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Eighty-eight–year-old Frank
Farr is a familiar face in East Budleigh. Apart from 1939-45,
when he was in the army, he has lived and worked in the village
all his life. Over the years, Frank has jotted down memories
of what village life was like during the past century, and
over the coming months he will be writing about his recollections
for your Journal.
AFTER Lady Rolle passed away in 1885, for short time Bicton house, land and shooting rights were let to an American millionaire call McMilland. >>
ON farms on Sundays only the milking and feeding of cattle, horses, pigs and poultry took place. >>
IN the late 1920s to the ’40s, the late Mrs Layman
looked after the cassocks and surplices of the All Saints’
Church, mending and washing them. >>
There were three large cider presses known as pounds in
East Budleigh. From October to November the farmers and their
men would have long poles to spike the apples down>>
Local cricket matches were played regularly during the summer
months
There were a number of teams, East Budleigh, Lord Clinton’s
XI, Sir John Kennaway’s team, Lord Coldridge’s eleven
and many more village teams played at Bicton Park >>
Spring is now with us. In the past one would have seen the ploughman
with two horses ploughing the fields. Usually he would do about
an acre a day. Starting
at 6.30am, the ploughmen would feed and water their horses,
inspect the harness, fill up their firkins with cider, go back
home for breakfast and then at about 8.30am set off to plough.
>>
Working hours at Bicton Gardens were 6.30am until 5.30pm. The
head gardeners were Mr H Hyde and Mr L McMaskie. The gardens
were open for the Red Cross and for charities. >>
We had two slaughterhouses in East Budleigh. One still stands
and has been converted into a small bungalow. The butcher
there was Tom Spurways. The other was Bob Drake, situated
at the top of Pound Lane. >>
In Lord Rolle’s time the working hours at Bicton were
6.30am to 5.30pm. On the west wall of the house and gardens
was the private zoo. One can still see parts of the brick
arches to this day >>
When I was a youngster. the winters seemed much harder than
they are now. In the building trade, for example, many men
were frequently out of work until the thaw set in >>
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