Andy Vining’s Podcast: My Mother’s Diaries 1948 – 1976: Episode 12 — September and October 1949

Andy Vining shares his mother’s diaries in his new podcast. Listen to these beautiful stories on Spotify.

Andy Vining’s parents were John and Peggy (later known as Be Be).

September 1949

September arrived still warm, though everyone could feel that summer was beginning to soften.

The nights were cooler and the fields were slowly emptying after the long weeks of harvest.

At the farm John was waiting for the threshing tackle to arrive so the wheat could be finished at Flexford. Fred was still helping with the place, though he had yet to find a job of his own.

The machinery all arrived the huge thrashing machine and the Baler all set up and the threshing began in earnest at Flexford, with wheat being threshed while Fred, Cross helping 

In the evening they all stayed for dinner and Julie Dean stayed then  Betty arrived as well and remained for the evening but unfortunately the rain finally began to fall outside and work on the thrashing was halted. 

Life around the farmhouse carried on in its usual lively way. There were some mornings spent cooking, neighbours calling in for a chat, and the children constantly moving between in and out to play.

John managed to fit in both football and cricket one Saturday, returning home tired but cheerful. Evenings often ended quietly with a little sewing or work on a rug while the wireless murmured in the background.

One Sunday John and I went to collect more plums before calling at Beechcroft to see Mother. Later that day Mrs Butcher arrived with her family and Bet and Fred spent the afternoon picking some of the last of  the peas at Flexford.

We spent a number of evenings at Joan and Les’s Beetons’ house, which had become something of a regular gathering place that summer.

The following day the weather and the thrashing was able to continue and it was said to be one of the hottest days anyone could remember — said to be the hottest since 1911.

So the farm work carried on. John went off to cricket while Fred helped with the milking. I managed to finish the ironing before tea, which always felt like a small victory.

Good news arrived not long afterwards. John learned that he had done extremely well in the crop competitions — winning first prize for wheat, first for barley, second for winter oats and third for spring oats. It was a wonderful result and a proud moment for the farm. Later that evening we gathered at Beechcroft for a game of Monopoly. The Romsey Show came round as usual as it always does every year at the beginning of September  and I went along with the Deans and enjoyed a very good day there.

That evening Doug Legg arrived with his puppy — one of the lassies that he had brought from us, but as it turned out — it was rather naughty though and it managed to chase and kill one of the chickens in the yard, which caused no end of annoyance.

Life continued in its familiar rhythm. Trips to the hairdresser were followed by evenings spent bottling fruit and making jam. John continued to play tennis at Chalk’s whenever he could spare the time.

The children’s lives were changing too. John built a sandpit for them in the garden, and there were trips to Hursley with Smoky to visit the blacksmith.

One day we travelled into Southampton to buy new outfits for the girls as they prepared to start at the convent school. The days were still bright and warm and

The children went to music lessons. Jennifer had a worrying moment when Smoky got out of his field and briefly went missing but he was found out on the Hursley road and fortunately everything turned out well.  

Soon afterwards Sunday School began again for the children. I walked across the fields to meet them coming back from The Richie Hall through Ramally and afterwards, later that evening Joan, Les, Tommy and Lorna all came in for supper.

The steady rhythm of autumn life was beginning to return. Washing and ironing filled the early part of one windy day while I carefully sewed labels into the children’s new school clothes.

Fred was still searching for work and helping on the farm when he could do milking and other tasks.

Then came an exciting moment for the farm. Two heifers calved at Flexford — clear proof that the bull had been doing his job rather well two lovely heifers calved to add to our ever growing pedigree Jersey herd. Around the same time Jennifer and Janet experienced an important milestone they had their first day at the Convent High School, in Southampton.

The weather was miserable and rainy that morning, and they were thoroughly wet by the time they caught the bus. But they seemed to enjoy the school and settled into their lessons quickly. Jennifer even came home with homework on the very first day.

Life moved steadily on. There were shopping trips into Southampton, cups of tea at Beechcroft, and visits to the Beetons’ house to collect one of their old hens which they wanted us to put with ours.

One particularly enjoyable outing came with the gymkhana. Jennifer rode Smoky while Janet rode Patchy, and the whole family travelled over together. It was a splendid day, finished off with lunch at the Thatches and tea later at Frank White’s new house. Janet was so pleased with second place on her pony Patchy.

Back at the farm the work continued. Mr Cross helped pick pears at Flexford, the children attended Sunday School, and Mother and Bella came for tea before everyone headed over to Dunford’s Farm beyond Bishopstoke for the evening. The farm animals also needed attention. The vet arrived to test the heifers for tuberculosis —T T testing it is called and  a worrying process for any farmer.

Fortunately every one of the twenty heifers passed the test, which was great relief indeed.

Meanwhile the autumn rains began to arrive properly. One day it poured without stopping, filling the duck pond at last. John and all the men spent the next day lifting potatoes from Flexford under Knightwood while I worked steadily in the kitchen bottling fruit and making jam. Life on the farm continued to revolve around work and community. There were funerals to attend, visits into the village and Eastleigh, and quiet evenings spent sewing. Jennifer began attending events at the stadium for jumping competitions, while friends dropped in for tea afterwards.

Family visits filled many Sundays. One afternoon we drove to Mottisfont to visit John’s cousins, uncle and aunt. Back at home Bet and Fred looked after things and later stayed for supper. By the end of the month life brought some welcome news.

Fred finally had a good chance of a job at Bishops Waltham with a Company called Dukes And not long afterwards the news was confirmed — Bet and Fred would indeed be moving to live in Ovington in The Red House. The farm itself continued to flourish.

One day I received the wonderful news that my heifer calves had won a competition at the Growmore Club. It felt like another small victory for the farm.

The weather remained unusually warm for late September. I cut the front lawn one afternoon and planted some rose cuttings Joan had given me. There were evening visits to friends in Southampton and gatherings with family at the farmhouse.

And as the month drew to its close John finally finished lifting the potatoes. The garden was tidied, rose cuttings planted, and I spent a quiet evening working again on my evening dress.

Summer was clearly fading now.

And so September came gently to its close, with a month of harvest prizes, new beginnings at school, autumn rains and warm evenings… as the Hampshire countryside slowly turned toward the quieter days of autumn.

October 1949.

It began with weather that hardly felt like autumn at all. The very first day was said to be the hottest October day on record, the sun warm across the fields and gardens. John headed off to football while I spent the morning digging over the bed in the front garden, preparing it for planting wallflowers that would bloom the following spring. Saturdays were always hectic at the farmhouse, with neighbours dropping in throughout the day.

Between visitors I managed to do a little more sewing on my evening dress and even set about making some sloe gin —I had picked the slows from The Camels Hump  just beyond Ramally, a sure sign that autumn had arrived.

The following day I planted the wallflowers into the freshly dug bed. Mother and Bella came for tea, and later Manning dropped by for a chat and a cup of tea. The fine weather continued into the new week.

Jennifer stayed home from school with a cold one day while John and I took a pair of bull calves to the market at Winchester in the back of the car. Unfortunately Bull calves are of no use to us so have to be sold on. 

Back at the house I finished the ironing and mended a couple of shirts before John went off to his Masonic Lodge of Instruction meeting. 

Village life carried on in its familiar pattern. Jennifer soon began to feel better and went back to school and I went to the Richie Hall for dancing teaching lessons

Afterwards I called at Beechcroft to say goodbye to Bet and Fred as they prepared to move to Ovington. It’s not too far away so we should see them more often now.

Mac was there as well — someone I had not seen for seventeen years. It was quite remarkable how little he seemed to have changed.

Soon afterwards Bet and Fred began their new jobs. Fred with Dukes of Bishops Waltham and Betty in Smiths in Winchester. Meanwhile Ken Jenkins, Chamberlain’s  farm agent, arrived to discuss plans for cow pens as our herd is growing and we definitely need more milking space. Afternoons were filled with small domestic tasks — darning, gardening, and more work on my evening frock.

Trips to the hairdresser were followed by tea with Mother and Bella.

Evenings often brought visitors. The Parkers came by one evening, along with Mr Cross, as neighbours continued to call in regularly. One afternoon Joan visited and we went for a walk together and I spent the evening doing more sewing again.

John spent time drilling oats and Vetches over Flexford.

Visitors arrived one after another — Trenfields called to collect some potatoes, Mac and his family calling in, Nora and her family coming for tea, and Frank and Jean dropping by later

and I also managed to cut out a new petticoat.

Children’s parties filled some of the weekends. One afternoon we went over to the Bucketts Farm  house in Allington Lane for Derek’s party, while Mr Cross later helped move some pullets in the evening into The Arks in the field.

Gradually the weather began to change. One week of beautiful weather seemed almost too good to last, and soon afterwards the rain began to arrive. Even so there were still moments of brightness.

One lovely afternoon I walked to the Hall for dancing and enjoyed the sunshine on the way home.

Bet and Fred returned for the day at Beechcroft and I popped over to see them for a while Nora and George were there as well and in the evening John went off to a Growmore meeting and he spent the day shooting and returned home with two pheasants, which I later prepared for cooking.

Trips to the Romsey market followed, and John and the men were drilling wheat at Flexford while I worked in the garden. Soon afterwards I felt rather unwell myself with a chill. Despite feeling miserable we still managed a trip into Eastleigh for errands.

That evening Joan and Les came for supper and we enjoyed the pheasants that John had brought home from the shoot.

The middle of October brought colder mornings, sometimes misty but still bright. Neighbours continued to arrive — Jonny calling for chicken feed, Mr Cross bringing chrysanthemums, and family gathering for tea. Yet illness seemed to be spreading.

John began feeling unwell with the same complaint that had troubled me, and Uncle George too was suffering. Rain returned again with force.

Stormy days kept everyone indoors, and I spent one afternoon cleaning and working on my rug beside the fire in the dining room .

The following Monday brought the usual washing and ironing, though a heavy shower swept across the farm late in the afternoon. The wind soon followed. Still the routine of village life continued.

Dancing at the Hall went on even in dreadful weather. John had a pig slaughtered, an important task that meant fresh meat for the household.

Soon afterwards we held what became known as a “pig evening.”

Joan and Les arrived, along with Tommy and Lorna, and everyone gathered to enjoy the fresh pork. Even in stormy weather there were moments of celebration.

One evening we went to dinner at King’s Court to celebrate Joan and Les’s wedding anniversary. Tom and Lorna were there too, making it a cheerful evening despite the rain.

The weather worsened as the month went on. Jennifer needed a visit to the doctor, who suspected worms for goodness sake so medicine was issued.Lets hope that sorts the problem Shopping trips into Southampton provided new shoes and evening shoes, along with a shirt for John.

Some days the wind and rain were so fierce that we stayed indoors entirely, spending the evening gathered around the fire in the dining room.

Gradually the storms began to ease. John continued his farm survey work for the Growmore competitions. The rain returned again during another dancing day at the Hall, forcing John to come and collect me rather than walking home.

The farm agents again arrived to discuss new cow stalls. I do hope they can start work soon, then Norman Cooper brought the fantastic news that he had won the Buckfast Cup for his jersey herd, a great accolade indeed.

One particularly exciting day followed.

Mother stayed the night as we prepared for a trip to the Dairy Show in London. The next morning we travelled up in Jones’s coach with Kath and Norman. It was a splendid show with much to see.

Afterwards we enjoyed dinner at the Strand Palace Hotel before heading to the theatre to see Brigadoon.

It was a wonderful evening. The coach journey home was bitterly cold but full of cheerful conversation. The following morning brought a hard frost.

Mother and Bella walked home after staying the night, and later I walked to the cemetery carrying flowers.

That evening I listened again to excerpts from Brigadoon on the wireless before going to bed early, thoroughly tired from the trip. The final days of October were quieter.

John went to football to watch Saints at The Dell and  Bet and Fred came home for the weekend, and we all gathered at Beechcroft for supper.

Cross arrived with chrysanthemums one morning then he and Tommy went apple picking at Flexford. Another evening was spent at the Parkers’ house for supper. And as October came to its close, half-term arrived for the girls. Jennifer went riding with Carol Adams while I took Janet to the Empire cinema. Frank and Winny Dean kindly had Heather.

Closing Line

And so October faded into autumn, with a month of bright days and heavy storms, fresh pork, countryside gatherings, and a memorable night in London… as the farm settled quietly into the darker evenings of winter ahead.

Family and neighbours gather again and again, for birthday teas, bacon suppers, and a lively wedding anniversary celebration.

And so I close October and hope you are here again next Sunday when we move into Nov and Dec 1949 and move on towards a new decade 1950. This is Andy Vining reading my Mother’s Diaries, thank you for listening.