Overlord]. Anything like that, mind, opens your eyes a bit, to see how things happen in the past. Or he thinks so. [Back to top]
 

2/2

MOVE TO BIRCHANGER / FAMILY BUSINESS / RENTING BLATHWAYT PROPERTY / ALL BLACKS VISITORS / NEW ZEALAND

When he married he moved to Birchanger Farm, which became vacant. Then they ran the 2 farms together, to make it a bigger holding. Which he thought was a good idea as they could increase their stock. [BJ asks how it worked, with him, his brother and father all farming together] It worked all right. Mind, some days you got things where you didn't really agree with each other [laughs], but on the whole it went off reasonably well. To start with, he was still employed by his father. And then in the early '60s he put them all in business properly, E A Westcott and Sons, and it's still got the same name today [laughs]. Yes, the family organisation rents each of these farms as a unit [clarified later - Eastcott Farm, with most of Birchanger land, still trades as E A Westcott and Sons; Birchanger, with 15 acres, is separate].

[BJ asks how secure the tenancy is] He can mention one thing, not the present landlord. Mr Justin Blathwayt took over from George Blathwayt - his father used to have West Porlock House - he has always told him that the Westcott family were some of the best tenants they'd ever had. He said they had no complaints at all. What more [can you want]. But when he wanted Jane to come into Birchanger, with their present landlord Mark, it took him 3 years to get him to agree to keep both the farms in the Westcott family. Yes, Jane is the second of his 4 daughters. He supposes it took him 3 years because in those days he was new in the job and that was the reason, he expects. If Jane hadn't come in, DW may have still been there. But there.

[BJ asks what he thinks the chances are of it continuing to go down through the generations] As far as he can think of it, it will stay the same. The only point is it's lost the Westcott's name. Jane's husband is called Andy House. At the moment Eastcott is still farmed as E A Westcott and Sons, that's the main farming unit, where his other daughter Sally is. He said to Sally she'd better keep it the same because people know the name on Exmoor, and the surrounding area, which he thinks helps. Yes, she farms Eastcott with her husband. They're doing all right. Like he said, you don't make a fortune in farming on Exmoor, but it's people you live with. And he thinks they are wonderful people, practically all of them.

Being tenant farmers has suited him all right. He hasn't had any grudge about it all. No. [BJ refers to the time when farms were being sold to the people who lived in them, and asks if he ever regrets that he didn't have that choice] Their farms have never been on the market. Yes, he thinks he would have wanted to buy. No, he doesn't think Mark Blathwayt would want to take the property back. It's a job to tell really. But one thing about Mark, he's had talks with him in recent years, if they start talking about rugby and cricket, that's the end of it [laughs]. It's all they talk about. He's very interested in it, and so is DW [laughs].

He might meet the All Blacks rugby team this coming Autumn. It will be wonderful if he can, mind. Five years ago, in the village one night in the pub, the barman told him there were 4 gentleman who would like to have a talk with a local farmer. So he introduced himself, and explained it all. They were only staying the one evening. They'd come over with the All Blacks rugby team. DW said if they had an hour to spare in the morning he'd take them up on the top. They said that was the best part of their stay in England. Wonderful mind. One of them has 20,000 good breeding ewes, another keeps 2000 cattle. On a larger scale mind than in this country. And he's kept in touch with them ever since. They've seen the [New Zealand] video of him, and one of them told him in his last letter that the Westcott family was well known in New Zealand [laughs]. They are coming over again this Autumn, with the All Blacks rugby team, so he might get a chance to see him. Wonderful if he does. He reckons New Zealand would be a wonderful country to visit. Well, he thinks so. He might one day if he doesn't get too old [laughs]. You never know. [Back to top]
 

2/3

EXMOOR HORN SHEEP SOCIETY / DIFFERENT BREEDS / PORLOCK SHOW / FOOTBALL AND CRICKET / EHSS ANNUAL DINNER

Yes, he and his wife moved to Birchanger and had 4 daughters. He didn't mind leaving home a bit. They were young and had life ahead of them.

[BJ refers to photographs he was showing her earlier and asks about him being president of the Exmoor Horn Sheep Society] His father was president, back in the '50s, but DW and his lady friend had just come back from a holiday in Canada, and his brother said to him that Hazel Leaves (who he knows very well) had just rung up. She wanted him to be president of the Exmoor Sheep Society in '98. He went to their meeting at Simonsbath and practically all of them agreed. He expects there were 30 there. He reckons it's a marvellous thing, mind. Getting about and meeting different people. The shows he likes best of all were the Royal Welsh show at Builth Wells, mid-Wales. That was more of an agricultural show that what the shows are in this country. A lot of these shows, like the Bath and West, are all getting commercialised. Well they've got to make their income somewhere. He thought the Builth Wells show was excellent. The only problem was, he would say that 50% of the people spoke Welsh, and he spoke Somerset, and they couldn't understand each other [laughs]. They had a good laugh, that's the main thing.

He's bred Exmoor Horn sheep all his life. He thinks you've got to keep the stock that suits the farm. People get brainy ideas that you have to make more money by having different breeds, but it doesn't usually work. He's only shown locally, in the village, that's all. No, you don't have to have shown to be president of the society. He doesn't know why they chose him,  a typical Exmoor farmer he supposes. Yes, it's a lifetime appointment [checked with DW later - presidency changes every year]. It's very interesting, mind. He's the only member left on the committee who started the Porlock Show. Usually the last Sunday in July. He's been president of that twice, that's only a minor thing, but they usually raise about £2000 for local charities, every year. Which he thinks is a good idea, mind. The Porlock Show is mainly sheep, a gymkhana, and one or 2 side shows and whatnot. They usually get a good crowd, that's the main thing. Local activities isn't it?

He used to play football, cricket for the village, and about 5 years ago they asked him if he'd be president of the local cricket club. He said he didn't mind doing it for one season. He went to the next general meeting, and they said he'd got it for life [laughs]. They've got their annual dinner the next night. Yes, he'll have to say a few words, he supposes.

But the speech he made at the annual dinner of the Exmoor Horn Society, the prize-giving and whatnot, he expects there were 250 there. It didn't worry him a bit, mind [laughs]. Yes, he knows Richmond Harding, from Winsford, very well. He does a tremendous amount of showing. He's travelled a bit. DW doesn't blame him, not a bit. He was made president in '98. He survived [laughs]. [Back to top]
 

2/4

MARGARET AND HUNTING / PORLOCK WEIR CHURCH / CHOIR / SINGING NOW / MR HOOPER / DANCES / THE SHIP / MUSHROOMS / PUB NOW

[BJ asks what he and his wife did for recreation] He used to do a bit of hunting. Margaret, his wife, was very keen on hunting. She even did some harbouring for them, the last 2 or 3 years, when she was able to. That's the way she used to spend her holidays. He had to stay home and work most of the time, but he went occasionally, mind. It didn't worry him a bit.

Yes, he went to Porlock Weir church. It was a nice little community mind, well he thinks it was anyway. They had a curate in those days. You could perhaps say he was clever, but the thing DW always remembers was that he had 52 sermons and they were all the same, year after year [laughs]. DW thought that was the way to make easy money. He went to Porlock Weir church because his parents did. He thinks it was overdone; they had to go twice on a Sunday, walk a mile, and walk a mile home again. Come the finish he was beginning to get fed up with it. But, looking back to those days, the youngsters, especially in a village like Porlock, most of the activities used to circulate round the parish church or the local chapel, but they don't today. They did in those days. Times have changed, but that's it.

Yes, he was in the choir. He made up the numbers, that was all [laughs]. Music isn't very important to him. He still sings a bit, if there is a party occasionally. He'd sing some old songs. Never mind. No, not really old Exmoor songs. He knows some, but he doesn't know all the words, that's the trouble [laughs]. [BJ asks how usual it is now, for people to sing at parties] It's usually the same characters every time. You don't get very many youngsters taking part in it today. [BJ asks who he would be with] Mr Hooper is one of them, who he was talking about earlier on. He knows quite a few Exmoor songs. It's very good, mind, somebody like that, presenting it. That sort of thing helps. It certainly does.

[BJ asks on what kind of occasion would they start singing] Mr Hooper sings one special song called 'the thrashing machine' and it's very well done. They'd mainly be in the Old Ship pub, up the road, at Porlock.

But, going back to the early days, they used to have dances in the village hall. Or social evenings. Wednesday and Saturday nights. A lot of the youngsters would get together. Marvellous mind. This kind of thing doesn't happen today. No.

Yes, they would sing in the evening times, in the Ship. Quite a few friends would be there. They usually get a party of about 40, he expects. They would arrange to meet. He usually has it on his birthday. Well, you have to keep the village alive if you can. Which helps mind.

It's not as if he's been a heavy drinker all his life, he never has, but he can remember going to the Ship back in the '30s, when they used to pick the mushrooms on the farm and take them down to Mr Rook, who was the landlord then. And they would be paid sixpence a pound for them. And that was good money. He thinks those wild mushrooms are the best on the market, by far. He likes going out early in the morning, with the dew on the mushrooms, and peel them and eat them raw. He has eaten pounds like that. Wonderful, mind.

The pub has changed a bit, yes. You haven't got the old characters now. It's a shame, but there it is. But drinking today's getting expensive, isn't it? In his personal opinion anyway. He thinks the law has got to come, if you drink you don't drive. And he expects it will, too. [Back to top]
 

2/5

PORLOCK WEIR / HERRINGS / UNCLE'S SHOP / UNCLE'S ORCHARD / SPARKHAYES' PRIZE BARLEY / SALT AIR / UNCLE'S FISH ROUND / SHOP NOW / TRADE THEN / WHORTLEBERRIES / DYEING / ASTHMA CURE / WARTS / RADIO 5 / TELEVISION / LOCAL NEWSPAPERS / FMD

The difference between Porlock Weir and Porlock is that Porlock Weir is only a small community. He expects the average church congregation was 20-25, back in those days. He knew practically everybody, in those days. He doesn't today, he's afraid. [BJ asks whether, with Porlock Weir being a fishing village, it made it different] The industry of fishing in those days was a paid concern. His uncle used to go down there and buy anything up to 2000 herrings in season, and take them round Exmoor, to different villages. He used to go along with him occasionally, and sell them for a shilling for a baker's dozen, that's just under a penny each. And the always salted in 500 every year. Lovely they were, mind.

His shop was very good. He sold vegetables and flowers as well as fish. He did exceptionally well, mind. He made one of the best orchards in the west of England, going up Porlock Hill on the right hand side. It is a jungle now. He worked hard at that, mind. He won lots of prizes at different shows with his apples. He had mainly Brambleys, mind, a keeping apple, and Coxes eating apples. He's done exceptionally well with them.

Now, let him just mention this. He was down at Porlock Weir many years ago, harvesting. A gentleman walked up to him wanting to know where Sparkhayes Farm was. Because over the years they'd won the best cup for malting barley, the world cup. He explained where it was and asked what his interest was. The man said he was from Queensland in Australia and that he had won the prize for malting barley. DM said that was interesting and asked what he put it down to. He said he put it down to salt air, purifying the grain. DM told his uncle about it [the conversation] many years ago. 'Well,' he said, 'if you've got an orchard quite close to the sea, there's no need for spraying. The salt air will keep everything in order.' Salt, mind, is a marvellous thing. But he was surprised when the man said about the malting barley, mind. A neighbour of the one who used to win the prizes [at Sparkhayes] never got to it at all. It's unusual.

His uncle was his father's brother. He went round the villages of Winsford, Exford, Withypool, on his deliveries, places like that. He had these big crates, he supposes you'd call them, to keep the fish cold. They were mainly slate, in those days. Marvellous how that used to keep things cold. DW only helped in the shop at odd times. Of course he had labour in the village if he wanted any help. The shop got sold eventually, when he passed away. His sons kept it on for some time and sold it again. It got put into tearooms. And they sold it and these people have just taken over, the ones there now. It's called the Whortleberry Tearooms now. [laughs].

That's another trade he [his uncle] used to do. Back in those days, during the end of July and August, the number of people that used to pick whortleberries on the hill - it was numerous, mind - and they'd take them down to his uncle and he'd pay about sixpence a quart. And he used to send of 5 ton to Bradford for dyeing purposes, because the stain on the whortleberries took some getting off your hand. But he found an easy way of getting it off, by milking the cow [laughs]. It purified the milk [laughs]. Marvellous idea. Yes, as he milked the cow the stain came off his hands. No, it didn't go onto the udder. You live and learn [laughs].

He was only listening to the radio that morning, they think now they've found a cure for dealing with asthma. Somewhere in Europe, Switzerland he thinks, they've found a plant which can be just what they want. Now, going back about that, many years ago, milking cows, he used to get numerous warts on his hand. He went to the doctor, and chemist, and [tried] all sorts of things, and ointment. I didn't do a bit of good. Two of his aunts were district nurses, and one of them told him to go up in the garden, find a certain plant and spread the juice on his hand. Within a week it had completely gone and he never had any more trouble. He thinks that nature has got a cure for everything, if you can find it out. He can't remember the plant. He knows it, but not the name [laughs]. He hopes they can find out a cure for these things mind. Well, he thinks so.

He only listens to the radio in the morning. Radio 5, the sporting programme. Not very long, mind. Half an hour or so. Yes, he watches television, and goes to sleep [laughs]. He likes watching, just recently they've had quite a few programmes about the last war. He was going out, New Year's Eve, with some friends. But he didn't. He stayed in and watched the Glen Miller Story. And that brought him back a lot of memories, that did. He thought it was a marvellous programme, where he was concerned. He watches soaps occasionally [indistinct] [laughs]. Sport is the main thing. There's one on now, isn't there? Tennis, out in New Zealand, doing the [indistinct] playing [laughs]. His brother likes sport, yes. He takes the Telegraph every day. DW doesn't have a paper every day, but he used to have the Daily Express. But since the outbreak of foot and mouth disease he's had the Western Morning News, and they give you a tremendous amount of information on what was happening on Exmoor and Dartmoor with the foot and mouth disease. And he's kept the paper ever since.

Yes, he takes the West Somerset Free Press. But that's a waste of time, all adverts [laughs]. [Back to top]
 

2/6

DAUGHTERS' SCHOOLING AND CAREERS / WIFE MARGARET IN WARTIME LONDON / HER LOCAL INTERESTS AND HEALTH / MOVE INTO PORLOCK / BROTHER

His 4 children started off at Porlock school and then went to Minehead. To start with, they all went into farming, but then Carol went to Lloyds Bank, at Minehead. They knew the bank manager very well, Mr Towsell [?]. He told DW one day that his daughter hadn't had grammar school education but she was one of the best girls he ever had. That was secondary modern education. He thought that was good. Jane, Sally and April are farming, and Carol is in Minehead. Sally started off at Barclays Bank, then she went to Clarks, in Minehead. Then to Hill Samuels in Bristol, merchant banking. [laughs] Well, she got fed up with the rat race, mind [indistinct].

He's got 6 grandchildren [indicates picture]. Jane started off at nursery at Nor House [?sp] in Portishead, and a matron there [interference from wind in background] was trained at Ashley Combe at Porlock Weir [laughs]. Unbelievable. She moved on from there and went into Bristol, she was a deputy matron for [indistinct] families and children in care. She had a good job mind. Then she got fed up with it and decided to come home.

His wife Margaret started work in Barclays Bank in Oxford Street, in the early days of the war. She's told him time and time again, going back some nights the train would pull into a small tunnel and stop there all night. Frightening, some of it. She said the worst things they didn't actually see, but they heard of, during the war was the doodlebugs. Several came over Hitchen [?], mind. She said all of a sudden the engine would cut out and you didn't know what was going to happen. Luckily they survived. [When she joined the land army] she started off at a big dairy farm up in Hertfordshire [Hardwick House]. He thinks she was milking about 200 cows [clarified later to 20 cows by hand]. That's how she started to get interested in farming. Then she came down here. And that was that [laughs]. But during her lifetime, he's said she was very interested in hunting, she did a tremendous of work for the local Brownies, and the parish council. He thinks she was very well respected by the parish council.

She got ill about 1991. Jane said to him one day that she thought she wasn't understanding things like she did. He sort of understood that, she was saying things she didn't mean to say. And that's how it started. That went on for about 3½  years, gradually getting worse all the time. He doesn't think the patients suffer, it's the people looking after them, mind. It's a shame, mind. Yes, this is altzheimers. It's sad, mind. It is sad. But it's surprising the number of people that have it mind, it is surprising. They were at Birchanger to start with, then they came down there [to the bungalow in Porlock] to be handier for her. [BJ asks how he felt, leaving Birchanger] What could he do? It was unfortunate. He knew if they could get Jane interested, mind, that was the reason he partly left. But if he couldn't have got them to take over he might have stayed on mind.

This house was built by an aunt of his, who was a district nurse just after the war. She died in the early '60s and his father bought the property and they had it as a holiday home to start with. They'd get the same people coming back every year. Then his father said, 'You might need it in years to come,' and that's what happened. Wonderful how things work out sometimes.

His brother is in a residential home in Minehead at the present moment, but he's hoping to be back in the Spring. They'll see what happens. His wife died in 1995. [Back to top]
 

2/7

OUTINGS WITH FRIEND FROM PORLOCK WEIR / VISITING THE ROCKIES / GIVING TALKS / RAIN GUAGE

[BJ says that when she first came across DW he was giving a talk in Porlock school and asks what made him start giving talks] When he started it came out of the blue. He met a lady at Porlock Weir. She was a big friend of Judi Dench, who has just made this film on altzheimers [Iris], a big friend of hers. She used to do lecturing up at Stratford on Avon. They used to have days out together, and a little big of fun. She asked him one day, she'd travelled the world quite a bit, if he'd like to go to Canada. He said it would be an experience for him. They went on the Rockies for 18 days, mind. And when he came back, he hadn't been back a week or fortnight when Dennis Corner came to him and asked if he'd give a talk in the village hall on his trip to Canada. He thought for a minute, then said he wasn't going to talk about Canada, he'd rather talk about his life on Exmoor and the surrounding areas, and it just took off, just like that [laughs]. [BJ says the talk she went to had been advertised in the Free Press].

He's done 2 for Porlock school, and raises about £350. It isn't much, but it all helps. [BJ says when she was there he'd had a trestle table with a lot of bits and pieces on it, to show people]. That's right, yes. He keeps some of it there [indicates boxes and laughs]. He doesn't feel a bit [nervous], standing up in front of people. When he started these talks, if you can make the audience laugh in the first 5 minutes, you've got their attention completely. And that's what he tries to do. No, he doesn't plan it before he goes. Well, he may have had some notes to start with, but he doesn't now. He just talks from memory. Like he said, the younger generation doesn't know whether it's right or wrong [laughs]. It more or less follows the same pattern, you've got to. [BJ says that coming to talk to him that day, because he gives those talks, she was worried he might feel he had to tell all those stories. Not that that is a bad thing, but she was worried he might feel he was giving another talk, instead of having a conversation with her] No, not a bit. Not a bit [laughs].

He's given a talk in Watchet, for the Methodist church, he's done 3 in Minehead, one for the Rotary Club, one in the Northfield Hotel, for Probus and one in Watery Lane, at the school. Youngsters, about 6-8. He said the best thing he could do there was to answer questions. It was marvellous mind, from youngsters. He's been to Exford, and Brendon. It doesn't worry him a bit, mind. No he doesn't have a preferred audience, children or adults, he doesn't mind a bit. [BJ asks how much the local people in his audience want to talk themselves] He thinks they are very interested. They're more interested in the old pictures he has, at half time, during the interval. No, he's never had anybody talk too much themselves. Yes, he thinks he learns something. You do, if you go out to these places. He always says, 'You're never too old to learn.' You learn from people. Well he thinks so.

He thinks the young people at the school were very interested. He thinks this kind of thing is coming back into its own again. People talking about the years gone by, they're more interested in that than what's happening today.

He's been doing the rain gauge for the Somerset River Authority since about 1968. He did do it before that on his own account. During the '47 winter, he was taking a temperature recording, for his own interest, and one night he recorded 36° of frost. Now, over the years, the rain gauge runs out on average. The driest one he had was 1976. That was up at Birchanger, about 40 inches. Now the average rainfall for this kind of area, Simonsbath gets about 75 inches, he gets about 50-55, Porlock gets 40 and Minehead gets 30. The distance between these places is hardly anything really. It's the hills that picks up the moisture, every time. The rain gauge is up at the farm, Jane's keeping an eye on it now. It's interesting, mind. Yes, he's been taking readings long before that [1968]. He must have started at Birchanger in the 1950s, for his own interest. [BJ asks whether he kept a record of it] He's got the record since 1968. [hasn't kept his own records]

No, he doesn't really keep a diary. No. [Back to top]
 

2/8

LIFE NOW / LOOKING AFTER GRANDSON / MEETING MRS THATCHER / HOLIDAYS / MEETING PORLOCK WEIR LADY / FRIENDSHIP WITH MRS WILLIAMS / HOLIDAYS / TAKING AUSTRALIAN TEACHERS ROUND EXMOOR

He only goes up to Eastcott Farm to help out a bit. Age takes over [laughs]. You can't go on for ever. No, he spends part of his time looking after his grandson. He's taking him into Dunster that night, to play football for the school. Indoors, mind, but he doesn't mind doing that. It keeps you out of mischief anyway. [BJ asks what he'd be doing if she wasn't there] He'd be up on the farm, he expects. Never mind. It's nice to talk to her anyway [laughs]. No, he doesn't cook for himself very often. He goes down to the pub to have his meal, or occasionally up on the farm. Yes, he drives. He's been driving since '56.

[BJ says she must ask about holidays] Margaret and he had a few days in the late 1940s, up at Hitchen. Previous to that, just after the war, his brother used to go to London, and DW had a holiday in London in '46 and '48. He'd go to London for the sporting events, which he was very interested in. His aunt worked very hard for the Wembley Conservatives Association. She was very high up, had done a tremendous amount of work. In 1948, he thinks, she invited him to a coming out ball at Wembley town hall. He said he wasn't going to get mixed up with that lot, but of course he had to go. You know, he'll never forget shaking hands with a future prime minister, Mrs Thatcher [then Miss Williams]. Unbelievable to think about that mind [laughs]. He reckons, over the years, she's one of the best politicians we've had. Just to start with mind, she got a bit of a dictator at the finish, but she was good mind.

After that, Margaret and he had a week's holiday at Bournemouth, when Carol and Jane [were young]. And then he never had one for 40 years. It didn't worry him a bit. He likes Exmoor. You travel around, you see the same places very often, but [tails off]. After that, it must have been 18 months after Margaret passed away, a few of the lads in the village suggested they went to Ireland for a trip. It was a coach tour for a week. That was out of this world, that. He knew the lads very well, they were younger than him, all of them. The only people from this area were the two lads and a girl and him. The coach picked up other people on the way, Bridgwater, Taunton and Bristol. [BJ asks how usual was it for young lads to invite him to join them] Well, they decided one night, in the local pub, that he ought to do something for a change, and that was that [laughs].

Then he met this other lady, living at Porlock Weir. He'll never forget that. He's known people in that house, a lovely place. He walked in one morning, he'd seen her outside, and asked if she minded if he walked in to have a look at the sheep. They had the field in front of her. 'By all means,' she said. And they got talking, and talking. And she said she'd had 4 sons. He said, that was strange, he had 4 daughters, all about the same age, and it was a pity they hadn't met before [laughs]. That's how it started. They've been friends for about 3 years, and she hasn't been very well, mind. She's called Mrs Joan Williams. She's sold the property and gone to live near her some of her family, up near Newmarket. He doesn't blame her. She had a major cancer operation about 8 years ago. She must have gone back in the Autumn. [BJ asks how he feels about losing that local friendship] Well, he's looking again [laughs]. No, it doesn't worry him a bit, mind [laughs]. He always says all good things come to an end. It happens, doesn't it? No, he hasn't kept in touch. She hasn't kept in touch with any of her friends there. She isn't very well, mind, which is the unfortunate part.

He'll never forget that holiday in the Rockies with her. Yes, that was the holiday he went on with her. A wonderful woman.

[BJ asks if he's been abroad since then] He's had a long weekend in France, but not since that no. He's enjoying life on Exmoor and the surrounding area. He goes into the Porlock information centre occasionally, in the summertime, and talk to strangers. He went in last year some time, it must have been mid-summer, and Michael Ireland [asks BJ if she knows him] called him over and said a couple would like to talk to him because they wanted to know a bit about Exmoor. He went over talking to them and asked them if they'd like to come for a ride on the top in the morning. They said they'd love to. He took them up, and had a ride round, for an hour and a half he supposes. And when they came back they said they were 2 teachers from South Australia, they were Tasmanian. They said a trip like that had made their holiday. Of course they come to these places and don't know where to go. He doesn't mind doing that.

Now a friend of his, he became ill mind, he was going to do tours of Exmoor and have a minibus, and wanted him as a courier to tell people what was happening, and all about the place. But it never developed. So, never mind. [Back to top]
 

2/9

HEALTH / EXMOOR SCENERY / VIEW FROM EASTCOTT / REFLECTIONS / PUTTING IN ELECTRICITY / HELICOPTER RIDE / VANCOUVER AIRPORT / MAKING PEOPLE LAUGH / VALUE OF MONEY / SELLING LANDROVER / LOOKING AFTER MARGARET / HOME HELP

His own health hasn't been bad, mind, but he's had both hips repaired. It's not too bad. Then they told him last summer that he had a small heart beat that wasn't right. So he went up last Wednesday and had it put right. They do it with an electric shock, under anaesthetic. He can't remember what they did [laughs]. It proved all right, he thinks. You never know, do you? You don't live forever, so.

When he takes people round Exmoor he mainly goes down the Oare valley, the Doone valley, or take them towards Exford, down through Cloutsham, Webber's Post and back to the village. He shows them what the scenery on the top of Exmoor is like, and if they can see any deer that makes their trip in any case. [BJ asks if he has a favourite spot] He thinks Eastcott Farm is on one. They've got one of the best views in England he thinks. On a clear day they have seen the pillars of the Severn bridge. And they can see from there right down to the Mumbles. He doesn't value it, because you see it every day, mind. But he can easily tell if there's something out of place. Easily done, that is. A change of scenery in a small way.

[BJ asks what would he do to cheer himself up if he was feeling miserable] He hopes he shan't feel miserable [laughs]. He doesn't think so, he hopes not anyway. No.

No, he doesn't really have any regrets. He thinks if he lived his life over again he would do exactly the same. Yes. You keep yourself occupied. One thing about farming, you aren't doing the same job day after day after day. You've got a change. Which he thinks is a marvellous help. He'd hate to work in an office and do the same thing day after day.

He supposes a highlight, or something which stuck in his mind, might be the first time he drove a tractor. But, one thing which has happened recently. When they put the mains electricity up at Birchanger and Eastcott, 12 months ago last September, was the electric poles. They couldn't manhandle them to get them in, so they called down a helicopter from Bristol, a SWEB helicopter. It was marvellous to see how they do it mind. When they'd finished, the pilot took them for a ride. And they had a beautiful ride around the Bristol Channel, and part of Exmoor. [says the pilot wouldn't let them pay]. He thought that was nice of them. They took the grandson, he was 6 years old, and leaving the first level field you go out over the sea, with a drop of about 1000 feet, Robert, he didn't know what was going to happen [laughs]. It was unbelievable, mind. Things like that stay in your memory all your life.

He doesn't like to talk about these things, but over in Canada, Vancouver airport, going across to Vancouver Island, they had to go through customs. They wouldn't let him through, he doesn't know why. This little Chinese girl, who spoke English very well mind, said he hadn't disclosed everything. He said he had. She examined him again, and couldn't find anything. He said the best thing he could do was strip, and he started stripping. Her face was getting red [laughs]. He pulled her leg, mind. He knew exactly what the problem was, it was the metal in the hips [laughs]. It turned out all right come the finish. That's the kind of thing he likes doing, if you can make people laugh, mind. Some time ago on the wireless one morning, there was a specialist in Germany, and he'll guarantee that people who can make people laugh will live a long life. He said it's a good cure for illnesses. Well, he thinks it is mind. Yes. You can't always laugh, but he tries to [laughs].

[BJ asks if he can think of anything she's forgotten to ask] Well, the value of money mind. It's all very well, but the first tractor they bought, in 1948, cost £240. More or less the cheapest you can buy today is anything up to £20,000. And the first landrover they bought in 1956 was £650. This one he's had for 3 years was £17,000. The value of money's completely gone, or he thinks so. He can remember houses at Porlock Weir that were built for about £600, and they've been fetching nearly up to £200,000. Something has to be wrong somewhere. Or he thinks so.

And another thing he shall never forget, mind. The day he had to stop Margaret from driving. A lot of people in the area said they were getting very worried about Margaret driving about, so he had to sell the landrover; what could he do? Unfortunate mind, but there, it happens in life. [BJ asks how he got about after that] He had the tractor mind, but she could drive that one by the end. He had to keep his eye on the key. It was unfortunate, mind. He feels sorry for people looking after [?people in] places like this, mind. He was lucky, he had a lovely home help. She used to come in 5 days a week, 8 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. And he had to do the rest, evening times and night time. Yes, he had to pay for that. Yes, it was social services. That helped a bit, that did. And the family used to help him out over the weekend if he needed any help. Unfortunate. It certainly is [laughs].

[END OF RECORDING] [Back to top]