Rook shooting – and a very tasty pie

• Frank Farr

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

FOOD and drink from the 1910s-20s.
The late Harry Weaton and Frank Weaton at The Otter in Colaton Raleigh brewed their own beer for many years.

The brew house is still standing today but has been converted into part of the pub.

Every Tuesday, when going to school in East Budleigh, you could see the Customs and Excise officer ride through the village on his cycle to test the gravity of the beer. It was the same on Thursdays.

Most pubs brought their cider from local farms. In the winter months most pubs had a good coal and log fire and put the poker in.

When red hot they would put it in the cider to warm it. It would also take some of the acid out of the cider if it was a bit sharp.

There were very few spirits sold in those days, unless someone had a cold.
Food in pubs was bread and cheese, or sometimes homemade pasties.

In Colaton Raleigh, the late Frank Stuart was known as Mayor of Colaton.

In the rook shooting season (spring), they would have a rook supper in the old village hall.

The mayor would preside over the supper. The rooks were cooked by Baker Pidgon at East Budleigh along with the vegetables and brought up, very hot, in his van.

This also happened with a rabbit supper in January. The part of the rook that was cooked was the breast. I have had rook pie many times and it was good!

Food was more wholesome in those days, not just junk food that we see today.
No-one had a fridge, not even the butcher, so meat had to be used up quickly. A good family joint cost around two shillings and sixpence (13p), a breast of lamb (known as lamb's waist coast, for making stew) cost four shillings and sixpence (23p).

All vegetables were field or garden grown organic.

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