Andy Vining’s Podcast: My Mother’s Diaries 1948 – 1976: Episode 13 — November and December 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).

November 1949

Fires Lit for Winter

Welcome to Episode 13 of  My Mother’s Diaries.

Each episode I open the pages of my mother’s diaries, written day by day on our family farm in Hampshire in the late 1940s.

Through her words we step back into a world of farming, family, village life… and the small everyday moments that quietly made up a life.

This is November and Dec 1949.

November arrived with the evenings growing darker and the air noticeably colder.

For the first time that season we lit the fire in the dining room — a welcome warmth as winter slowly began to settle over the countryside.

The month began quietly enough.

I finished the ironing one afternoon before heading to the Hall for dancing. Later that evening Jess Roffey came to visit and stayed chatting for hours. It was lovely to hear how much they were enjoying the puppy from us

The next day brought a visit to the hairdresser and a stop at Beechcroft to see Mother. The evening was spent stitching away at my evening frock, which seemed to occupy many evenings that autumn.

Life returned to its normal routine as the girls went back to school.

One evening we all went to the pictures with the Parkers and the Beetons to see Barkleys of Broadway — a cheerful outing before returning home to the quiet of the farm.

One day I worked steadily on the frock from morning until evening, finally finishing it at half past seven. Mother and Bella arrived to stay the night, and later we all went off to a Young Farmers’ Club dance in Romsey which turned out to be a splendid evening.

The weather soon turned miserable again.

Bonfire Night arrived under heavy rain that seemed to fall without stopping.

John still went to football as usual, though by evening the rain had eased enough for fireworks. The Deans came up and afterwards joined us inside for supper.

The following Sunday was calmer. We enjoyed roast pheasant for dinner and spent a lazy afternoon and evening sitting beside the fire. Much of November was filled with ordinary work around the house. Ironing, sewing and mending continued to fill the afternoons.

One evening I went to what Joan called a “hen party” at her house — a gathering of the women for conversation and laughter. Dancing at the Hall continued as usual each week. I spoke to Bet on the telephone one evening when she returned home for a visit. Trips into the village were frequent.

One morning I went up to the Deans’ house to fetch Heather before heading to Romsey market with a calf. While there I bought Mother a pair of slippers for her birthday. Later we called on Marjorie and Joan before returning home for tea with Mother and Bella.

Farm work was beginning to move into its winter phase. The threshing tackle arrived ready to begin work on the barley, though heavy rain delayed the start. Instead we drove into Eastleigh to arrange the Growmore dinner before returning home for a quiet evening by the fire.

The following day was brighter. I spent the morning cooking while Nora and her family called in.

John went off to football and then to a Masonic meeting, though he returned early when one of the calves became ill. Sadly the calf died the following day. That same afternoon Ken Jenkins and his wife came to visit, and he and John spent much of the day discussing plans for new cow sheds on the farm.

The middle of the month brought a rather dramatic start to the day. The bull managed to get loose in the yard, which meant a very early and rather sudden awakening for everyone. Once things were safely under control I continued with the washing before making a quick visit to Southampton. Soon afterwards the barley threshing finally began. The work continued steadily until the last of it was finished, and the yield turned out to be very good indeed.

Evenings often ended with walks to Beechcroft to see Mother, or visits to Joan’s house on the way home. Soon afterwards Mother left to spend some time with Betty. Back at the farmhouse I planted forget-me-nots in the garden and eventually managed to finish the large pile of darning that had been waiting for weeks.

Of course the moment one pile was finished another always seemed to appear. Winter preparations had begun in earnest. One afternoon I started preparing the fruit for the Christmas puddings, which would soon be boiling in the kitchen. Stormy weather returned again — rain and gales battering the house. That evening I curled my hair, had a long bath and went to bed early for once.

Trips into the village provided the opportunity to begin a little Christmas shopping. Joan came to visit in the afternoon and that evening we all went to a Young Farmers’ Club dance at Cadena West with the usual crowd.; Afterwards we gathered at the Parkers’ house for Tommy’s birthday tea. The following morning was spent finishing the Christmas puddings. They sat boiling away in the kitchen while Marjorie visited in the afternoon. That evening John went to football before taking part in a Growmore quiz with Frank Dean. Later Nora called in for eggs and bacon, and it was late before anyone finally went to bed.

Family gatherings continued throughout the month. Les and Joan came to tea one day, while the Parkers arrived later that evening as Tommy’s birthday celebrations continued. Soon afterwards came a special day for John and me — our wedding anniversary. We celebrated with dinner at Greenaways  together with the Beetons, the Parkers and the Deans. Later everyone came back to the house and the evening turned into a very cheerful gathering.

Life quickly returned to its usual rhythm. There was dancing again at the Hall while John spent one evening helping cut up bacon for the Beetons and the Parkers.

Heather unfortunately developed a nasty chest cold around that time, which worried us all and so she had to be kept warm and in bed but she is only a small, poor little thing. It would help if we had some electricity to help keep the place warm but goodness knows when we shall get that. The weather turned unpleasant again — damp and muggy.

Phil and Eric Coates came for supper one evening. Another night brought a rather grand occasion. We attended a dinner and ball at the Polygon as guests of John and Joan Buckett. It was an enjoyable evening though I must admit we missed our usual group of friends as we didn’t know that many people there. Mother came back to stay the night afterwards.

The final days of November passed quietly. Shopping trips into the village were followed by attempts to catch up with the ever-growing pile of darning. Tommy dropped in for a chat while John attended an NFU meeting in Romsey. Rain continued to sweep across the countryside. Julie Dean came for lunch one day while Nora and her family called in later. One morning I spent hours sewing up Heather’s eiderdown after the feathers escaped everywhere across the kitchen. John seemed to be catching a cold as well.

On a quiet Sunday I walked to the cemetery with some flowers. Later we allowed the children a day off Sunday School and Jennifer invited the Deans for lunch. That evening we went over to the Beetons’ house.

The final week of the month slipped by quickly. One morning I accidentally woke at half past four and tried to go back to sleep again — not a very successful idea. Still, the ironing was completed later that afternoon. Visitors continued to arrive. Mr Toole called in one day. Joan visited another afternoon before I went dancing again at the Hall. The Dunfords joined us for the evening soon afterwards.

And on the very last day of November the Sinclairs arrived for the day, bringing young Tim and their new baby Christopher. John attended a Growmore meeting that evening while the house settled once again into the quiet warmth of winter.

Summary

And so November slipped gently into winter — a month of roaring fires, Christmas puddings, village dances and stormy weather… as life on the farm carried on beneath the darkening skies of late autumn.

December arrived in a whirl of Christmas preparations.

One day was spent rushing around the shops with Joan buying presents, returning home just in time for a hairdressing appointment before settling down in the evening with a little darning.

The next morning John and I were out again shopping. Later I walked round to Mother’s house and called in to see Joan on the way home.

That evening brought one of the lively winter dances at the Romsey NFU — and to my surprise I even won a box of chocolates.

Life in the village carried on as usual despite the growing cold.

Saturdays were always busy days at the farmhouse. John went off to football while neighbours dropped in throughout the afternoon.

The children were busy with their own Christmas errands too, heading off to the shops together and returning later with Winnie Dean, who stayed for a drink before heading home.

One quiet Sunday I walked to the cemetery and planted crocuses on Dad’s grave. The rest of the day was peaceful — writing letters, doing a little sewing, and enjoying the quiet of the house. Winter routines had fully settled in by now.

Washing and ironing filled much of one day while John attended the last of his Masonic instruction meetings for the year.

In the evening I helped repair his jacket and trousers while the fire burned steadily in the grate.

The weather grew rough.

One day rain and wind battered the house so fiercely that the kitchen chimney began to smoke badly.

Even so errands continued. I went into the village with John and Mother to take laundry in while friends such as Marjorie and Joan dropped by later in the day.

Christmas preparations gathered pace. One day I baked two Christmas cakes, relieved that the oven behaved itself properly for once. Trips to Southampton followed for the last of the presents, while evenings were filled with writing letters and wrapping parcels.

John attended an installation at Hursley one evening before we joined a Growmore quiz in Eastleigh. It was great fun, although Fair Oak unfortunately lost by twenty-one marks. Cold weather soon settled over the countryside. Frosty mornings followed and the fields took on the pale stillness of winter.

Jennifer caught a bad cold and stayed home from school for a while, though Janet still attended her school party. The final dancing lesson of the term arrived soon afterwards.

Later that evening we gathered at the Parkers’ house to help cut up bacon — another small task in the rhythm of winter farm life. Midway through the month came a rather alarming moment. After attending the children’s school carols, John set off with Frank, Les and Tommy for Frank’s Lodge.

But their car crashed in the Avenue. Fortunately the injuries were not too serious, though poor Tommy had to have his arm stitched. That evening Joan and Les came round to supper and we all tried to settle our nerves after such a shock. Christmas preparations continued regardless.

Heather became quite poorly and we made a hurried trip into Southampton while out shopping. Meanwhile John killed and plucked several cockerels ready for the Christmas table, with Cross lending a hand. The kitchen became a whirl of feathers, cooking and visitors as neighbours dropped in throughout the week.

Party invitations were written and delivered while the house slowly filled with decorations. The final week before Christmas was wonderfully hectic. There was washing to finish, presents to wrap and visitors arriving almost every day.

Mother went to stay with Betty for Christmas while the girls attended parties with their friends. The Christmas cake received its final almond icing. Soon afterwards the tree went up in the house and decorations appeared in every room. With Andrew making his long Holly Chains hanging in the hall. I even spent time drawing chickens and turkeys for people — a little tradition that seemed to grow each year.

Christmas Eve arrived in a rush of activity. The joint was cooked early in the morning while John went to football as usual. Cakes were iced, parcels finished and a quick dash made to Beechcroft to borrow a few last things. Later Joan and Les came round for a drink, and the evening became rather merry after three gin and tonics.

Christmas Day began early with church. The children were full of excitement as presents were opened in a whirl of paper and laughter. Doug and Marjorie dropped in during the day for a drink before the house finally grew quiet again that evening.

Boxing Day brought another outing. We went with the Deans to see the Hursley Hounds meet. Most of the others caught sight of the fox, though Winnie and I stayed in the car with Heather. Later the Deans came to tea for a children’s party and Joan and Les joined us again in the evening. Soon afterwards came John’s birthday.

We borrowed glasses from the Beetons and Mother to prepare supper for ten guests. Roast chicken filled the table and the evening turned into another cheerful gathering. But the busy Christmas week soon caught up with everyone.

The following day I felt dreadful and spent most of it in bed while friends kindly took the children out for the day. Janet too became unwell. The illness lingered for several days and the house grew unusually quiet. Even the Eastleigh Police Ball had to be missed, which annoyed me greatly.

Gradually we began to feel better. And so the final day of the year arrived. John still went to football, though he returned home looking rather miserable. That night we stayed up to see the New Year in. But the celebrations were quiet ones. We welcomed the new year, from bed.

A Reflection on the Year 1949

And so the year of 1949 quietly came to its end. Looking back through the diary pages, it had been a year full of life on the farm. There had been calves born at Flexford… puppies in the shed… and ponies at the gymkhanas.

There were dances at the village hall, tennis matches in the long summer evenings, and cups of tea shared endlessly with neighbours and friends. There were hayfields glowing in the summer sun… harvest days filled with dust and hard work… and seaside holidays where the children built sandcastles and laughed in the salt air.

There were trips to markets and country shows, a grand day at the Dairy Show in London, and even an evening at the theatre watching Brigadoon. There were worries too — storms that battered the farm, animals lost, illness in the family, and the endless work that farming life demanded.

But through it all the rhythm of life continued. The washing was done. The crops were gathered. Jam was bottled. Christmas puddings were boiled. Neighbours called in for eggs and bacon. Friends gathered for supper.

And each day, quietly and faithfully, my mother wrote it all down. Not the great events of history. But the ordinary moments that truly make up a life.

And so 1949 closes — a year of seasons turning, children growing, friendships shared and farm life faithfully recorded… one ordinary, extraordinary day at a time in my mother’s diary.

Until next  Sunday when we open the diaries on a new decade – the 1950’s. Thank you for listening to My Mother’s Diaries.