CD2

(64 mins)
 

2/1

HOUSE COW / TRADESMEN / STABLE FLAT / ELECTRICITY / DELIVERIES

SC didn't have cow because you could always scrounge drop of milk. There was several little old small farmers in village with a paddock, even the schoolmistress had paddock and cow. If you wanted a bottle of milk you'd get one off one of them. [BJ refers to letter he had shown her from Fortescue estate to his father, offering him a cow as part of his employment]. Yes, that was because his father was a shepherd; they'd allow him a cow. That was a damn Galloway; you had to get it in first. Very difficult to milk a Galloway, but everyone used to do it. [tells story of trying to catch a Galloway.] Estate supplied feed in winter.

In early 1950s village had several different tradesmen. They had Eastmans who came with clothes, children's clothes, workman's clothes, and odds and ends. Butcher came twice a week. In village they had school and post office, that SC took over in later years. There was even fishmonger in the village, who came out from Combe Martin with mackerel and herrings. It was part of present pottery. He couldn't keep it cold, so you could put it in salt, like a pig, because electricity [mains] didn't come there until 1962.

When SC came into his house in 1953 there was only big sink with cold tap. Toilet was bucket in square hut. They left in about 1958 to go to Jubilee Villas, next to school, because people moving from post office next door. SC thought they might be able to take it on. They did that very successfully. They were never shut, as soon as they were out of bed, they were open. SC still did a full days work for Fortescue. Millie ran business until they moved [back to Stable Flat] about 1966 or 1968 [later confirmed as 1966]. They moved [into Jubilee Villas] in horse and cart. By then [the time they moved back] electricity had come to Simonsbath, in 1962. People who had come into Stable Flat, after they moved to PO, had it all modernised. They had put in another bedroom and bathroom. It was all electric.

When his wife was ill Fortescue Estate put in central heating. There was no electricity when they went to PO. Old gentleman next door, who was retired from work at PO, had generator to charge people's batteries for wireless. He gave it to SC to drive television and one light in kitchen until 1962, when Fortescue modernised their houses, while electricity was being put in. Otherwise they used oil lamps, stinking of paraffin. Douglas Batchelor, who used to come out with groceries, came out with bread, cans of paraffin and accumulators for wirelesses, all together in the back of the van. [Back to top]
 

2/2

TRANSPORT / ROADS

Their transport was a motorbike. SC built a motorbike in back bedroom, then couldn't get it out of door. There was a bus that came on Fridays, Minehead to Ilfracombe [tells story about last bus in 1952]. He doesn't think public transport can really work to anyone's advantage in a village like Simonsbath. Because if you go somewhere, you only go to do your shopping, and you can't go backwards and forwards to the bus. They don't go shopping very often, but when they do go, it's a hundred pounds' worth [of shopping] in the boot. They go to supermarket in South Molton.

He can't remember whether they caught the train at Dulverton or Taunton. Or South Molton, which would have been going for a few years longer than Dulverton. South Molton was eleven miles, Dulverton fourteen. GWR lorry used to come around from the station. SC, during his two years 'probation' [between Honeymead and Fortescue jobs], worked for Goodlands unloading sacks of coal at Dulverton station.

He has heard that road from Exford used to come in directly into forecourt of Simonsbath House. Then it was moved further down on lawn. Then when there was a big road and bridge scheme about 1928, which started at Coppleham, by Winsford and ended at Blackpitts on Brendon road, about five bridges rebuilt, road went down another stage. Sharp bend on Brendon road, they cut corners there. At Westgate there was bad s-bend giving a problem to odd coaches, they cut that about early sixties. They were going to do road widening job on Barnstaple road. It was started before war as shovel and wheelbarrow job, but most men went off to war. When they eventually widened it, it was with a couple of bulldozers. It was completed in a few weeks instead of years. [Back to top]
 

2/3

WARTIME

SC doesn't have very many memories of the war. One he can remember was when he was working at Honeymead and lodging with Uncle Tom, who was one of first Littles who came down from Scotland. He was at home with eighty year old granny. Uncle Tom and Auntie Ede went out to pub. It was the time when our fighters were chasing German plane. Pilot just chucked out magnetic mines, to get rid of his load. SC was back lodging in the place where he had been born, in Cloven Rocks. He could hear all bits coming off from under slates. He was mending his braces and thought he wouldn't need them because he was going to get killed. Bombs landed miles away, one at Larkbarrow, right in the sheep dip. He thought there might have been two on Chains. There might have been five altogether.

They often saw dog-fights, Two flew into one another once. Then they saw a Spitfire shot down one, which crashed at Yard Down. They had several aeroplanes that had been on bombing raids, ran out of fuel and ditched. They thought forest area was sea, and ditched. One incident was at Wintershead. He tried to ditch and found out he was on hard ground. He nearly stopped, but just trickled out over into the hillside and smashed to bits at the bottom. SC went from Honeymead with crawler. He helped to pull it up all in bits to road.

Then again, at Westgate on Challacombe road, it was a bit earlier, jjust about when he was leaving school, a bomber ran out of fuel and hit the side of the house. They'd been told at school that the Germans were going to invade the west and were terrified. They were living at Aclands then, a bit further out than Driver Cott. In the middle of the night there was a knock on the door and he went down, and there was this man in an airforce flying suit. It frightened him to death, he thought the Germans had come. Later on the man wrote to the local paper asking if anyone could remember it. So SC wrote back. He came from Broughton. He was only survivor. It took corner off side of house. Neighbour, called Barwick (he doesn't think he was any relation to Mr Barwick at Winsford), slept all through it but woke up to find bed covered in plaster. Blenheim bomber landed at Duredon. They always seemed to be running out of fuel. Spitfire up at Blue Gates ran out of fuel. Two miles up road, at Blackpits they had searchlight battery. Sometimes you could see them pick up plane.

Father was in Home Guard but got fed up with so he packed up his uniform and sent it back to Exford to Douglas Batchelor and said he'd had enough. He got away with it. They had a hut in field and used to go up there on manoeuvres. SC belonged to fire-fighting group. They would practise setting fire to hillside then putting it out again, very exciting for a teenager.

He tried to get in Metropolitan Police as teenager but failed on the colour test. He wasn't sorry because he would have missed Exmoor. He wasn't colour blind but couldn't recognise enough colours. SC's nephew is in police service in Brixton. SC said it's war now. [Back to top]
 

2/4

VISITORS / HUNTING / WAGES

No, the coaches which went through [which he had mentioned earlier] weren't full of tourists. There weren't many tourists; well, you'd see a few. The coaches were the Royal Blue coach service between Minehead and Ilfracombe.

Tourists have steadily built up, because of National Park, especially walkers. He doesn't think they do any harm, he likes to see them. A lot of people coming down for hunting now, for the last month [April] everywhere has been full of hunting people, because of crops up country. Local foxhound pack meets in Simonsbath on Friday. It's more popular now than in fifties. 75% of people hunting are farmers now. SC never involved in hunting, just accepts it. He enjoys watching hounds working, but wouldn't go to watch the kill. Used to follow on motorbike when young. He belongs to foxhounds supporters' fund. Not many people followed hunt in past because they couldn't afford it.

Costs are different now, but man picked up £4 odd a week in fifties. That's only half an hour's overtime today. Farm chaps are picking up £7-£8 an hour overtime. They can work as many hours as they like because they have cut down on staff. There had been no overtime when SC working. There was no way of picking up extra money however hard you worked. Although he got good money when he was young. [Back to top]
 

2/5

LYNMOUTH FLOOD

They were affected very much by Lynmouth flood in 1952, possibly they had more water than down Lynmouth end, but on this side water could get away. On Lynmouth side it went down Barbrook valley and kept getting down trees and buildings making a barrier taking everything down with it. In Simonsbath it washed away top of bridge but got away. They had bailey bridge. On night of flood about 14^th August SC brother. and brother-in-law had been racing on motorbike down Porlock Hill. They got back only as far as Exmoor Forest Hotel because of water on road. There were no lights on. Mr Holman shouted to them. Water coming in back of Hotel from Ashcombe Bottom and not able to get out of front. It had filled up to dining room windows. All people were up stairs. Place full of guests. So SC's brother Denzil and brother-in-law Bob Barrow smashed windows and front door after shutting Hotel gates, which saved them from being washed away. SC saved Hotel because he thinks such an old building would have been washed away. There was a flood relief thing went on. Several people had new cars in garage. SC couldn't claim anything but he had 3 / 6d to have his suit cleaned.

Fortescue Estate asked for help, So they went with tractors and ropes and pulled all carpets out of windows. Then army came in with machinery. Back of Hotel was filled up with sand, bee-hives, dead poultry and debris. It was 4ft lower than front of hotel. Bottom of hotel was more or less rebuilt through flood relief.

After breaking windows and doors they went in bar and drank bottle of rum. It tasted just like water because they were so cold. Visitors were upstairs panicking. [Back to top]
 

2/6

HOAROAK / SHEPHERDING

He and his wife [Millie] weren't married at the time of the flood, they weren't married until 1953 [confirmed by Millie, sitting in background]. In 1952, when he was lambing, they'd got Hoaroak Herding. It was at least three miles from any tarmac. He went out there for month. No electricity, no telephones, no news papers, you could have post Saturday. If it was only penny postcard you didn't get it until next Saturday. Hoaroak is still standing today. Park has kept roof on it just as rest area for walkers. He once asked old shepherd what date was. He replied that he didn't need to know what date it was! So SC took pony to Furzehill to find out, it was a Sunday.

Dear old Gertie Antell, the shepherd's wife, had got dicky heart. SC had been up early, waiting for light to see sheep, found her laid out on carpet. Rode on motorbike to Honeymead to fetch Millie (they were courting then). They rode back across country, to find the woman in the yard sawing logs with cross cut saw. She was amazing woman, who could take pony into Furzehill and bring back 2cwt bag of meal across saddle for pigs. The shepherd and his wife lived all the time at the cottage. Abbie used to like his Guinness. He'd got gout. They used to have marking days for lambs. Farm Manager would come out to count lambs. If it was good they would go for drink at Queen's Hotel at Lynmouth [tells story about Abbie drunk, injuring mouth with pipe.] [pause for cup of tea] [Back to top]
 

2/7

SOCIAL LIFE-RABBITING / BAND / DANCING

As for social life when he was younger, he enjoyed going ferreting, poaching rabbits. He liked music but didn't stick to it. They used to knit their own [rabbit] nets with hemp string. Gregory came round collecting rabbits. Catching moles and drying skins made a few shillings. You had to turn them inside out and pack them with paper. They used to dance.

He played in dance band for twenty odd years. He played old.-fashioned music, on drums, sometimes saxophone. He played in old shed with some boys who liked accordions. They started playing for dances, two or three nights a week if they wanted, playing quadrilles, Lancers, Dashing White Sergeant, barn dance, velita. All the old set dances. Then, as time went on, guitars and the electric into music and that was the end, the electric guitar saw them out. They played everywhere, almost up to Bridgwater, all around South Molton. They opened Lyslade Hall at Old Cleeve, they had £1 a piece. They got £1 between them for playing extra hour. They played for opening of Shillingford and Petton village hall. It was tiring because of travelling then getting up early next morning.

One of chaps had a van to take equipment, another had car. There were three accordions, drums, piano, some times saxophone. Soprano saxophone and accordion went very well together. Most of band still around. Although they talked about getting together again they haven't. You'd get a group which would follow you around, 20 or 30, which made start of good night. They ended up known as Exmoor Accordion Band. There are still pictures of them around. They last played in possibly 1955-60, something like that.

These days they don't do set dances. There's eight people in set. He learnt to dance because t here wasn't much else to do apart from whist drives. Lot of dances were very strict. He went to dance at Exford, not to play but to dance, but wasn't allowed in because he'd only got ordinary shoes on. You had to have proper dancing shoes. There was an old chap out Exford who was the MC, Tibby Adams, who was strict old blighter. If you weren't dressed tidily with collar and tie on you weren't allowed in. SC's band used to MC themselves, one of the boys who played the accordion did it. [Back to top]
 

2/8

RETIREMENT / STABLE FLAT / FORTESCUE MEMORIES

He didn't play sport at all, but today he enjoys watching rugby union, because neighbour's son very active. He watched him being brought on at school. Played bit of darts. Although never went to pub, even when they were a gang in village, unless one of them went in for packet of cigarettes, and that was unusual.

He didn't play part in running of church, but they go to church regularly in Simonsbath. Their parents are buried there. They have played a part in keeping churchyard tidy. He hopes youngsters will do a bit more to it

He retired from Fortescue after forty-two years. He got a medal and certificates, wonderful day at Devon County Show. The president was Sayers, his wife takes an active part on Dartmoor. He was told by Fortescue Estate, Countess of Arran that he could have his house rent free for rest of life. He said it was worth bucketful of gold watches when you think what people pay in rent these days.

He moved back into present house in 1966. By that time house had been modernised. Electricity had been put. They could use as much as they wanted. You used to have to turn light off if it looked as if it was going down, so that people who had paid for it could have it.

He can look out of his window at what was old stables now part of a hotel. Original pillars are still there. When conversion being done to cafe and holiday flats he took hundreds of photographs. He thinks it has been done so well. There is no scar to building, even when they rebuilt the stone they matched in the colour of cement with old stonework. Roof on holiday flats, it used to be called the wool chamber, is sagging two foot below level, but it's been re-enforced inside so that it's hundred per cent safe.

Cafe on other side brings back memories of driving horses in morning so they could have a feed before he went to work. Before it was stables it was an implement shed. All men gathered there in morning. Farm bailiff would tell them what to do that day. He remembered Mr Hayes, best farm manager they ever had. Wonderful grass management. He would come down in morning with an old envelope written with what he wanted you to do. You would go off with tractor. Quite a workforce in those days. Two gangs of four which would be going off fencing all through winter. He wouldn't have the stockmen, it would just be the workmen that would come that morning. [Back to top]
 

2/9

WALLING / END HORSES / FORTESCUE FARMING PRACTICES / ENP / REGRETS

The men did all stone walling as well. Regrettably one of walls that went down was one of Knight's boundary walls of what he bought in beginning. It's gone to ground. National Park will eventually repair it and then remove wire fence running along beside it. Stone walling is very expensive to do.

Regrettably last horse died up at Burncott, at top of forest near Wintershead. They kept horses until they died naturally.

He was working for estate when transition was made from horses to tractors. he had one of first new tractors. It was little grey Fergie supplied from Gliddons of Williton.

The estate drivelled along then until 1958. Things came to head when Lord and Lady Fortescue died within a week of each other, with two lots of death duties to pay. They brought in seven trustees that sold off chunks. That brought money to estate and it really built up then. It went on improving for several years then it started to fade back. They brought management people in to sort out Estate. They decide Castle Hill should be centre of estate. They spent lot of money on house and also building up dairies, there were five different dairy herds, they wanted to get up to eight hundred cows to milk, but it was only surviving by subsidies . So they finally sold up to put Castle Hill right.

The National Park was saviour of Exmoor. Had he retired from the Fortescue Estate and not been involved with the park he should have been like a prisoner in his own house. Since he retired he has had talks with their farm management and he's allowed to walk anywhere on the estate. Which is lovely, he can now look after their sheep as well as work for park [as honorary warden].

Things which stick in his mind are some of stupid things he did which didn't help Exmoor. When younger, working so hard, you begin to think Exmoor belongs to you, even though you get wage, that if you didn't do things right estate would suffer. Several things like wire fences. They were an eyesore, luckily National Park has taken them away. Once they made a track down side of valley to feed cattle. Today he would have put cattle somewhere else. He thought they did things in younger day which weren't beneficial to Exmoor. Age makes you see these stupid things. You go on working, thinking you've got to get this done and that done before weekend. Now you think it's a pity we put that fence down there, pity we made track along side that valley, pity we dug that great ditch alongside there. Today you would do it different to help Exmoor and people who come to see Exmoor. They used to feed stock on the ground. Now National Park won't allow that to prevent poaching [disturbing ground]. If you get it poached with a lot of hoof marks, water gets into roots of grass, then frost gets into roots of grass. Tractors, great four wheel-drive things, they make huge ruts. [Back to top]
 

2/10

LANDSCAPE / CHANGES IN FARMING

Since SC came to work there farming landscape has changed very little. Estate had got policy of ploughing up forty or fifty acres a year, planting into rape to fatten lambs, but what was ploughed last year would go back to grass. Now all that land is grass. Most of it now belongs to National Park, with grazing arrangement with the estate. The present estate, Ashrop Farms Limited, can only keep stock in certain fields at certain times. Now staff consists of only two workman, two stockmen and three shepherds and farm manager.

SC has been out of farming five or six years. Stock rating has completely changed. They're lambing in 17,000 sheep on same piece of ground where they used to lamb in 500 or 600. They used to calve in 100 cows; now they talk about going and buying 100 cows. He doesn't think it can work because they have ate ground bare before lambing and calving. They can't let sheep out into forests quick enough to let fields survive. They have to use so much nitrogen it's tearing guts out of fields. You could be outspoken and say they're in it for the subsidies, and he thinks you'd be knocking on the door there.

When he worked there they lambed and calved outside, everything was outside. They lamb outside now but each shepherd has little lambing shed big enough to hold thirty sheep and they use old silage sheds and barns when weather is so bad. This last Easter, when the weather was so foul, they used anywhere, putting bales about fields for shelter breaks. Easter was disaster because they had 7-8 inches of snow, as lambs were born they were buried in snow and dead as soon as they were born. .

Cattle are calved outside as well but they have tremendous sheds at Barton with cubicles. They still have Galloway crosses but also have Limousin crosses, which seems to work all right with cubicles and out run yards to feed, mainly on big bales. So they haven't got to be fed exactly every day, they can put in certain amount to last a day or two.. Stockmen are keen on this because they can see when cow likely to calve and they'll take them from cubicles and put it shed on their own. The only problem is, you can only keep them indoors for so long, and with this terrible weather if they go out in cold they get calf scour. Majority of farmers keep cattle in during winter to preserve ground. Nowadays National Park won't allow people to keep cattle out, to prevent poaching of ground.

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