CD2

(72 mins)
 

2/1

BUTCHER / QUEUE FOR PAPER / EARLY CONDITIONS / SANITATION / ADJUSTING / GUARDIAN ANGEL / 22 YEARS AT LUXBOROUGH / LOOKING TO MOVE / LOCAL CONNECTIONS / MAKING CHANGES TO SHOP

The butcher came once a week, Friday afternoon, Shepherds from Washford. That was a great day because he brought the Free Presses. There was always a queue Friday afternoon for the paper.

Going back to the beginning, they didn't have any electric light or water, no indoor toilet. Water was from a well under kitchen floor. They didn't have a garden at the shop, their sanitation was at the river side, with the toilet two steps above the river. You had to dip your water to flush from the river. The shop was right on the corner of the village, in Kingsbridge. Luxborough was in 3 parts, Kingsbridge, Pooltown, and up the hill, where the church was, was Churchtown.

Eventually they got bath and toilet put upstairs, and when electricity came in 1953 had an electric pump fitted to well and pumped up into the roof so they could flush upstairs. But it was 7 years before they got away from the tin bath in front of the fire.

He thinks he's one of these people who just adjusts. [describes switch from retail business to Scapa Flow]. It's his guardian angel. Vera adapted quite well [to Luxborough]. They were there 22 years. Looking back they should have been looking for something after 15 years, although they were very happy there. But they brought their boy, Guy, up there, but they weren't making any big pennies. His wife had been brought up in the country, coming to Woolston was coming home and her mother's family came from Exebridge. If they could improve their lot, and bring it more up to date, they did.

The 2 sisters had run the shop for 25 years. Nothing had ever changed. They had to make a certain amount of changes to the shop, but not quickly. Eventually they got a deep freeze cabinet, and automatic scales. He's still got the scales, and the bell to the shop door. They never had anything unless they could afford it. [Back to top]
 

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GETTING ABOUT IN EARLY DAYS / CYCLING / MICHAEL THORNE / MOVING IN /BECOMING PART OF COMMUNITY / CECILY COOPER'S BOOK / FUND RAISING

They never had a car for 7 years. [describes how to get to Woolston] Vera had an autocycle. He got around on his bicycle, and hired a taxi once a fortnight to do the banking in Williton. Cycling was no hardship to him [describes where's he's been on his bike, including going to the races].

They didn't deliver for 7 years as they didn't have a car. They had young lad, Michael Thorne, helping. He now runs a good butcher's shop in Wiveliscombe. He's proud of him and his sister Irene, who works in Lloyds.

When they moved in the wall outside was full of grown ups and kids watching them unload. It didn't take him long to get them on his side, by just being one of them. Throws himself into anything. He's mentioned in Cicely Cooper's book 'Memories of Selworthy and West Somerset'. He raised money for Nursing Association and village hall and church. Got involved with church. [Back to top]
 

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CHURCH / REV JENOURE / YOUNGEST OF CONGREGATION / PRESSING FOR CHURCH COUNCIL / NICKNAMES / TAKING SERVICE / DEPUTY CHURCH WARDEN / STARTING CHILDREN'S SERVICE / MR BARFIELD /BEING ACCEPTED / POPULARITY OF CHILDREN'S SERVICE / REV JENOURE'S RETIREMENT

When they came to Luxborough there weren't many people in the church congregation, and they were mostly ancient. The vicar was Rev Courtenay Jenoure. Luxborough was connected with Cutcombe from end of 13^th century. Rev Jenoure over 90 when he retired. He would come by taxi from Cutcombe. FM looked around and thought, 'I'm the youngest.' There was the old vicar, 2 church wardens, old Mr Barfield, old Lady Mildred Malet, old Jack Scott, old Mrs Maddock, to name a few. Miss Stark played the organ.

There was nobody his age. Lady Malet and John Barfield were wardens. At first vestry meeting he pressed for forming of church council. Teddy Webber and Arthur Tarr were there, and someone called Sparrow Taylor [talks about nicknames]. He wasn't very popular, but it didn't put him off. Suggested they had different tunes. Eventually they gave in and elected a church  council. Eventually everybody accepted it. They tried new tunes, but it wasn't very popular. Eventually, as vicar got older, he'd ring FM up and ask him to take the service while he preached. He was accepted as deputy church warden in Sir Edward Malet's place (who was serving abroad).

In the meanwhile, he had started a children's service on Sunday afternoon. Eventually the vicar, and Mr Barfield (who was one of his biggest contenders when he wanted to bring things up to date) died. Mr Barfield lived in the original Luxborough Arms, called Rosebud then. He gave FM his swagger stick.

He thinks people accepted him quite quickly. He did push a bit for the church council, but he had to take things carefully. But in the end he was probably getting 30 or 40 people to the children's service, until the children grew older or moved away. And then the new vicar came when Parson Jenoure eventually retired. [Back to top]
 

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STANDING IN FOR VICAR / BECOMING FULL CHURCH WARDEN / REV JENOURE / MARTIN LANGDON AND ARTHUR TARR / DECORATING CHURCH

Then things changed, obviously they had to. But the foundations had been laid.

The vicar used to ring him up on Sunday afternoon, about 5 o'clock and ask him to take the service. Nobody else could take it, unless he could find a locum. By this time John Barfield had died, so he was made full church warden, which is why the vicar asked him. A church warden is not a lay reader, so officially he's not allowed to preach, unless it's a special thing, but you're allowed to take morning prayer or evening prayer. [tells story of vicar losing glasses at funeral service.] Martin Langdon was the gravedigger, he worked for Squire Beadle at Timberscombe on withy beds. He was a bell ringer. Christmas Eve they always rang [tells story about Martin Langdon and Arthur Tarr].

The church was decorated with flowers at Christmas and Easter, picked from the hedges. There was plenty available in those days. [Back to top]
 

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SUPPORTER OF BOTH CHAPEL AND CHURCH / CLOSURE OF LUXBOROUGH CHAPEL / PREACHER SAMMY COLES / BEULAH CHAPEL / HEATH POULT / ROYAL OAK / SIXPENNY HOPS / ERNIE SLADE / SOCIALISING / GIVING ADVICE

He is quite ecumenical. Supports chapel as well. Disappointed to see Luxborough chapel has gone. Remembers it being packed out at harvest festival. There was a plaque in the chapel, commemorating the great Sammy Coles. He was a great local preacher [gives background]. Years ago, the only public house was Ralegh's Cross. No others allowed because Lord Trevelyan was a teetotaller. Sammy liked a drink but saw the light and became a famous local preacher. Most of the chapels were built in the iron ore days by Billy Bray's Bible Christians who came up from Cornwall. He's delighted they keep Beulah chapel going. That would have been in the 1840s/1850s. He's not sure if there was a pub at Heath Poult then. Poult was a rabbit, or was it a pheasant?

The Royal Oak was kept by Miss Bessie Vicary, with slate floor and scrub-topped tables. It was a tough old place when he went there first. Then there'd be sixpenny hops in the village hall. Ernie Slade from Timberscombe would play the squeeze box, people would fight.

He was friends with Mrs Vicary but didn't go in the pub much. He didn't want to offend anyone, so didn't socialise in there as he couldn't afford to offend. He thinks that enhanced his standing in the village. He acted as citizen's advice bureau in a way. People who went in the pub never thought any the less of him for not going in. He could slip up Ralegh's Cross if he wanted, but the Luxborough pub was too close, it could have go too easy. Feels the same now. [Back to top]
 

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MAIN LANDOWNERS - CROWN ESTATE, SIR EDWARD MALET, FORESTRY COMMISSION / FARM OWNERSHIP / MALET FAMILY / CHARGOT

The Crown Estate was the main landowner. They owned a lot of land towards Couple Cross, towards Clicket. Sir Edward Malet owned quite a bit around Luxborough itself. The Forestry Commission also owned land. Some farms were privately owned - Nurcott, Parsonage, Eastcott and another one, Newcombe, where Freddie Scott was. All farmed by the same family. Gosemoor was another Scott. He gave old Jack Scott his old marine greatcoat.

He was quite friendly with the Malet family. They were quite friendly to him, coming into the shop and post office and supporting him as a person. Not financially, as they found it difficult to exist themselves at times. [describes 2 mugs Sir Edward gave him when he retired from the shop.] Sir Edward was a typical army colonel. Lady Malet was Swiss-Austrian, charming. They were a Roman Catholic family, but Sir Edward still maintained his parents' line, Church of England.

Eventually Lady Malet's sister came to live at Chargot, Mrs Beer, who was quite an artist. Her husband Sidney Beer was a conductor with the National Symphony Orchestra. The only ones left now are Micaela Beckett at Cutcombe and Mary Jane in Australia, and Harry, also in Australia. Chargot was built by Sir Thomas Lethbridge. [Back to top]
 

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LUXBOROUGH INDUSTRIES / FORESTRY / FORESTRY WORKERS / ELECTRICITY / FIRST TELEVISION SET / CLOSURE OF SAWMILLS AND BLACKSMITH'S / TRACTION ENGINE / LOCAL WORKING FAMILIES

Farming and forestry were the main industry round Luxborough. In the period after the war there was a lot of clear felling of timber, with lorries going to Wales. That changed when the pits closed. Nowadays they use a lot of it for chipboard. The Forestry Commission employed quite a lot of people at one time.

[pause for tea]

 The main employer at that time was the Forestry Commission. He can think of Fred Purser, and Jack Burton. Dear Miss Jordan came eventually, from Croydon, and worked on the forestry. She lived in a gypsy caravan at Hazery. She worked in the office, and outside as well. Freddie Strawbridge was another forester. A lot of young fellers came from Dorset and lived in caravans, rough in the woods, felling. Charlie Badger was another well known forester, a Welshman. His wife was a Wiveliscombe girl.

Electricity came to Luxborough 1953. He remembers, they (Charlie and his wife) lived in rooms at Monkham Farm with Mrs Maddick. They were the first people to have a television set and he remembers being invited up there, he thinks to see the coronation.

The sawmills, at Pooltown, closed pretty soon after they got there. And the blacksmiths. They still had a big traction engine, Nethercotts from Roadwater, coming up to pull out timber and go thrashing. He still remembers members of the Moor family, who lived behind the post office and were active in hedging and ditching. [Back to top]
 

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SOCIALISING / RAISING NIECE BRENDA / ALICE TAYLOR / SON GUY / GRANDCHILDREN

[BJ asks about social life]. They were friendly with John Hill, postmaster in Minehead; Mavis and Ken Grabham from Timberscombe (the blacksmith); Mavis's family at Treborough, Lower Court Farm - Tom Bishop, her father, was a great Exmoor sheep judge.

They brought his unmarried sister's child up from when she was 7 or 8. She [his niece] was married at Luxborough church. They very rarely had a wedding at Luxborough in those days, they got funerals but didn't get too many weddings. [tells story about Alice Taylor, who he only ever saw in church at funerals]. His niece was called Brenda. She died of cancer a few years ago. She lived in Alcombe.

Guy, his son, was born in Minehead in 1943. Went to Luxborough school, dear Miss Cooper was his headmistress, and then to Ilminster Boys Grammar School. He has done very well. He worked for BBC outside broadcast department (lighting). They met once by chance at Guildford Cathedral when Guy was involved in the broadcast of a church service there. He's retired now, but still goes back and works for BBC Wales.

FM has 2 grandchildren, Kate in Scotland and Gareth in Taunton. [Back to top]
 

2/9

BRENDA / DR ATKINS / DR HARDMAN / NEWMAN FAMILY

Brenda, his niece, was a bit younger than Guy but they didn't see much of each other because he was away at boarding school [talks about Brenda].

Dr Atkinson was their doctor at Luxborough. A wonderful character, an ex-naval person, based at Dunster. He was the main doctor, very strict. Refused to see an old lady who'd cycled down without an appointment. Nevertheless, he was a very good doctor. [BJ asks about Dr Hardman, fellow contributor to archive] He remembers Dr Hardman coming to West Somerset, coming up valley from Roadwater (original name of road from Washford, through Roadwater to Luxborough, was called the valis  florida by the monks of Cleeve Abbey) and you could hear the medicine bottles shaking in the back of his old landrover. He came into the area, almost unannounced, lived up at Leighland, put up his plate and started to do his medicine. There was no practice there, he gradually developed it. Guy was on his books through their connection with Mrs Newman, who taught the Coronation Art Club for kids on Saturday afternoons. Dr Hardman had a surgery there [describes the Newmans]. [Back to top]