 |
Home
Braishfield Memories: The Book - some of the contributors, some of the quotes
The involvement of Braishfield School
Braishfield Memories: The Book Launch
|
|
|
|
Braishfield Memories: The Book - some of the contributors, some of the quotes
Location: Hampshire
Braishfield Memories contains memories of 38 people who have lived in the village over the past 100 years. Here is a small selection.
Henry William Dewey (1888-1976) was known as Ibby in the village and is believed to have written From The Top Of Crook Hill in the 1970s. It was held in safekeeping by the Women's Institute.
"About seventy-five years ago a man and wife lived here by the name of Gear. He was a farm labourer. When he was round the fields if he saw a loose stick poked in the hedge he would pull it out and take it home for the fire. A young gent just for a game put a small charge of gunpowder in the end of an old forshore* and put it in the hedge so it could be seen. Gear saw it and took it home for the fire. The wife put it in and the kettle was soon blown off. No damage was done but the young gent had a lecture from his father.
*forshore – It has not been possible to trace a definition of this word in any dictionary. Its likely meaning is a bit of waste wood from a piece used as a shore or prop.
Ann Chant edited extracts from The Braishfield School Log Books, the Victorian Log Books kept at the Hampshire Record Office.
"January 31st 1896 The school was used (by Board's consent) last evening by the Big Chapel Temperance Band of Hope who gave a 'Magic Lantern Entertainment' (free) to the children who are members, and made a charge of 2d for the adults. Almost the whole time there was a disgraceful noise, with feet, which was accompanied with shouting. Master heard the noise almost ¾ mile off. The smaller Desks (used by the First Standard) are damaged much by the friction with the Fourteen year old men's hob-nailed understandings."
Norman Goodland's contribution, From A Countryman's Diary, was edited from several of his radio scripts. He is Hampshire born and bred. He and his wife, Sylvia, came to Braishfield in the 1940s as dairyman and dairywoman at Malthouse Farm. A writer and poet, he started broadcasting with the BBC in the 1960s, giving talks on farming and the countryside.
"When my wife and I came to work as dairywoman and dairyman in Braishfield and were newly moved in to Malt House Farm Cottage, we took a break from decorating at The Newport, spattered with whitewash. We're still reminded of it from time to time. Miraculously, it has hardly changed from those times with the result that everybody, town or country, knows it and its week-ends are packed – with Janet at the piano."
"As we ordered – there was a burst of hammering on the cellar ceiling beneath our feet. Janet said without batting an eyelid, 'Woodworm!' But Bernard said, 'The Health Man again. We're boarding the cellar ceiling so the dust and the germs don't fall in the beer when you walk about!' 'But', I said, 'The beer's in cask and you pump straight-up from it!' 'Well!' reflected Bernard, 'You know that – I know that – and so do the germs. But these days we got to do as we're told by those above us – here and in Brussels – who get paid a lot of our money – for knowing jugger-all!'"
Dilys Grieve (1906-2001) writes about her Elm Grove Childhood.
"One Sunday evening our parents had gone to church when there was suddenly a terrific mooing of cattle and confusion in the cow pens. So, plucking up courage, my sister and I went out to find Sam Munday, the dairyman, tying the cows in their stalls without much success. When I asked him what he was doing he said, “milking’”, surprised at my question. When I told him they had been milked I pointed to the setting sun. He said, "Good heavens, I be somewhere today." Apparently he had taken too much beer earlier and fell asleep in the lane on his way back to his cottage at Fern Hill. On waking he thought it was early morning and was, as he thought, making up for his Sunday afternoon lapse by being very early Monday morning! He came in for much teasing when it became known in the village."
Ena Ninnim and Maggie bachelor, The Glister Sisters, were born in Braishfield, two of the -eight children of Annie Kathleen and Walter Glister.
"During the war there was a gun encampment up at the top of the village behind the church where Merrie Mead is, in those fields going up to Fernhill. Ampfield Wood was full of Americans and they came down the fields to the pub. They were very friendly and always gave us children sweets. The village people were encouraged to invite them into their houses to have cups of tea and chats and there were two especial ones that came to us. One played the guitar and we sang “The Yellow Rose of Texas” and other songs, too."
John Saunders (1939-1994), The Builder, was born and lived all his life in Braishfield. As builder and handyman, he must have, in his time, worked in almost every house in the village. His legacy was considerable. The Braishfield Village News was his brainchild as was the Braishfield Country Fair, the first of its kind in the country.
"As young boys we did some pretty gruesome things in the school lunch-break, such as putting some Carbide into a Tizer bottle into which someone added some water (produced by natural means). The bottle was shaken vigorously and then thrown some distance. Within a minute or so it exploded, but as far as I know no one was ever hurt!
"I suppose the masterpiece was performed by some of the older boys who, after studying the layout of the toilet block, decided that whilst the girls and boys toilets were separated by a brick wall above seat level, they were interconnected below. A long pole was liberated from the Head Mistress's garden to which was attached a large bunch of fresh stinging nettles. When it was calculated that the girls were all comfortably seated the pole was passed down through the last seat hole in the boys toilet and then turned horizontally and passed along the tunnel along the row of girls toilet seats which, you will remember, were all occupied. The screams had to be heard to be believed and although I was not involved in this episode I well remember the canings that followed."
Rita Stitt and Margaret Old are Rita And Girlie. Their chapter is edited from a transcript of conversations with the children of Braishfield School when they were invited to talk to them about their school days and memories in June 1995.
"We were never allowed a fountain pen. We wrote with old, scratchy pens and we hated the new nibs which were even worse. And we had ink. Every Monday the monitor mixed up the ink powder in a big enamel jug with a spout on it and went round filling the ink wells every day.
"Up at the Rectory they kept what they called 'the baby box' which had everything in it for a newborn baby, blankets, nightdresses for the mother, and baby clothes. When a baby was going to arrive the baby box went to the house and they kept it for about six weeks before it was returned to the Rectory ready for the next baby. Milk and food was delivered every day from the Rectory when the mother was in bed with the baby or if anyone was ill."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
