CD3

(72 mins)
 

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1947 AND 1963 WINTERS / DONALD HOWE / THAW AND FLOODS / LYNMOUTH FLOOD / HERBIE HOWE AND FARMER DASCOMBE'S OLD SAYINGS

1947 [just after they went to Luxborough] was a baptism of fire. Snow, snow and more snow. Started early January and went on until the end of March. Literally over the hedges. Struggle to keep things going. But everybody rallied round. They were cut off, but got things down by tractor and by rail to Washford from Bridgwater and Taunton. Would pick it up on tractor. And in 1962, when had very heavy snow again, he has a lot to thank Donald Howe for. A local lad, made good. Still lives up on Lype Hill. He was an agricultural contractor. Took tractor and trailer to Washford station to collect their goods [refers to picture] and fetch milk for them. Then when the thaw came, and they were all flooded he rescued Major and Mrs Hutchinson at New Mills, past Hazery, carrying them one at a time to safety across streaming river. He thinks that was '62, but he's not absolutely certain of the date. Then Don and Forestry Commission pumped FM out as his shoes and apples floated down the river.

They've been flooded 2 or 3 times in the shop. Nowadays water board have cleared the river and it's a lot better. They couldn't have built new village hall otherwise.

At the time of the Lynmouth flood they were flooded too. Rain coming through roof of their house, as though it was raining outside. They were badly affected then.

Talking of old characters [tells story about Donald Howe's father Herbie, and farmer Dascombe, who lived at Poole Farm, and their old sayings]. The sayings were all what the old boys would use long ago. [Back to top]
 

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OLD VILLAGE HALL SOCIALS / PARISH LANTERN / WEST SOMERSET FOXHOUNDS' WHIST DRIVE / LIVE AND LET LIVE / RACHEL RECKETT / MR WESTCOTT'S WOODEN LEG / CAPT RONNIE WALLACE / HUNTING / SHOOTING

The old village hall was an old American building, left during the war, of which he was chairman for many years. Talking of his social life, they used to have socials there, WI parties, village parties, church parties, whist drives, all their socials, for which he was MC. When they were planning them they had to get the diary out so they could use the parish lantern - the full moon - because they had no street lighting.

For social occasions would get Taff Morgan and Margaret up from Washford, they ran the post office at Washford, with their squeeze box. Would do Gay Gordons, and Lancers, and had pass the parcel. Great fun. Then they had whist drives. One occasion a lady asked him to run a whist drive, which he didn't realise was for the West Somerset Foxhounds. Had a horrible anonymous letter afterwards accusing him of all sorts. That was all those years ago, back in 1950s. He thinks it must have been local. He believes in live and let live, was brought up by his grandfather and knows what happens.

Which reminds him of another dear character, Miss Rachel Reckett who used to ride to the hunt side saddle. A member of the Reckett family who made Reckett Blue and all those things. She lived at Golsoncott and was a well known metal sculptor. She sculpted the Valiant Soldier sign and one down at the White Horse, Washford, and several others around. Very nice lady.

Talking of hunting, he's going to flip the page back again. Amongst the people who would come to the meet was a gentleman with something strapped to his back which FM thought was a shot gun. He was a lay preacher, lived over Timberscombe way, Mr Westcott. He never got off his horse. One Sunday afternoon he came to take the church service in Luxborough church, bump bump, bump bump, and FM realised that it was his spare wooden leg [which he strapped to his back].

He's going to be a bit controversial now. He's seen in the paper in the last few days, that Captain Ronnie Wallace, the well known huntsman [fellow contributor to archive] had died. Years and years ago he used to come to Poole Farm and stay on holiday. FM used to see him in his green jacket, meeting outside the post office. Some of them, not all of them, were different persons when they were sat on that horse. Monday morning they'd come in and want a bit extra on their rations, but Saturday morning, sitting up on that horse, they didn't want to know you.

There was no shoot at that time. It was after his time. He's not very happy about that. It's all right to go shooting if they're bred in the wild and have their chances, nature takes charge. But when they're bred in [captivity], they haven't got a hope in Hades really. [Back to top]
 

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THE POST OFFICE / TELEGRAMS / FAMILY ALLOWANCE / POSTAL DELIVERIES / WORKING DAY AND CONDITIONS

Now he must just quickly take BJ back into the post office. They did all sorts of things. Telegrams, because in early days they were very few telephones. There were wedding telegrams, greetings telegrams [describes them, with sample, discreetly saucy, text].

Going back to 1 July 1948, when first family allowances were paid out. Five shillings for second child, you didn't get anything for first one. Behind PO were 2 cottages, with 2 large families. Perhaps about 15 or 16 at some time or other in the 2 cottages. On this particular morning everybody who had a family allowance book flocked to the PO. In the queue was dear old lady who had about 8 children, behind her was a lady who'd married late and had no children. He paid out all the 5 shillings to this lady, which he is sure was more than her husband was earning on the Forestry Commission [quotes vernacular exchange between the 2 ladies, and other comments she made].

They had 2 postmen. A lot of the time it was the Tarr family. Mrs Tarr, then her daughter Jean. Then later on a man who farmed Thorne Farm over on Croydon Hill, who went down to Clickett, Garfield Tarr, used to do a post round. Various people over the years.

In the early days you delivered on Christmas day as well. The post cleared on Saturday morning and if there were any registered letters you waited to see the postman on Sunday afternoon to get him to sign the book.

When they took the PO first, they had to meet the postman at half past six, sort the mail, send the postmen on their way, have breakfast, open the PO at 9, close at 6. Half day on Thursday, balance on Friday, supervise the 2 postman. For a salary of £102 a week. And you had to provide light, heat, scales, counter, and balance to a penny. So it's some difference. And you never got any holiday, or sick leave. If you had to get somebody to do it, you had to pay them. [Back to top]
 

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FIGHTING FOR ELECTRICITY / BUYING MOTORCAR / FIRST HOLIDAY / LATER HOLIDAYS FROM WILLITON / PROBUS AND ROTARY CLUBS / FOUNDING WILLITON HOSPITAL'S LEAGUE OF FRIENDS / BRABAZON SOCIETY

For the first 7 years they never had a car. 1953 was a great year, because the electricity came. They had a fight to get it, because a lot of the old people didn't want the wires passing over their houses in case thunder or lightning struck it. And of course the cost, nobody wanted to pay for it. But eventually they got it, 1953. That was the same year they bought a second hand motorcar, a flying Standard 7. When they came up from Dunster to Croydon Hill everybody had to get out while he drove to the top.

It was a long time after that, when Brenda got old enough, they had their first holiday, 2 days at Bideford. They didn't get a proper holiday until he came to Williton, 22 years afterwards. Then (again at his own expense), he'd employ a locum, competent enough to run a PO the size of Williton. Then they did have a week's holiday [describes first holiday to Newquay, and still keeping in touch with friends they made then. They also had holidays abroad, including Australia, and he went to Rome with the Rotary Club, where they had an audience with the Pope]

He sponsored the Probus Club, during the year he was president of the Rotary Club, because it was an off-shoot. Now he's life president of that. Still attends Rotary. Helped found the League of Friends of Williton Hospital in 1970. There was a society called the Brabazon Society, who had been going into hospitals in prisons since 1890, bringing care into these desolate places. They eventually finished in 1960s. They came to Williton workhouse in the 1900s and set up. He came down from Luxborough in '68/69 and thought there was a need for something to take the place of the Brabazon Society [describes setting up of League of Friends]. [Back to top]
 

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LEAGUE OF FRIENDS / NOW LIFE PRESIDENT / HOSPITAL VISITS / CHANGES / LACK OF CONTINUITY WITH PATIENTS / HOSPITAL / BUILDING NEW HOSPITAL / BILLY FRY / DR FRED KILLICK

Went to inaugural meeting to adopt constitution of League of Friends on April 8^th 1970 (again, his birthday) and elected vice-chairman, becoming chairman within the year. Chairman for several years, then stood down but stayed on the committee, later becoming president and then life president. He's in and out the hospital quite often. Thinks he comes out feeling much better. Staff and patients give him lots of encouragement. Although the concept has changed now. When he started he would go into hospital and know pretty well everybody in there, and, by checking memory and book, would know everybody's birthday and take a present. That's changed. Whereas years ago it was like Butlins, now you don't stay any longer, 6 weeks and they're looking to assess you for where you can be best looked after. So you don't get that same continuity with the patients. Now they come from Street, Glastonbury, or Crewkerne, and are down for a week or 10 days having physio after a knee or hip replacement. [describes the other things the hospital does, besides respite care].

In 1988 he made an appeal over the loud speakers at a local day, when their MP, Tom King, was there, to consider Williton for the new hospital (has cutting from the Free Press). Thinks Tom King had an influence on government's decision to build new hospital. His vision at the time was to pull down old hospital, build new surgery and hospital there, with library, all together. But it never happened, and got built on new site at North Road. Now he says thank God, because it's a lovely site. [tells story about Billy Fry, a long term patient in the hospital, who was a spastic and had come originally from the workhouse.] Dr Fred Killick, who was 102 when he died, was their local doctor in Williton and the hospital doctor. He used to make a special effort to see Billie whenever he went the  hospital. [Back to top]
 

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LONG TERM PATIENTS / BRABAZON SOCIETY / BUILDING BRABAZON ROOM

There was no-one else quite like Billie. When old hospital closed, people there were assured of their bed in the new one. After that it was a question of assessing. About 8 came up, in 1988; there's only one left now, dear old Olive, we'll call her.

He has a cutting from the Free Press of 1936, when the Brabazon Society was at its height (he could talk for an hour on the Brabazon Society). With the new hospital he wanted to avoid an upstairs/downstairs divide. They got together £44,000 to have a conservatory built to join up Coleridge Ward and Wordsworth Ward. He was determined it wasn't going to be called a conservatory so got the powers that be to agree with him to call it the Brabazon Room. He could see they were the forerunners of the League of Friends, and was determined the name would not be lost. [Back to top]
 

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MOVE TO WILLITON / RUNNING LARGE PO / REASONS FOR MOVE / BRITISH LEGION / DRIVING OVER EXMOOR / EXEBRIDGE COTTAGE / PICNICKING AT HEATH POULT / VERA'S ILLNESS / MAKING THE MOST OF THE YEARS / IMPORTANCE OF DOING GOOD / VERA

He felt proud of himself moving from a little PO at Luxborough to take on Williton PO. He had a staff of postmen, post vans, counter staff to organise and, at that time, a fairly flourishing business. Vera looked after the girls and the buying and cheques came to him, he ran the PO side of it. He leased, and later bought, the PO, which gave him a breathing space.

They knew people around Williton and Luxborough was changing, the old people were dying off, new people were coming in. Most of the old people he's been talking about had gone, he didn't feel he was leaving anybody [tails off]. He still retained chairmanship of Old Cleeve and District Branch British Legion, which covered Luxborough, which he gave up eventually to take on Williton, to save it from closing. They turned down Porlock and Dunster, before deciding on Williton.

They knew other parts of Exmoor, apart from Luxborough, because they used to go to Winsford for British Legion meetings, used to go to Exford, and when they had a car loved going over Exmoor. Down to Horner and up over, stop on the top and look at Selworthy church. Then go up over Dunkery and stop. When he was younger walk up. And he bought the family cottage at Exebridge, which they used to let but eventually sold as going over to look after it was too difficult. So they used to go over Exmoor a lot. He loves it. He used to go with Vera and they'd talk about the ponies, and the deer, and the sheep and the heather, and they'd stop and have a picnic, especially after they retired. One of their first journeys with their little car was to drive up to Heath Poult and picnic in a little field before they got there. And they thought they'd gone to the end of the world.

They had about 7 years. Vera's foot started to drop and they worried what it was. The neurologist told him it was motor neurone disease. He said he thought at the most they could count on 3 years. They had 7 or 8 years and made the best of it. They adapted their car and worked out a route to Padstow, where they went about 3 times a year [describes journey and stay in Metropole Hotel]. They had some wonderful times. [talks about the latter days, and how good the nurses and doctor were at the hospital]. He always feels we pass through this world but once, and any good we can do, let's do it now. Don't put it off, tomorrow's too late. Vera died on December 21^st, 1993. His [desk] calendar is on the Welsh dresser, stopped at that date. But he has her all around him. She's still there. [Back to top]
 

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ROYAL MAUNDY AWARD / FRIENDSHIP WITH ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY / BISHOP OF TAUNTON / MBE / TALKING NEWSPAPER

He got the Royal Maundy Award for service to the church before Vera doed [in 1993]. He met the Queen for the first time in Wells Cathedral. The first visit of a monarch to Wells Cathedral for 500 years. He had the honour of being the only person out of 170 people who had a Maundy Award that day. She stopped and shook his hand and wished him happy birthday. Again, it was his birthday, April the 8^th, it follows him all his life.

When the Archbishop of Canterbury was Bishop of Bath and Wells FM got to know him quite well as he [FM] was lay chairman of Quantock Deanery. He was involved in the appointment of George [Carey] as Bishop Bickersteth's replacement and, through subsequent deanery business got to know him quite well. He can see him now, sitting holding Vera's hands, when she was in her wheelchair [points to framed photograph of Archbishop George, holding his cross], wishing them a blessed golden anniversary, which he shall always cherish. He's been to FM's house; they had to meet quite a few times really. He's a lovely chap. He also knows the Bishop of Taunton, Nigel McCulloch, now Bishop of Wakefield, and wrote to him congratulating him on becoming national Chaplain of the Royal British Legion. So he will be officiating at the Festival of Remembrances in the Albert Hall next November. He's also just become Royal Almoner to the Queen.

His MBE was for services to the community. He doesn't know who put him in for it, he doesn't want to know. But he imagines some of it sprung out of his association with the hospital, and other things he has been associated with down through the ages. He reads for the Talking Newspaper. [Back to top]
 

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REFLECTIONS AND  HIGHLIGHTS - TONIC OF HOSPITAL VISITS / DOING HIS BEST / WEDDING / RECEIVING MBE / READING LESSON AT ROYAL MAUNDY SERVICE IN WELLS CATHEDRAL / HOSPITAL MEMORIES

If he was ever miserable, he'd go down the hospital to cheer himself up. It's as good a tonic as anything. He never really feels lonely. He's not in all that often. He's just had an invitation to be present at the enthronement of the new Bishop of Bath and Wells.

[BJ asks about regrets, or things he would have liked to have done] He doesn't regret doing the whist drive for the hunt, although he doesn't agree with them. That's only a small thing. He doesn't think he regrets much, because he always feels that whatever he's done, he's been guided to, that little angel. He doesn't want to be boastful, but he thinks he's done to the best of his ability, that God's given him, and he hopes in the right manner. As he says, let's do it while we're alive.

One of the highlights, two he supposes, was getting married in 1941 in Bicknoller church. The second one would be the thrill of going to Buckingham Palace [to receive his MBE] and being greeted by Her Majesty and talking to her about West Somerset. He realised afterwards that the gentleman of the Royal Household on the podium, assisting the Queen, was Simon, who as a little boy used to come and stay with his aunt at Bitton, who was the lady Vera worked for. Major-General, he was.

He supposes the third highlight, though he doesn't want to appear boastful was a big service in Wells Cathedral to dedicate a plaque to mark the occasion of the first visit of a monarch to Wells for 500 years, on the occasion of the Royal Maundy in 1993. The Dean invited him to read the lesson. As he walked up those steps and looked down at his feet and saw all the wear on those stones, he thought of all the people who had walked up those steps, including Prince Philip the year before to read the lesson for the Royal Maundy Service, and thought 'who am I, to read this lesson?'. It was Corinthians 1.13, 'and the greatest of these is love.' And that's how it ended.

So he should think those were his greatest experiences. Littler ones have happened along the way. Well, he supposes, the other thing was being at the digging of the first turf for the hospital, and being present at the opening. And again being at the dedication of the chapel that the League of Friends paid for, in Williton hospital, in the company of George, when he was bishop. He carried his stave round the hospital and introduced him to all the patients.

[END OF RECORDING] [Back to top]