Throughout the 1940s and ’50s Woodbury was truly a rural village. Four herds of cows used to traverse it every day, as all the farms seemed to have fields on the opposite side of the village to the farm!

There was Havill's from Higher Venmore, Stamp's from Woodbury House, Norton's from Cornishes Farm and ours from Webbers Farm (pictured here coming in for milking in 1962). Every so often all would meet on this corner of Bonfire Lane.

When such an unfortunate occurrence took place, the cows made a certain noise which is easily recognised by a farmer as "trouble".

If having breakfast at Webbers and the noise was heard, one shot out into the road to try to keep them apart.

Sometimes it was successful and sometimes not.

Sometimes it took a day or more to get each one back into its appropriate herd when they passed next time.

Villagers would come out of their cottages to collect the ensuing residue left on the road to feed their tomatoes!

If you look closely at this picture what do you notice? Not a car in sight - I don't think such an exercise would be possible today!