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Mrs Winifred Playford (nee Spinks)
Published 2009 
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I loved the village life and the people were all so friendly. As I walked through the streets on the way home there was always someone with whom one could chat or pass the time of day. Perhaps, it was ‘Old Bob’ as we called him delivering some shoes that he had repaired. He was a complete cripple and always got about on crutches, was very tiny, very cheerful and did a marvellous job of repairing. In fact one felt that he was doing a great favour in accepting ones’ repairs. He lived alone in a small wooden hut that was always overpoweringly hot with its tortoise stove going full blast. If one called at night with repairs, his wooden bench was usually occupied by young people who were glad to share the warmth of his hut and have a chat and watch his nimble fingers at work on a cold winters’ night.

If the weather was fine and mild I would normally see ‘Sally’ a very, very tiny but industrious little woman, sitting in her cottage doorway knitting for dear life. I have never seen needles click so fast. It was said that she could easily knit a sock in a day, and I expect she made her livelihood by doing this work.

Then farther down the street I often met Fanny and Ella, and their friend May. If it was about 4 o’clock one could be sure that they were on their way to school – the school cleaners in fact. Ella ‘the strong one’ was wheeling Fanny (who was completely helpless, and very frail) in her invalid basket work chair, and the little party were going quite cheerfully along, to brush and sweep and clean the school, fill the oil lamps, lay the fires, and make all spotlessly clean for the next mornings session. Fanny would sit patiently in her chair near the door whilst Ella and May were bustling about. Then very early next morning the little party would set off up the street again. This time it was to light the big tortoise stoves and the open grates, so that it was nice and warm when the pupils came along. Ella also found time to help Mrs Steward, the village or rather ‘Church Organist’. Who was a widow, and had six small children. They all loved ‘Ella’, who was like a second mother to them.

I must just mention Owen Johnson who would dig our large vegetable garden over, for a few shillings a day. I think he really enjoyed his days in our garden as Mother always gave him a substantial mid-day meal (as she knew that he lived alone) and he greatly appreciated this, and loved her rabbit pie, and perhaps a jam roly-poly pudding to follow!

My four aunts often came to stay with us for their holidays and the only vehicle that we could hire to fetch them from Lakenheath Station was the ‘Brougham’ from the Oak Hotel. It took quite half an hour to cover the three miles, as the horse went jogging unhurriedly along. My sister and I like to go and meet them, as it was quite an event to drive along in this manner. What a pity those days have gone.

I think Mr Symonds, who also had a newsagent’s shop, owned the first taxicab in the village. He also drove Mrs Newcome around when she went visiting. She lived in a very large house in the centre of the village, which alas, has now been pulled down, and in its place is a housing estate, and playing fields. But I am so glad to see that some of her lovely trees have been retained, and that the young people in the village have such a good games field. When I was a child, cowslips grew in profusion there, now there is not one to be seen.

Before the car became popular, one could hire a wagonette and take the family for an afternoon drive. On a Sunday my father would sometimes do this, and we children found it so exciting to be taken out for a drive on a sunny afternoon in summer. I have not seen a wagonette for years, but it was quite a high cart with long seats on each side and held about eight people and the driver. So it was just right for us. We often drove to Breckland, and I loved going through the avenues of trees, the pines smelling so deliciously. We were always told very sternly that we must sit still or we would fall out, which, incidentally I did once, but no harm was done.

Ever since I can remember we always had good shops in Feltwell. There were three large ‘Grocers and Drapers’ combined, that sold practically everything that one could require, from sugar and dried fruit (weighed out into blue bags) to cottons, calico and prints, to boots and brushes and hats and hairpins.

There were three bakeries too, and the bakers went from door to door selling all sorts of crusty loaves and currant buns and cakes still warm and fresh from the oven. My favourite was the cottage loaf – always very popular. People ate more bread in those days, as it was wholesome and cheap and good food for a large family.

There were good butchers too, and they slaughtered their own beasts and prepared them for selling in the shop. It was always a sad day for us when Mr Anderson, the butcher’s assistant came for our pigs and drove them up the lane. Later in the week some came back to us. We had pork for salting and some for making pork cheese or sausages. The legs of pork went to Mr Ralphe to be smoked for hams over an oak log fire. They looked very good when they came back to us and were hung up in the pantry for the festive season.

Of course, as children, we were more interested in the sweet shops. On our way to school we passed ‘Lamberts’ a small confectioners kept by two very sweet maiden ladies. They were so patient with us when we went in their shop to spend one penny, or at most twopence. They had bottles of brightly coloured boiled sweets in the window, in their shining glass bottles, bags of very pink sherbet, or long strings of curly black liquorice.

There was also Mrs Walden’s shop, situated very conveniently near the school, and was a great favourite. She was so kind and always had a smile for us.

Another popular shop belonged to Miss Polly Pryer, and she sold practically everything and was open until late at night for oddments one might need in a hurry, such as cough sweets, linctuses, reels of cotton, even paraffin and odd groceries all were obtainable there.

Mr Buttinfant, the chemist, came over from Methwold, once a week, in his horse and cart delivering odd medicaments, or liniments or whatever one needed for any sort of ache or pain.

We did not need him though, for Mother could usually cure our small ailments with a dose of ‘Owbridges cough Care’ or some ‘Syrup of figs’ or a little loving care.

I think that sixty or so years ago, families really enjoyed taking walks together. We often walked with Mother to Methwold or Hockwold to visit relations or friends, and as I may have mentioned, the favourite walk on a Sunday afternoon for the mums and children and perhaps two infants in a high pram was always the Lodge Road. I loved to walk through the avenue of trees just past the Rectory grounds. They met in the middle and it was quite dark and mysterious for a small child. Then farther along was a row of beech trees. In the autumn we picked up the beech mast, but the nuts were too small to eat, of course. If it was fine we would walk round the Sandpits, and run up and down the large gravel pit, which alas, has now been filled in, but how we enjoyed the picnics that we had there.

Continued

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