Title:
People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2
Level: Category
Video Archive
Level: Fonds
LIFE IN THE STOUR VALLEY
Scope and Content:
Amateur video compilation of interviews and reminiscences of people from villages on the border between Essex and Suffolk, including details of the archaeological excavation of a Roman settlement at Hill Farm, Gestingthorpe, and cattle farming at Buntings Farm, Pentlow.

TAPE 1
[0:00:00] 23 November 1989: Fred Ruse and Phyllis Ruse of Long Melford [Suffolk]: early memories; family butchery business; difficulties caused by rationing during World War II; administration of the business; changes such as decimalisation; price of meat; delivery of ice by bicycle to Kentwell Hall in Long Melford; photograph of their children and grandchildren.

[0:13:10] 2 January 1989: Alf Finch and Margaret Finch of Red House, Borley Green: village school at Borley; getting into trouble at school; agricultural work; Saturday nights would walk in to Sudbury [Suffolk] to visit the Plough Inn and do shopping; Football team; Working Men's Club; Mrs Finch ran village Post Office; ghost at Borley Rectory; work as servant at Rectory; Home Guard during World War II; church choir.

[0:48:55] 5 February 1990: Frederick William Pawsey D.F.C. [Distinguished Flying Cross] of Cavendish [Suffolk]: description of village of Alpheton [Suffolk] between the wars; apprenticeship at RAF Holton [Suffolk]; joined RAF [Royal Air Force]; sent to USA under the 'Arnold Scheme' to learn to fly; RAF career during World War II in North Africa and Italy; British support for partisans in Yugoslavia - sent on mission to teach them how to work with air support in battle; awarded Distinguished Flying Cross; house in Alpheton - no water, gas, electricity; teacher at Hedingham School for over 30 years; Magistrate; Chairman of Governors of village school in Cavendish; Suffolk dialect; childhood pursuits - walking, bird nesting, sliding on ice, collecting kindling wood; wash day; modern conveniences; bus service; commuters.

[1:26:00] 22 March 1990: Doug Mullock of Cavendish [Suffolk]: served with RAF during World War II; market gardening and mushroom growing; landlord of The Bull pub in Cavendish; pub life; divorce; Cavendish characters; work in plastics factories in Sudbury [Suffolk] and Haverhill [Suffolk].

[1:38:40] End

TAPE 2
[0:00:00] 9 April 1990: Harold Cooper of Hill Farm, Gestingthorpe: took flying lessons before World War II with intention of joining RAF; attempted to build a plane; call-up deferred because he was a farmer; agriculture during WWII; mechanisation; purchased Fowe's Farm, Belchamp Otten which had not been farmed for 25 years; moved to Hill Farm, Gestingthorpe; Roman remains found - extensive excavations, most artefacts gone to British Museum, report published by Ministry of the Environment [East Anglian Archaeology, number 25], complete roofing tile, history of the Roman settlement, site scheduled as ancient monument, position of Roman roads, tile used in heating system showing early Christian fish symbol, iron axe, plough shear, Roman plough, mill stone, attempt to grow Roman wheat variety, views of the site of the settlement.

[0:40:35] 2 July 1990: Peter Brand: Foxhole Herd of pedigree Holstein Friesian cattle at Buntings Farm, Pentlow: cattle in field; going in for milking; origins of the herd; CCTV monitor in Herdman's house; feeding; feed - silage and brewer's grain; farm buildings; information on embryo transplants; cattle being fattened for sale; cubicles; automatic slurry scraper; out-of-parlour computer controlled feeder; slurry separator; dirty water and slurry lagoon; silage; calves; office; selection of Holstein bulls; milking parlour; milking of cows; Head Herdsman; views of Stour Valley; irrigator; driver of milk lorry taking samples and collecting milk.

[1:21:05] 15 October 1990: Charles Gooch of Glemsford [Suffolk]: early memories; school; manager of grocery shop; landlord of The Crown pub in Glemsford from 1953; pub life; cribbage league; darts team; outings to the seaside; raffle in aid of OAPs [old age pensioners].

[1:28:55] End
Dates of Creation:
1989-1990
Extent:
188 minutes
Creator Name:
Mr G. Hastie
Physical Characteristics:
2 VHS videos combined into one MP4 file above.
Related Unit of Description:
This recording is a copy of T/P 310/3

Key terms

TypeKey termsDescription
Subjects Agriculture People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990
Subjects Butchers People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990, includes Fred and Phyllis Ruse of Long Melford [Suffolk], butchers
Subjects Dialects People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990
Subjects Farming People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990
Subjects Farming People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990
Subjects Meat People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990, includes Fred and Phyllis Ruse of Long Melford [Suffolk], butchers
Subjects Second World War People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990, includes memories of World War II
Subjects Servants People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990
Subjects Teachers People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990
Personal Names Alf
Finch 		People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990, includes Alf and Margaret Finch of Borley Green
Personal Names Fred
Ruse 		People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990, includes Fred and Phyllis Ruse of Long Melford [Suffolk]
Personal Names Frederick William
Pawsey 		People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990
Personal Names G.
Hastie 		People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990
Personal Names Margaret
Finch 		People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990, includes Alf and Margaret Finch of Borley Green
Personal Names Phyllis
Ruse 		People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990, includes Phyllis and Fred Ruse of Long Melford [Suffolk]
Place Names Europe, Yugoslavia People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990
Place Names Suffolk People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990
Place Names Suffolk, Alpheton People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990
Place Names Suffolk, Cavendish People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990
Place Names Suffolk, Holton People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990
Place Names Suffolk, Long Melford People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990
Place Names Suffolk, Sudbury People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990
Place Names Kentwell Hall
Suffolk, Long Melford 		People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990
Place Names Rectory
Borley 		People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990
Place Names Borley Green
Red House
Borley 		People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990, includes Alf and Margaret Finch of Red House, Borley Green
Document Types Video People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2, 1989-1990
Institutions Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Royal Air Force People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990
Institutions Hedingham School People of interest in the Stour Valley, part 2: a video film recorded by Mr G. Hastie of Foxearth, 1989-1990