Andy Vining’s Podcast: My Mother’s Diaries 1948 – 1976: Episode 8 — January and February 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).

Podcast Opening Introduction – January 1949

Welcome back to My Mother’s Diaries. Episode 8, January 1949

We begin a brand-new year now — January 1949 — a time when winter still grips the countryside, but the promise of a fresh year lies ahead.

There is always a sense of quiet optimism at the start of a new year… new plans, small hopes, and the simple rhythm of family and farm life continuing day by day.

So let us step back together into that January, and hear how the year began through my mother’s own words.

January of 1949 began in rather trying fashion.

The weather was dreadful, and the children — full of leftover Christmas excitement — seemed determined to drive me quite mad. The house was noisy from morning until evening, and by the afternoon I had quite had enough.

So we escaped.

At four o’clock we went round to the Beetons for tea, which was a blessed relief. A quiet cup of tea and a friendly face can restore one’s spirits wonderfully.

Later that evening I turned up the hem of a new skirt, and a girl came round asking about a job. It seemed we might have a little help in the house after all — something that always makes life easier when there are children, hens, and endless chores to be done.

Soon afterwards I went to see Betty, which was very pleasant indeed, and we brought Mother back home with us. It was lovely to have her with us again.

A few days later the new girl arrived — also called Betty — and she seemed bright and cheerful, which I was thankful for. A willing pair of hands makes a world of difference in a busy household.

Between the house and the farm there was always something waiting to be done.

I dug up the gladioli bulbs in the garden, and one evening I dyed an evening slip from mauve to pink, which amused me no end. I also began altering a navy evening dress — a task which went on for days and which I grew to dislike more with every stitch.

The children, of course, had their own adventures.

Jennifer went to a Sunday School party dressed as Prince Charming, which she thoroughly enjoyed, and Andrew went off to tea with Malcombe. Joan called in that day, as she often did, and the evening was spent darning — as so many evenings seem to be.

John and I went shopping in Eastleigh one day, and that evening Frank called in, along with Les Emery. After they had gone I carried on with my sewing, altering the girls’ long frocks ready for a party.

A mother’s sewing basket never seems to stay shut for long.

I even managed a visit to the hairdresser — quite a luxury — before finishing the girls’ party dresses and altering the necks of their vests.

Soon the big day arrived and the children all went off to a party at the Potters Heron. John went to Hursley for a Masonic meeting, and that evening Mother, Bella, Bet and Fred all came for supper, which made the house lively and cheerful.

The following day was a lovely one. Joan, Roger and Les came for tea, and I spent some time finishing the alterations on my evening dress, as we were going to a dance the next night.

We went shopping in Winchester during the day and then in the evening to the Eastleigh Police Ball.

It was a jolly good dance — really very enjoyable — and we did not get home until the small hours.

When we crept into the kitchen the white hyacinth there had just come into bloom. The scent filled the whole room and made the house feel warm and welcoming after our late return.

The next afternoon Margaret Haskell came to tea, and we even practised a little dancing in the sitting room.

Father dancing too, which amused us all enormously.

John, however, slept through most of the evening afterwards.

Farm life, of course, carried on steadily alongside everything else.

Joan came round one day and helped wash all the eggs — an endless task when you keep hens. I walked over to Beechcroft and that evening Phil and Eric came for supper.

We had eggs and bacon followed by lemon meringue pie.

Once the children went back to school the house suddenly felt quieter, and I took the opportunity to have a proper wash-up and finish the week’s darning.

Norman telephoned to ask John to go with him to a sale in Reading, which he did.

Another day I took Janet and Jennifer to see Ethel Moore’s dancing display, which was very good indeed.

Not long afterwards John and Leslie took the children to the pantomime in Bournemouth — quite an outing for them.

Friends and family were always dropping in.

 

Mother and Bella came often for tea. Nora and Stanley called one day, and Joan came round for tea as well. Supper that evening was simply fried eggs and bacon for the family.

Around the house I continued with my little projects — digging up bulbs, dyeing slips, and battling with that navy evening dress which I had come to hate quite thoroughly.

One bright morning I ironed before lunch, and Joan came in and helped wipe up. Later I tried once again to improve that troublesome dress.

Then work began in the kitchen.

The tiling man arrived and made a most dreadful mess — dust everywhere and tools scattered across the room. It took all my patience to keep things in order.

I escaped for a while by going dancing at the hall one afternoon, and later John and I drove to Flexford to look at rabbit wires.

Then came Heather’s birthday.

The children danced for me to celebrate, and Mother and Bella came for tea. By then I had finally finished that dreadful evening dress.

And outside in the garden the first snowdrops had appeared — always such a cheerful sight after winter.

For several days the kitchen remained in chaos while the work continued. I spent my time trying to tidy up around it all while carrying on with more darning.

John went off to a committee meeting in Eastleigh.

Another day I took Jennifer into Eastleigh for her scholarship examination.

That evening we went dancing in Romsey with Joan and Les and a few others. It was good fun.

Back at home the kitchen still needed attention. Leslie came and distempered the walls, which meant another frantic afternoon tidying up.

Mother and Bella came for tea again.

That day I collected eighty-two eggs from eighty-five hens — excellent going.

We ordered flower seeds from SCATS, and John painted the wall above the new tiles in the kitchen. It looked very nice when it was finished.

One washing day the weather was so dreadful that nothing would dry and I could not iron in the evening.

Instead I called in to see Marjorie and Joan for a cup of tea, and later spent a quiet evening reading.

There was dancing again at the hall on a lovely day, while John went off to a Growmore quiz where his team actually won.

Joan and I walked over to Flexford one afternoon and picked a few snowdrops, though not many were out yet.

Jess Roffey called in, and John went to another committee meeting in Eastleigh.

We also arranged our holiday at camp, which gave us something pleasant to look forward to.

Soon afterwards Jennifer and Andrew both went down with colds and had to stay in bed.

John went hare shooting while I went into Southampton and bought a new pair of shoes.

Mother and Bella came to tea and stayed on for supper.

As the children began to recover, Joan Buckett and her boys came to tea and Joan Beeton called in as well.

Mrs Cross came round and we prepared eggs ready for the show the next day.

 

One afternoon Jennifer had Hatley’s donkey over, which caused enormous excitement.

She gave Malcombe, Judith and Veronica rides while their parents chatted in the kitchen.

John went to Winchester with Norman to watch the boxing that evening while I stayed home and worked a little on my rug.

The next day Betty did not turn up, which was rather annoying, but I cycled over to Flexford and picked snowdrops.

Mr Cross came round later with good news.

John had won two first prizes and a second prize for his eggs and for bunched snowdrops, which pleased him enormously.

Towards the end of the month I went into Southampton again and bought a costume for Jennifer’s birthday.

By then Janet had caught the cold as well.

Joan came round once more to wash eggs, and in the evening I did the ironing while Eric Coates came to call.

And so January came quietly to its close.

It had been a month much like so many others — full of small happenings, visitors at the door, children’s laughter, sewing baskets, hens to tend, and endless cups of tea.

Yet those small moments are what make a life.

The first snowdrops had appeared in the garden, the hens were laying well, and the house — though often noisy — was full of warmth and family.

And as the new year settled in, we carried on with the simple, busy rhythm of home and farm… not knowing, of course, what the rest of 1949 might bring.

And so that is where we leave January of 1949.

A month of small moments — children’s laughter, visitors at the door, sewing by the fire, eggs gathered from the hens, and the first brave snowdrops appearing in the garden.

These little entries, written day by day, quietly capture the rhythm of family life on the farm.

Thank you for listening to My Mother’s Diaries.

I hope you will join me again soon, as we turn the next page together and discover what the days ahead will bring.

 

February 1949

Opening Introduction

Welcome back to My Mother’s Diaries.

February has arrived — still deep in winter, with cold mornings and short days, but there is always a quiet sense that spring cannot be too far away. Snowdrops begin to appear, the hens continue their steady work, and life on the farm carries on with its familiar rhythm.

So let us step back now into February of 1949, and hear how the month unfolded through my mother’s own words.

February began with rather too many colds in the house.

Betty was still away and Janet was still in bed with the children’s cold, though she managed to get up for tea. Unfortunately I caught the same cold myself and felt quite rotten. Still, there was work to be done, and I spent the day getting through a great pile of darning.

The next day was lovely and bright, so I kept Janet at home and let her potter about quietly. I popped round to Beechcroft with some laundry, and Joan came over for a little lesson on drawing a chicken — something that amused us both. Later I tidied the bedroom and worked a little more on my rug.

Soon the house became busy with preparations for Jennifer’s party. I spent a day cooking and baking, and also cycled over to Flexford to pick snowdrops. I gathered four dozen bunches, which looked very pretty.

 

One piece of news came that day as well — Alf Hurst gave notice.

The following day was spent entirely in the kitchen, baking cakes and preparing food ready for the party. We had chicken for dinner, which was jolly good. Joan called in, and Mr Cross came by in the evening. Supper that night was cold cuts.

Then came Jennifer’s party — and what a day that was.

Children everywhere, excitement from morning until evening, and I did not finish working the horses’ head on a jumper until half past twelve that night.

The very next day was Jennifer’s birthday.

There were the usual gentleman visitors calling in, and Stanley came over bringing me another cycle lamp, which was very thoughtful. I spent some of the day mending clothes.

Around the house John fitted a new bottom to the kitchen fire, which was very welcome. That evening he went to a Ladies’ Installation at Shirley, while I went to a hen party at Joan’s along with Mrs Parker.

Mother came one day to look after Heather while I went dancing, which was most kind of her. Margaret Haskell came for tea, and later Mr and Mrs Haskell stayed for supper.

Farm life continued as it always does.

One morning we had a pig killed, and I cycled over to Flexford again to pick the remaining snowdrops. Mrs Fullbrook came to speak about work and agreed to start the next day, while Mrs Marshall was arranged to begin working the following Monday.

Mrs Fullbrook arrived bright and cheerful and proved to be a very good worker indeed. That afternoon I went to tea at Mrs Sparkes’ with Joan. We also brought home a new bird called “Dickie”.

Later someone came to collect the pig’s head, and I made brawn.

The next day Mrs Fullbrook gave the kitchen a thorough cleaning while Dickie sang happily the whole time. Mother came to help while I went to the hairdresser.

John went to a committee meeting that evening, and I telephoned the Beetons to invite them for supper the next day.

It rained all morning, though the afternoon turned out pleasant enough. But there was excitement in the yard — the cow slipped her calf and the vet had to come. That evening Joan and Les Beeton came for supper and we talked so long we went very late to bed.

Janet was not feeling too well the following day. I went round to the Parkers to look at their chickens and we arranged for a new man to move into the cottage.

Monday brought washing day, though the weather was not good for drying. Mother and Bella came to tea later. That evening there was a Young Conservatives’ dance at Ritchie Hall, which turned out to be a very good evening.

 

Janet was still home the next day, but I cycled over to the hall for dancing and later spent the evening at the Parkers’.

Another day I helped John put up folding units in one of the fields, then walked round to Beechcroft. That evening I settled down to a long session of darning.

Joan came up one day and we went walking through the fields collecting eggs as we went. Later we went to the pictures with Joan and Les to see a film called The Rope, while John went off to a Masonic meeting in Southampton. Mother and Bella called round as well.

One sad piece of news came that week.

Mr Drewitt died.

Nora and the family called in, and Mother and Bella looked after the children while we went to a dance in Eastleigh that evening.

The following day the Parkers and the Tools came for tea, and later we went round to the Beetons for supper. Mr Parker’s hen, Clair, had laid her very first egg, which caused some excitement.

The rain returned the next morning but cleared later in the day. I managed to get the washing ironed in the afternoon. Joan came round to wash eggs, Margaret Haskell came for tea, and in the evening I worked again on my rug while John went to Lodge of Instruction.

The day of Mr Drewitt’s funeral arrived soon afterwards. Later there was dancing in the afternoon, and John went to another Masonic meeting in Eastleigh. Mother kindly managed the children while Joan and I went to the flicks and saw a film called Foxes of Hanoi.

One morning I woke with a stiff neck and called in to see Marjorie West, who was still in bed with pleurisy but seemed a little better. I also saw Mrs St John about the village play, and had tea at Joan’s. Frank White and Mr Cross called later that evening.

The hens continued their work as always — another goose egg appeared one day. I walked to Beechcroft where Nora and Mr Abell were visiting. That evening John and Les went to a Growmore quiz while Joan was feeling rather unwell.

Towards the end of the month the children went off to stay with Betty. I saw them off at Eastleigh station and felt quite sad watching them go, though when I telephoned later they sounded very happy.

That evening I went round to Joan’s and later we attended the Snowball Tea Dance at the Cadena in Winchester.

It was a jolly good evening indeed, and we did not get to bed until half past three in the morning.

Mother and Bella stayed overnight and left after breakfast the next morning. Later that day Mrs St John telephoned with wonderful news — Jennifer had passed her scholarship exam.

We were all delighted. John spent the day at football and a poultry show in Eastleigh while I visited Marjorie again and walked home with Joan.

Another day Cross came in the morning and we went to see the council houses Les’s firm were building. Afterwards we had tea at Joan’s and I worked a little more on my rug.

Then came a beautiful day to finish the month.

I had all the ironing done by lunchtime and went to Eastleigh to meet the children arriving back from Betty’s. It was lovely to have them home again.

Later Mr and Mrs G. E. Court came to visit — very pleasant people.

And so February drew quietly to its close.

Closing Reflection

February had been a busy winter month — full of small happenings, family visits, dancing evenings, farm work, and the steady routines of home.

There had been illness, celebrations, good news, and sad news too.

But the snowdrops were blooming, the hens were laying well, and the days were slowly growing longer.

And with spring not too far away, life on the farm continued just as it always had — busy, ordinary, and full of small moments worth remembering.

Thank you for listening to My Mother’s Diaries.