Oral history interviews relating to Weasenham
- AUD 9
- Fonds
- 1979-early 1980s
Oral history interviews relating to Weasenham
Interview by Glynn Burrows of Harry Clark of Weasenham.
Relates to farming in and around Weasenham. Gives names and describes where they lived; recalls school life, including building work at school; mentions working life, relating to sheep farming, recalls sheep fair 'coming down from Scotland' and moved to Hempton. Recorded on side A only.
Interview by Glynn Burrows of Mrs Barley nee Bear.
Side A (track 1 on CD copies) relates to Mrs Barley's early childhood [early 1900s] in Weasenham and to various members of her family. Detailed description of immediate family history, and where various people lived in Weasenham; detailed account of being burnt all over body as a child and seeing 'Dr Highmore of Litcham'; living in house owned by 'Jack Arthur'; detailed description of school days at Weasenham [All Saints National] School, describing school Christmas parties and how the 'Dowager Countess of Leicester' would give tree from Weasenham with presents hung on it for each of the children [between 1909 and 1937], and how children refused to go to school because of unpopularity of school mistress, playing truant, names of school pupils given; how her half brother Philip won scholarship but couldn't take up his place due to lack of money; helping at Weasenham St Peter's Sunday School; describes childrens Sunday best for church; describes what she ate as a child; describes gleening and her father taking corn to [Great] Massingham mill.
Side B (track 2 on CD copies) continues describing childhood, including what she got up to in spare time, 'I was a right tom boy'; anecdote about having to right lines at school following aniseed ball incident; severely injuring tongue and risk of choking; buying fish (kippers, bloaters, white herring from man from Litcham; eating chicken, rabbit, pheasant that she had poached; going mushrooming and black berrying; selling Christmas cards; standing outside Fox and Hounds public house [Weasenham St Peter] on Boxing Day to see off hunt; describes where they got their clothes from, mother making shirts and trousers and selling them; continues talking about family members and what happened to them.
Georgina Caroline Coke; 1852-1937; Countess of Leicester