Anything&Everything” · 13 K erseyispretty,andusuallyremarkablyquiet.italways hasbeenpretty,orcertainlywithinthememoryofthose alivetoday.¶Butquiet itveryrarelywas.¶How couldaplacehavebeen

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Kersey is pretty, andusually remarkably quiet. it always

has been pretty, or certainly within thememory of those

alive today. ¶ But quiet

it very rarely was. ¶ How

could a place have been

quiet when it was such a hive of trade and

industry? ¶ Early in the 20th century and

before, shops, businesses and services

thrived here. ¶ The life and employment

they brought to the village are sorelymissed.

“… Anything & Everything”chapter 1. shops, businesses & services

A view of old-time Kersey,date unknown

Everyonewho talked tomerememberedStiff ’sshop, andGoymour’s porkbutchers.Mostrecalled the cakeand sweet shops, theshoemakers, vets andblacksmiths, and the

PostOfficewhen itwas in themain village street. Thedistrict nurseswerementionedmore thanonce, and thedoctorswhoused to rent rooms in the vet’s andat “LeysHouse” tohold regular surgeries.Onebyone theyhavedisappeared, the last –Stiff ’s grocers –only in 1992andeven that, at the endof its life,was a far cry fromwhen itwas in its prime.Nowall that remainareKerseyPottery, the villagePost

Office runbyMrsNorahOrris in the front roomofherhouse inValeLane, and the twopubs. Onceaweek, a

mobile grocery shopparksbrieflyat eachendof the village and thereis also a visiting library. For almosteveryother facilityHadleigh, twomiles away, is nearest for thevillagers.Mostnowhave theuseofcars, but quite a fewrely on thebuseswhich stop in the village.KerseyMill andMaltings stand

picturesquely on the east sideofStoneStreet on theway toHadleigh.ClaudeMunson’s

memories of this as aworkingmill, andChristinaMellor’s updateon the restorationof thebuildingsmakefascinating readingat the endof this chapter.

Stiff’s ShopOppositeTheBell pubare fournewly refurbishedterraced cottages, andbehind themstand two largenewhouses.Eachof theseproperties has its owngarageor carport and, interestingly, “MillHouse”wasbuilt aroundthemechanismofStiff ’s old feedmill. Fornearly acentury thiswhole site belonged to theStiff family andonit stood their busy general storewhichat one timehadastaff of twentymenandwomen.This, their farmsituatedoff the road toBildestonand, for a time, their butchersshop inHadleigh, a greengrocer’s shopatFelixstoweandamarket gardenatLayham, formed theStiffEmpire.JackandJill Stiff still live in “LintonHouse”next door towhatwas their store (informationaboutThedevelopmentof the store is given in thenext chapter, andnumerousmemories concerning it run through thewholebook).

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TedMartin: Stiff ’s shop, just when theywas really going, intheir prime – they’d sell you anything and everything. Theyused to sell suits, overcoats, shirts. Old Jack Stiff, he prided

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“stiff’s shop,just whenthey wasreally going,in their prime– they’d sellyou anythingandeverything.”Ted Martin

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Stiff ’s Storeand LintonHouse

himself. He said, “We sell anything from a safety pin to abattleship!” And he did.They had amill where they used to grind corn for the

farmers andwhat-not, at the back of the shop (Now “MillHouse”). And not only that – Stiff ’s shopwas the first place inKersey to have electric light, theymade it off this oil enginecalled an Iron. That used to run themill and charge thegenerator up to run the lights. And – you knowwireless?Well, during thewar and after they hadwhat they callaccumulators. you had to fix themon to yourwireless toget ‘em to go. If you took ‘em to Stiff ’s they used to rechargethemoff this engine. if youwanted anything for building –wood, timber, cement, they’d got it. If they ain’t got it they’dsoon get it!

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JackStiff:Before the 1939war, in the shopwe sold everythingexceptwet fish that I can thinkof.We sold televisions beforeelectricity came toKersey, and coal, firewood, youname itwesold it. Tractors,motorbikes,anythingwe sold.

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VictorBiebuyck: I can remember Stiff ’s shop of course –therewere a couple of petrol pumps outside therewhen IwasinKersey as an evacuee.

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RuthGleed:Stiff ’s shop soldmost everything – sugar in bluebags, tea loose in quarter pounds, dried fruit and coconut inbags shaped like cones, orangeswrapped in coloured paperand vinegar by the half pint from large casks. The butter andcheesewere cut fromhuge slabs andweighed in half pounds.

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The petrol pump outside Stiff ’s

Therewere two pound jars of jam for ninepence, and salt inblocks.

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JoyceWilliams:Stiff ’s used to run a bus full of their goodsintoHadleigh and sell them there, as well as other villages allaround.

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LeslieWilliams:Yes, and they had paraffin oil andmethylated spirits allmixed upwith the groceries in that busbut nobodyworried then!

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NorahOrriss:When you think – every spot of sugar used tobeweighed up, didn’t it? And the samewith butter – theyused to get these pats – and cheese, and bacon. Oneminutethey’d be getting a gallon of paraffin and the nextminutecome in and cut you a quarter of ham!Nothinwas pre-packed andwewere none theworse for it!

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IreneHasler:The hams in Stiff ’s shopwere superb, theyused to go to Africa and all sorts of places. TheKersey hamswerewell known. I always had one at Christmas –much toobig forme but still theywere good. And they did proper

cheddar cheese on the rind, in thedays before it came like soap. Theyused to keep it andmature it when Ifirst came. And the shopwas neededin those days. Thereweren’tmanycars, themajority had bicycles.

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RuthGleed: I used to go andhelppickleMr Stiff ’s hams. Theywerebeautiful hams and I can tell youexactly how theyweremade.Heusedto come tome and say “Ruth – there’ssomepork coming in today – can youcome over?” They used to be reallyfreshwhen you salted them–noteven a day old. Youhad to rub hard

sea salt right into the bones –mypoor old hands got sore!Then theywere put into these big cement tanks in very blacktreacle, dark sugar and beer – thatwaswhatmade themniceand sweet. Theywere kept in there for severalweeks andhadto be turnednearly every day and, after they came out, theyhad to be dried in the smoke house. Youhad to burn sawdust,and if you ever try to light sawdustwith amatch, it’s a verydifficult job!When theywere dried youhad to take themdownagain, and theywere filthy from the black smoke. If you

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“stiff’s shopsold sugarin blue bags,tea loose inquarterpounds, driedfruit andcoconut inbags shapedlike cones,and orangeswrapped incolouredpaper”Ruth Gleed

were going to cook thembefore selling, say at Christmas time,they had to be skinned and rolled in breadcrumbs. Itwasquite a tricky thing really, you know.

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VerenaManning:You could go down to Stiff ’s shop and geteverything. I hadmy first high heeled pair of shoes there –well they had a little heel anyway – three and sixpence forthese blue shoes.He’d got one or two pairs in thewindowand I suppose Imight have been about twelve and I sawthese shoes – and theywere a royal sort of blue.Well,mothercouldn’t really afford thembut she did give in and letmehave them and did I love them!I’ve still got a tea service which I got fromStiff ’s and it’s

white with little gold stars. Also,my sister in lawDorisbought hermother a pair of vases in pink one Christmas andI boughtmother a pair in green. Our brother Reg kept thoseof course and, after he died,my sister,Marjorie, said, “I’vealways liked these green vases,” and I said, “Well, have them.”

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ClaudeMunson:Whenwe lived upWindmill Hillmymother used to do her shopping atHadleigh because it wasnearer and she had two sisters living there. She still dealtwith Stiff ’s though because they used to come aroundwithoil and other things. CharlieHolden used to drive the van.

He andChubby Jarvis were bothprisoners of war in Singapore, youknow, but when they came backCharlie worked at Stiff ’s. Stiff ’s was agood shop – you could get anythingthere.Whenwe came back to live inKerseymymother spentmoremoney in Stiff ’s because she didn’tneed to go nowhere else. And they’d

let you buy on tick until Saturdaywhen people got paid. OnSaturdays there used to be a queue outside the shopwithpeople waiting to pay their bills.

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VerenaManning:Wilf used to domy shopping at Stiff ’s ona Saturday because that was a very busy day forme. Frances’Cathy used to do a paper round and she’d come into the shopandWilf always used to say how generous shewas becauseshe’d have younger childrenwith her and she’d buy themsweets or something.Wilf thought a lot of Cathy.Well,everyone did.

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MaryHolden: I didn’t like the idea of Stiff ’s closing downreally – that seemed that everythingwent. You know, it was acommunity that’s gone. You see, what it was, the houses got

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“and they’dlet you buyon tick untilSaturdaywhen peoplegot paid!”Claude Munson

so dilapidated they had to be bought up by outside peopleand done up, and they had cars and didn’t use the shop.

Goymour’s Pork ButchersIt is difficult tobelieve that the gracioushouse andgardenknownas “LeysHouse”, opposite the lanedowntoTheGreen,wasonce the site of abusiness of thebloodiest kind!Yet pigswerenot only bredbutslaughteredandbutchered there, andfinally sold in theshopon the righthand sideof the frontdoor.

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RayGoymour: I don’t knowwhymy father was a butcher – Icould never take the job on – I couldn’t kill a pig to savemylife. I’d have fallen flat. Take a knife – slit its throat?No. Itcame in that you used to have to knock themout first with agun – humane killers they called them. The police used tocome round to check and you had to have a license. Not likethat Armour Bully Beef factory which I visited in Chicago.It’s frightening – the cattle go in on a chain, scared, and comeout the other end in a bully beef tin.My father was a kind-heartedman.We had two horses in

those stables near your fence and, when they got old, heinsisted on thembeing shot on his own land.Hewouldn’tallow them to be taken away to be shot because he knewwhatwent on in horse trading – they’d flog themon and

some of themwould have a terrible time.He knewwhere hisfinished up – down at the kennels in Layham for the houndsto eat. Fair enough – better than being sent, live, to France tobe sold for human consumption.Our oldest horsewas 27 or 28 years old – that was

Grandfather’s horse –Nancywe called her. She always usedto shy on the road if she saw a bit of paper. Dad’s horse, on around, would go onwhen he stopped to serve somebody andthen turn round and come back andwait for him!Nobodycontrolling it. Themilk round horses used to do the same.We had a slaughter house and awoodshed and a boiler

house. Therewere twowhacking great iron boilers there,each coal fired, because to scald a pig and get the bristles offyoumust have boilingwater. The old pulley they used forhanging the pigs upwas in there too. During the secondworldwar pork sausages were unrationed you know. Ashilling a pound! Theyweremade properly thenwith porkand bread-rusks – not like today. Dad used the cleanedintestines of the pigs. It’s plastic today – inedible.

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NorahOrriss:Mother used to come up toGoymour’sandmake the sausages. I can remember her turning thatold handle and the sausagemeat came out the end intothe skins.

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RuthGleed:MrGoymour, the pork butcher, sold homemade sausages at one and sixpence per pound, pork cheesesat a penny and tuppence, and real pigs fry liver withwhatwas called the curtain.He sold real lard and pork scraps –nothingwaswasted.His sausageswere famous. AndMrGoymour Senior ran a taxi service with his pony and trap.Hecharged two shillings to take you fromKersey toHadleighrailway station.

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VerenaManning:At that time of day people used to snarerabbits you know and, on Christmas daywe used to have acold rabbit pie, and that used to be for breakfast whichwas areal treat becausewe never usually had nothing but breadand jam for breakfast or sometimes porridge in thewinter.And, fromGoymour’s pork butchers shop,mother used toget about six pennyworth of fat and lean pork and cut that upinto strips and put inwith this rabbit pie and, in the crust,there’d be all lovely jelly!We always kept a few chickens andso alwaysmanaged to keep a cockerel for Christmas dinner,but it’s that rabbit pie for breakfast which sticks inmymind!

Sweet and Cake ShopsIf I hadapound for every timeGladysKing’s shophasbeenmentioned tome since I came toKersey Iwouldbe

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quite rich! It seems tohavebeen thecrystallisationof everyone’s notionof the littlevillage shop, the idyll that actually existed.

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RuthGleed:MrsKing kept the sweet shop nearthe stream. (the north end of “BridgeHouse”). Onecould buymany things for one penny, andlemonade crystals from a glass jar for a penny anounce. At Christmas you could decorate yourChristmas tree for a shillingwith sugarmice, sugarclocks and sugar lanterns. Andwhen herwalnutswere ready she sold them for a penny for twelve. Itwas heaven for us childrenwhenwe had a fewpennies to spend. I was lucky – I had an olderbrother who startedwork before I started school,and he often gave me a penny or two.

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VerenaManning: I can remember going over to“Ayres End” or TudorHouse as we called it then,when the garage and the big roomwhichMr Inneslater had as his studywere being built on. I wasthree then, andRegwas only saying not a great

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GladysKing’s shop, in the late 20s or early 30s while before he died, that theworkmen used tomake such afuss ofme and buyme sweets fromGladysKing’s shop! Iremember they used to buyme thosewhite and pink coconutchips and I used to sit with themwhen they had their break.

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CherryChalmers:GladysKing’s shopwas one of thehappiestmemories p’raps. Dadwould say, “Go and getmetenWoodbines” – fiveWoodbines p’raps in themdays – “andyou can have a ha’penny to spend.” Andwhat you could getfromGladys! Christmas time, she’d decorate the shop up andshe’d have these chocolatemice and all that stuff, you know,and liquorish. That was great really. Yes, that was nice.

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JillHarbinson:When I bought “BridgeHouse”, I had theoption of buying the two thirds that were empty or thewholehousewhich hadGladysKing and her shop as the occupyingthird. SoGladys Kingwasmy tenant and she paid fifteenshillings aweek rent. She kept the shop there and sold ice-cream and cigarettes and baked beans and so on and shekept it on untilmoneywent decimal when she retired andwent to live in one of the bungalows in Vale Lane.We knocked through fromour part of the house into hers

and continued having it as a shop.We gave up the ice-creamand cigarettes but we kept sweets, and I then tried tomake it

an outlet for anythingmade inSuffolk, whether candies or basketwork, jewellery or hand-paintedchina. Andmarmalade, jam,coconut ice… I used tomake fudgeby the gallon everyweekend. Therewas a bell fixed on the door as peoplecame in so, if wewere there, wecould have the shop open and justwalk through. I bought proper duck

feedwholesale and thenmeasured it into bags of four ounceseach and sold these for people to feed the ducks; itmeantthat theywere fed properly. I had fivewhite Aylesburys ofmyownwhich I used to let out onto the Splash every day, sopeople would pay to feedmy ducks forme and then I used tosell the duck eggs!

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IvyTricker:Grandma, after shewas left a widow, she had ashop in her front room (now “CornerHouse”). Shemadebread and cakes and things to sell and did quite well. TheAmericans used to cycle over fromWattishambase andthey’d buy a lot fromher.Whenwe got to about thirteen, wechildren used to go over there on a Saturday and help herand then she’d give us a shilling or two and perhaps a fewpear drops.We thought that was lovely!

Bread, Fish and Other Delights:

MarianneLash:The old bakehouse of course is immediatelyon the left as you go to the pottery and it has themostwonderful oven – beautiful.

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RayGoymour:Theremust have been a baker at “LeysHouse” at some time because therewas always a baker’s ovenat the back, where their extension is now. Before that it was apub called “The Sun Inn” and, first of all, it was aMedievalhall house.

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NorahOrriss:Eric Percy fromHadleigh used to comeroundwith the bread didn’t he, and the Co-op used to bringgroceries and they used to bring bread aswell.We had threebakers delivering didn’t we? I’mwondering if we didn’t havea bakers inKersey in our time because people used tomaketheir own bread.

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RuthGleed:The best bread I ever tastedwasmade byMrs JackMartinwho lived in SampsonsHall Cottage. Itwas baked in a brick ovenwhichwas heated by a faggot ofsticks, set light to and left to burn to ashes. Thesewere

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“theamericansusedtocycleoverfromWattishambaseandthey’dbuybreadandcakes”Ivy Tricker

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CherryChalmers:Mygrandma used tomakewinewhen themenwereharvesting, and she’dmake bread andcakes and give to theworkmen, and she’dbrew beer.Her namewasMaria. Anyolder personwould tell you about her,LanceWyatt would.Hemademy dayonce because he used to come upwith hisstuff from the allotment to sell and Iwasmaking some buns and therewere somehot ones out the oven. “Oh,’ he said,“You’re just likeMaria! Can I have one – Ido love hot buns.” So after that I alwaysused to give him some hot buns.

The ShoemakerPeople remember two shoemakers inKersey,MrEverettandMrVince.This trademusthavebeenasbusy as theblacksmith’s becausepeoplewalkedalmost everywhere.Footware, particularly thebootswornby farmers andlabourers, needed tobe strongandaredescribed indetailbyTedMartinbelow.(The charmingpictureof abrother and sister outside

their cottagedoorwasamongmanypassed tomeby

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then raked out and bread baked in the red hot oven. Thatwas real bread.Mr Smith, aHadleigh fishmonger, used to bring fresh

fish toKersey once aweek and, as he fried fish aswell, hewould bring some cold fried fish left over from last nightwhichmother bought for twopence a piece. That was areal treat.

A recent photo of the Old Bakehouse, lovinglyrestored by Elaine Arthey

FrancesWhymark fromacollectionmadebyherbrother,LeslieCockayne.Unfortunatelynobody in thevillagehas an ideawho thechildrenwere, but I amsurethat the little boy’s sturdyboots typify thosewornby themajority ofKerseyschoolchildren seventy oreighty years ago.After all,those fromKerseyTye,Lindsey andSemerhada longway towalk to school.)

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MaryHolden:As a child, whenwe had school holidays weplayed on theHill because therewere no cars.We had a topor a hoop. At the very end of “Arran Cottage” opposite yourcottage therewasMrEverett, the shoemaker andwe used togo in there for a newnail for our tops and he’d say, “WhenI’ve sold this shoe!”

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TedMartin:Everett couldmake shoes by hand.He had apair he’dmade himself andworn for thirty year – beautiful

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Farm Workersin their boots atHarvest Time

soft leather theywere. And in the end they had this prettypattern all over them, but that was cracks!OldArthur Clarke – Tit Clarkewe used to call him – used

to live in “Rose Cottage” on the corner opposite the rectory.And he alwayswore hob-nailed boots and he always boughtthem from the same shop in Colchester. He’d start off at fiveo’clock in themorning andwalk to Colchester, buy his bootsand thenwalk back, and he used to be home by twelveo’clockmid day. Andwhenhewent toEverett to have hisbootsmendedhe’d take off one and sitwatchingwhile thatwas done and thenhe’d put that one back on and take off theother to bemended!They used to have them– like little nails – to put in the

bottoms of hob-nailed boots. All the farmworkers that time ofdaywore leather boots and they hadhob-nails all alongerthere, toe tip right under the toe and aheel-iron on theheel.

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IvyTricker:MrEverett, the shoemaker, used to come downto theWhiteHorse every Saturday night for a drink andwhen our boots neededmendingwe’d take themover thereto him.He’d bring themback on the Sunday night and thatSundaywe had to stay in.

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TedMartin:The other shoemaker, Vince, lived in the top

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end of the house next to the Bell (now “CarltonHouse”)which used to be two cottages. And his daughter used tomake dresses and things.

The VetsVetshadan important role in the farming community.Because farmswere considerably smaller thanmost aretoday, and therewas little ornogovernmental guidanceas to thebreedingandhandlingof livestock, the vetwaslookeduponas a valued friendwhoseadvicewasusuallyacceptedunconditionally.Not only couldhebe reliedupon to reach themost isolated farmandgivehisprofessional andmoral support in the treatmentof ailinganimals, hewas also themain enemyof the ratpopulationat a timewhen therewasno suchpersonasthepest controller!

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PaulRyde:TheVeterinary Practice, which is inHadleighnow, used to operate inKersey from “Kedges End”where thehorse’s tail hangs. It was calledDenbighHouse then andweworked in a little green shepherd’s hut out at the back. Andthat was all we had, believe it or not. Andwhen the rainscamewe couldn’t operate very well because the rain used tocome down the land and flood all our yard atDenbighHouseandwe used to come out of the front door – not the back

door because it was all flooded – it was a regular occurrencein those days.

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GraceFarthing: I was born in “Water Cottage” near theSplash. I was born upstairs because thewater was coming inthe front door! Later, wemoved across the road to the vet’shouse becausemy dadworked for the vet. The horse’s tailused to hang from the eaves – it’s still there now. Therewerelots of dogs and things out the back there! They had awooden hutwhich they had as a little surgery.My grandmalivedwith us, andChristinewas born in granny's room aswealways called it.

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NorahOrriss:You see, whenGrace lived there the doorwasat the front andwhenmyPaul was a baby the doctor’ssurgerywas inGrace’smum’s front room.Dr Barnes used tocome there. You used towait in the hall and then go in there.

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RegFarthing:Yes, and after Grace’smother and fathermoved out of the vet’s in 1962,Mrs Anderson held thedoctor’s up in “LeysHouse” a couple of days aweek.

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there, Jack Lemon, and he used to sell you a bottle ofwhite oils what he used for horses but that waswonderful for rheumatism. And if you’d got a pain oranything, dad’d say, “Go and get some horse oil” ashilling!

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PaulRyde:Veterinary practice was very primitivewhen I started. No farms here hadwater or electriclight, no facilities or services at all. Either youwent toawell and pumped thewater up or you got a bucketand filled it at the horse-pond. All the roads to thefarmswere just rough tracks and inwinter you hadtowalk from the roads to an off-lying farm. Youcouldn’t get a vehicle up them, theywere just somuddy and full of rutsmade by the horses and carts.We had no vaccines so you couldn’t vaccinate

anything. Therewas no penicillin, no anti-biotics, itwas all drenches.We hadCalomel, amercury compoundpowder that used to be used for pigs because you couldn’tdrench a pig. Calomel was a little tiny drop. For the drenches,we used to have tomix up powders in bottles and bottle itdown the animals’ mouths.Most of it was EpsomSalts –magnesium sulphate. It’s a purgative.The drinkswere different colours – red, blue and yellow

according to strength – andwe always kept a green one

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Grace’s mother, Agnes Spraggons, with her mother, Mrs Green,outside Denbeigh House – now “Kedges End”

NaomiPartridge:TheAndersons used to live in “LeysHouse”.MrAndersonwas Parish Clerk for a long time buthe died quite young. The doctors fromHadleigh used tohave one of their rooms and hold a surgery there twice aweek.

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CherryChalmers:Where the horse’s tail is the vet lived

(Epsom salts andAloes) in reserveso that, if the animal wasn’t betterthe next day, you could give it agreen one, because youwere“changing the treatment!”I always remember going to a

beast atHitchambelonging to adear old gentleman namedCooperatWhitehouse Farm– theywere allfamily farms. I gave it probably a redor green drink and the next day itwas no better and this oldgentleman said tome, “You know, Ithink it would be a lot better if we

had one of George Lemon’s drinks.He always used to be ableto cure them.”OldMrLemon at that time had lost a leg through being

kicked and he used tomix up the powders in the surgery forus. So I came home and I said to him, “Whatwas the drinkyou used to giveDaniel Cooper’s beasts, a brown liquid in abottle?MrCooper thinks that’ll cure his bullock.” “Well, I’lltell youwhile we have a cup of tea,”Mr Lemon said. Sowemade a pot of tea in the surgery and therewas some left andhe said, “Right, pour that in that bottle now that’s cold andput a littlemilk in so it looks just right and that’s the drinkthat’ll cure that bullock.” And theworst of it is, it did!

The first antibiotic that was usedwas Penicillin and it wasused formastitis in cows. It wasn’t an injection, but a littletiny tablet we used tomix up inwater and squirt between thecows’ teats. Absolutelymarvellous, it was a tremendousmiracle to the farmers at that time. And then of course, allthe other things came in and unfortunately, as has happenedin humanmedicine, antibiotics were so efficient that theywere used for everythingwhen they shouldn’t have been. Sothat’s whywe’ve got resistance to them today. There’s lots ofacrimony and blame laid now but no-one could foresee thefuture, that was the trouble.The animals in the old days were actuallymuch healthier

despite the lack ofmedicines, and the reason for that wasthat theywere kept in small numbers. Every little farmhadperhaps one cow to providemilk for the house, about two orthree sows and perhaps two horses. And therewere actuallyten dairy herds inHadleigh at one time but theywerefifteens, twenties – now a herd is two or three hundred andeverything is concentrated. And this, I think, is one of theproblems.

The Blacksmiths:Aswemight expect, before thedays of cars andcombines, blacksmithswere greatly indemand.Horses –indispensable on the farms–werealsousedbyroundsmenand individual trapdrivers and riders.Each

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“you know, ithink itwould be alot betterif we had oneof georgelemon’sdrinks. healways usedto be able tocure them.”Daniel Cooper

andeveryhorseneeded shoes, andfivelocal blacksmiths arementioned in thetestimonieswhich follow.

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FredBramham:This building, thepottery, was originally stables – up untilthe 1950s the studiowas in use forshoeing horses. So, whenwe came, therewere the remains of a Forgewhere theyused to do running repairs on farmmachinery and so on. (Fred’s storiesabout thepottery and thework thatheandDorothyGorst do therewill appearin a later chapter.)

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CherryChalmers:Going back a longway,dad had a blacksmith’s shop up the streetround the corner by “CornerHouse”. And then he couldn’tget hismoney so he packed that in. After the Scots ladiesdiedwho hewas chauffeur for, he tried another go asBlacksmith up bywhere Frances is now. (TheHaven).Hemade awooden shed, you know, and they used to go andhave the horses shod there. AndRobbie’s got his anvil – heloved his grandad.

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The Wheelwright’s/Blacksmith’s (the building behind the cart)

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TedMartin:Therewas a blacksmith at KerseyUplands, justbefore the left turn to Polstead – in fact the shed’s still therewith all the blacksmith’s tools untouched. I worked theremyself for awhile. And therewas onewhere the garage isnow at “RowView”. It was awheelwrights as well.That one belonged to LanceWyatt’s grandfather – his

mother’s father,Mr Fenning – and after he finishedit fell down in the end. Arthur Towns, or Crimey aswe used to call him, worked at three altogether – theone opposite “CornerHouse”, one by “TheHaven”and the one belonging to Arthey’s where the potteryis now.I remember once, he needed somemore four-

inch nails andMrArthey straightened out someused ones and gave him those. “What’s the use ofthis bloody lot tome?” said Crimey, “They’ll buckleat the first knock I give them.” SoMrArtheywent toPartridges inHadleigh and bought 2 lbs –well, youdon’t getmany four inch nails at that weight. OldCrimeywentmad – “Theywon’t lastme fiveminutes!” he said. “Here, take the car and themoneyand getmore yourself then,” said Arthey. AndCrimey did!

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ClaudeMunson:Therewere a few good farmers butmorebad ‘uns, and if a poor horse lost a shoe theywouldn’t worryabout it – wouldn’t spendmoney at the blacksmiths – and itshoof would bleed on very hard ground. But at Trickers Farmwheremy father worked – hewas a good farmer and hishorses waswell looked after. And Jackson, who farmed downat Kersey Priory, hewas a goodman – a goodman for the

church – I don’t think therewas aman didmore for thechurch than he did.

The Progress of Kersey Post Office:CherryChalmers:There used to be a Post Office up the topof the street and there used to be this little lady calledMrsMann, andMrMann.And every time youwent in she’d rub her hands and say,

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“Oh, you have come at the right time now”, you know. Andshe’d smell of wash and soap and that because she had a bigcounter up there and it used to shine somuch. Every time itthundered she used to get under it in the cupboard becauseshewas such a nervous type!

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RachelWells:FreemanMannwho kept the Post Office atthe top of the street, wasmy grandfather’s brother.

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RuthGleed:MrsBerthaMann kept the Post Office at thetop of The Street but, apart frompaying our pensions, all shesoldwere postal orders and stamps.

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NorahOrriss:Originally the Post Office, once part of“Boutells”, was next to theWhiteHorse. TheManns had thatfor years and years, and then they gave up and Stiffstook it in their shop.

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GraceFarthing: I worked in the Post Office at Stiffs for a

couple of years and then Imarried andworked in thereafterwards until Christinewas born.

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NorahOrriss:After Stiffs gave up the Post Office,my nextdoor neighbour took it over –Mrs JoyceWilliams in number5, Vale Lane – and she did it for about fourteen years, ’til herhusband retired and theyweremoving away. The jobwasadvertised and at that time I’d done a couple or three yearsat BASF and beenmade redundant so I thought I’d have ago at it.Well, I applied for it and so did three others and I gotthe job!I started running the Post Office at home inDecember

1982. A second-class stamp at that timewas fifteen and ahalf pence and the first-class was nineteen and a half. Soreally a second-class stamp has only gone up four and a halfpence in sixteen years.When Joyce had the Post Office she’djust open the door and pull the counter down but I had tohave a hole inmywallmade and a proper screen. I’veenjoyed it, though it’s completely changed now towhat itused to be. There used to be about one form for everythingand now you’ve got one form for each thing!

The District Nurses & MidwivesThesewomenwere invaluable in thedayswhen therewasnoNationalHealthService and few families couldafford

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Freeman and Bertha Mann on the step of their PostOffice with Mrs Rose Farthing sitting next door

doctor’s orhospital fees. Prior to the secondworldwardistrict nurseswere generally provided for “the sickpoor”bydonation-fundedvoluntarydistrict nursingassociations.Their approachwas far less clinical thantoday’s and theywere valuedmembers of the community,usually lookeduponasparticularly knowledgeable anddependable friends.

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CherryChalmers:TheDistrict Nurses, several of them,used to live in “TheHaven” when that was awooden hut,literally. It wasmademore or less reasonable to live in butthereweren’tmuchmod cons then.They used to lay out people who’d died, you know, wash

them and everything, and then they’d leave them in thecoffin, open, in the front room aswe called it in themdays,and people used to go and look at them!

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RuthGleed:Themoneymymothermade fromher sewingwent to help pay for the district nurse. A headachewas curedby a vinegar ragwrapped round your forehead – therewereno doctor’s pills then. If youwere ill the rector’s wife wouldbring you a can of homemade real beef tea!

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OwenGillingwater:When I lived at “River View”withmygrandmother I stumbled and caughtmy armon barbedwire.The local nurse came and stitched it upwhile I sat in thewindowwherewe always had a great big yellowArtDecovase. Our daughter’s got that vase now!

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GladysRice: I had Paul and Pamat home in Polstead and IhadNurseKnight who used to live at “TheHaven” whereFrances do now. I had no doctor or nothing – she didn’t wanta doctor although Paul wasmy first child. She said, “I’m nothaving any doctor unless I have to!” She liked to deliver themon her own. And shewas a little tiny thing – she said shewasstiff for days after Paul was born!She helpedme somuch, you know. But Pam came quickly

–NurseKnight said, “Giveme time towashmy hands!”Wedidn’t have a bathroom then –we had a basin on thewashstand in the bedroom.Well, then Iwent eight years and I hadRuth after we

came to live inKersey – shewasmy surprise baby! I was solucky – therewas a nurse, well not a proper nurse, but sheused to go round to people when they had babies – and I hadher in for a fortnight each time. Shewent toMrs Stiff whenshe had all her babies. She used to look after you and thebaby, because theywere fussy then theywouldn’t let you getout of bed for aweek, you know.

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CherryChalmers:One of the district nurses camewhen IhadRobbie inmy parents’ cottage; they used to deliverbabies then – you didn’t think of going down the hospital.Mumhad a brass bedstead, as they did then, and they tied aroller towel onto the head of it and thenwhen you had a painyou pulled on the towel. And then, afterwards, the nursebound you upwith a roller towel. But I think that kept yourtummy in.

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FrancesWhymark:The district nurse,Miss Knight, had alittle squareMorris Eight. She actually deliveredme, andmymotherwanted to callme Shirley and she said, “Noway!She’s not a Shirley.” That was in Shirley Temple’s time, ofcourse.When I used to be doing the garden down at “TheCottage” she used to trot past to the Post Officewhen it wasup the street and she often used to say, “When you’vefinished that hedge you can come and cutmine!” And littledid I know that Gerald and Iwould one day live here!

Kersey Mill and Maltings:KerseyMill, oneof several in the area,was among the lastto fall silent. Fortunately however, its present ownershave for some timebeen refurbishing thebuildings, both

topreserve themandput themtogooduse.

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ClaudeMunson:Years ago, thefloodgates wouldhold thewater upbecause themill wasworked by thewaterwheel, you see.They’re restoring itback now towhat itwas originally, Ithink.When that didrun out of water theyhad a huge paraffinengine to drive it.But we hadmorewater for some

reason then, with all the snow I suppose, and they used thatnearly all the summer.They had to regulate thewater there for themill at Paton

Hall and the one atHadleigh Bridgewhichwas burnt down,and another at Topplesfield. The hedges grew high in the

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The new patio at Kersey Mill,with the original Suffolk bricksfrom the Yard re-used

damp, and at harvest they used to scythe before they couldbind. Once, whenKersey Splash flooded Ted and I savedGladys King’smother’s chickens. Theywere on their perchesjust above thewater andwe got them for her!When Iwas a boywemoved fromTrickers Farm, aftermy

father finished there, up to the top ofWindmill Hill because

mymother used towork at KerseyMill as a servant. Therewas two cottages there andMrMasonwho owned themillknocked them through, sowe lived in the two.At the back of themill therewas a big yardwithwhite

bricks andmy dearmother used to scrub themonce aweekon her hands and knees.

She used to do all thewashing fortheMasons and she had to bring thathome towash in the copper andwehad one of those oldwoodenmanglesto turn andwe used to help herwhenwe got old enough. That was all hardwork and only for a few shillings aweek. I don’t knowhow she done it –nowonder the poor dear died early.ButMrMason at themill was a goodman, a kindman. If people with a bigfamily hadn’t got themoney to payfor the flour he’d let themhave it andpaywhen they could.TeddyMartin and StanleyNorman

–whose father was head horseman atBridges Farm– and I used to play upat themill. Lovely old place it wasthen.Andwe used to sledge down

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The Mill in Mr Mason’s time

Windmill Hill – it used to be ameadow.MrGagewas thefarmer at Ivy Tree Farm and the farmers thenwere differententirely towhat they are today – they used to let you sledgeon the land and they’d comewith you. Lots of people used tocome up fromKersey. Becausewe used to get hardwinters –the snowwould lie for weeks andweeks andweeks.MrMasonwhat owned themill, he was also a good carpenterand hemade the sledges for us.MrMasonmade a boathouse too at the back of theMill

opposite the flood gates and he had a boat with four oars andsix or eight could go in it. Then from themill they could gounder the bridge and right on as far asOvergang at Semer.The fish – I’d love you to have seen them– eels, roach, perch,pike. They ain’t there now because the farmers have killedthemwith spraying.

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ChristinaMellor:The swanswere doing a dance earlier ontoday!When they had all their babies it was such a joy to seethemhatch. And one night I came out, literally in themoonlight, and theywere swimming in the river herewiththeir babies on their backs. Therewas themoon and it wasmisty – I can’t tell you. I took some photographs but theysomehowdidn’t capturewhat I could see. It’s the sort ofthing that only happens once in a lifetime.I’ve been here twenty-one years and have received no

grant for anything I’ve done – it’s all beenmy ownmoney. Ido have a good relationshipwith theRiver Authority,though. I welcome themonto the land instead of resentingthem and, when they asked if I’dmind if they cut a few treesdown, I said, “No, but I’ve got a terrible problemwith stuffclogging under themill wheel. It used to have a grid – isthere any chance of you putting a grid back?” And theywerepleased to put it up to the budget andwe got the grid back, sonow thewater flowing under thewheel is perfectly clear andthey just come every so oftenwith a special tool and clear thedebris out from the grid. They’ve nowput it up to the budgetto give us automatic sluice gates to control thewater, whichis to their advantage as well as ours of course. It will be lovelyto be able to control it becausewe’ve always had nowater inthe summer and toomuch in thewinter.

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RodneyKerr:Wewant to rebuild the boat house sometime.I think therewere about 8 inchesmorewater there before, soit was quite a bit higher. Otherwise, everything is nearlycomplete. The scaffolding’s now off themill, there are newwindows and everything is painted. And the ground floor isrepaired so now it can actually bewalked on. I’ve gotmy ownoffice in theMaltings where I domy consultancywork forRail Track, LondonUnderground and Swiss Railways.We’reInternet connected here at KerseyMill!

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ChristinaMellor:As you know, we let out theMaltings asoffices and have five high tech. companies in here. But we’veretained the central bit and the kiln, and created a cafe and akitchen out of that so that caterers can provide a service forthe people whowork there.Halfmy old kitchenwent outthere, and formonths I’ve had nothing ofmy own except theAga, while we decided on a new kitchen for ourselves! It’slovely letting out theMaltings because the buildings arebeing used. There’s a reason for keeping themup, and the

people whowork there love it.When I gotmy first tenant Iwas terribly worried about it and didn’t think Iwas going tolike it but it’s actually been really nice.Now that themill building is restored, I’d like to convert it,

obviously retaining all the interestingmachinery. Thetrouble is it’s so near to the house, sowe go on having variousideas but nothing definite as yet. You can’t just live here andkeep all these buildings up – you’ve got to develop it in someway. You see, there’s always been light industry here – it’salways been awork place.We’re just bringing it into the 21stcentury.

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