SED D237
<F Bk2>
<S Sid Hedges aged 69 & Harry Chapel aged 70>
<G M & M>
<A 69 & 70>
<O RETIRED FARM WORKERS>
<C BUCKINGHAMSHIRE>
<V STEWKLEY>
<D 00-01-58>
<I SE>
<L CN S111>
<T 9:21>
<SH That goes +…
I think we ‘s got # better water,
in those days,
than what we get today. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH That was more colder. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH And it used to come out the +… SH>
<OS [!= laughs] OS>
<SH Wells in the earth. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH But where this comes from and that +…
what that gets in it,
well,
# you don’t know.
You keep on +/. SH>
<HC Well,
you know where it comes from. HC>
<SH Well,
from +… SH>
<HC xxx. HC>
<SH Well,
they say it comes from xxx,
and that xxx,
and some on [: of] it comes from France. SH>
<OS [!= laughs] OS>
<HC France?
Oh,
by God. HC>
<OS [!= laughs] OS>
<SH I don’t know # whether that ‘s the truth but +/. SH>
<HC Did you know that then Ken? HC>
<MS Well,
no,
I ‘ve never heard it xxx +/. MS>
<HC I know it come from xxx. HC>
<SH Well,
they xxx across the xxx xxx xxx +/. SH>
<HC that ‘s near the reservoir,
you know. HC>
<SH With a man. SH>
<HC But I never heard as that come from France. HC>
<SH And we got on this here water question,
you see.
And he said,
+” Well,
do you know where your water comes from? “+
I said,
+” Well,
I suppose that ‘s come from xxx. “+
+” # Well, “+
he said,
+” uh as far as that goes, “+
he says +… SH>
<HC That comes from France. HC>
<OS [!= laughs] OS>
<SH Yes.
A lot +/. SH>
<HC [!= laughs] HC>
<SH of it comes from France.
Out of the hills. SH>
<OS xxx xxx.
[!= laughs] OS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<OS Oh my God.
[!= laughs] OS>
<SH Comes across the sea. SH>
<OS [!= laughs] OS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH So,
uh you needn’t be about so far from you,
as something on it ‘s blowed [: blown] up,
# from France. SH>
||
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH Well,
there was a very dry s- spring there.
As I can remember.
# In nineteen twenty one.
As uh people +…
This pub was dry. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH And they had +… SH>
<SE [!= coughs] SE>
<SH people in the xxx xxx,
there was a pump out of the +…
on the other side. SH>
<MS At the farm,
I believe. MS>
<SH Yes.
At the farm.
Well,
they was very particular,
because they got nothing after to fly to. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<OS We weren’t +/. OS>
<SH And uh a good lot of these +…
We was +…
That was more # like a rationing sort of a game,
those days. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH I can remember it now you ‘re talking about it.
# And there was a lot. SH>
<OS xxx xxx xxx. OS>
<SH A spring,
down in uh +… SH>
<HC xxx. HC>
<SH xxx house. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH And there ‘s one in uh +…
At the # edge of this field.
# In the rye. SH>
<HC That ‘s the same one boy. HC>
<SH Well I ‘m +…
Well,
that ‘s the # same one but only in +/. SH>
<HC It runs from that # spring +… HC>
<SH Yeah. SH>
<HC From the tank. HC>
<SH Hmm. SH>
<HC Into xxx xxx. HC>
<SH Hmm.
# But of course there was a lot of water +… SH>
<FS What? FS>
<SH Brought from there. SH>
<FS # That one across the field there? FS>
<HC Yeah. HC>
<FS Is that the one you mean? FS>
<HC Yes.
xxx in +…
Where Jack xxx has now. HC>
<FS Yeah. FS>
<HC Well,
then there ‘s a pipe runs from that,
into the village,
and that ‘s where the xxx folks used to have their water. HC>
<FS Oh. FS>
<HC [!= coughs] HC>
<SH xxx until you was on the brook. SH>
<HC # Through that and then runs on into the brook. HC>
<SH But of course uh # [/] of course [\] there ‘s another spring +… SH>
<FS [!= laughs] FS>
<SH In Ernie Keen’s # field.
# In that pond as Ted Faulkner used to have.
A spring as has never been knowed [: known] to be dry. SH>
<HC Pond as Ted Faulkner used to have? HC>
<SH In the corner,
as +…
Agen the footpath as you go to Tinker’s home.
# There ‘s a spring there that ‘s +/. SH>
<HC Aye.
But that ‘s further +…
that ‘s across that +/. HC>
<SH That comes into the pond. SH>
<HC Acro- +…
Yeah.
That comes in +…
Yes. HC>
<SH xxx xxx. SH>
<HC But that ‘s at that other corner,,
ain’t it? HC>
<SH That ‘s never been knowed to +… SH>
<HC Because Ernie ‘s got a tank for there now.
# Ernie has. HC>
<SH And uh +…
Where? SH>
<HC In that corner from that one you were talking about. HC>
<SH Oh aye.
# But there used to be a lot of water about here.
# I know where I ‘d rather have my water.
Out of the # earth,
below.
And pumped up.
# Nor +…
because I don’t know where it ‘s coming from. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
||
<SH These here straw hats. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH I have.
My own self.
# When I been out of school.
There was the baker come [: came] from Newton Longville. SH>
<OS xxx. OS>
<HC xxx. HC>
<SH And he used to +…
He used to +… SH>
<HC [!= laughs] HC>
<SH Well,
that made me laugh when # I begun to # think about such things.
He used to bring bread +… SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH And these here # rows of # [/] of [\] uh +… SH>
<HC Spills,
they used to call ’em. HC>
<SH Well +… SH>
<OS Straw. OS>
<SH Straw. SH>
<SE Well I +… SE>
<SH Cut off at a certain distance.
# And there was three of these here # uh bundles of uh straws.
You see?
Of different sort.
# There was a blue.
I think I right,,
ain’t I Mr. Beasely? SH>
<MS Yes.
Go on. MS>
<SH A white. SH>
<HC I can tell you that. HC>
<SH # And a +… SH>
<HC White. HC>
<SH A white.
# Blue,
and weren’t the other one Mrs. Beasely a +… SH>
<OS I didn’t know,
I xxx xxx +/. OS>
<SH Between and betwixt them we ‘ll say. SH>
<HC Purple. HC>
<SH A purple sort of a straw.
Well,
Of course,
old people used to have # these here # plait- +…
uh these here,
# bundles of straw.
They were cut off at a certain distance.
Well,
I couldn’t tell you yet.
What were it,
Mrs. Beasely?
About +… SH>
||
<SH Back here.
Oh Lord,
I don’t know how long. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<HC Well,
I can remember it,
so that can’t be +… HC>
<SH So +…
[!= coughs]
When I came out of school +…
# Well,
of course,
I were +…
My mother were my master.
Where for four +…
where it is today,
you know,
what it is. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH And when I come [: came] out of school,
these days,
that was a Wednesday,,
weren’t it Mrs. Beasely? SH>
<OS I don’t +/. OS>
||
<OS [!= coughs] OS>
<SH Well,
when I got home,
as I were going to say,
# and had my tea,
# these here bundles of straw were laid +…
Well,
I don’t know as they were laid on the tea-table,
I # don’t know as they were laid there,
but as soon as ever you had your tea +… SH>
<OS [!= coughs] OS>
<SH My mother used to say,
+” Well,
you know your next job before you go to play. “+ SH>
<HC [!= laughs] HC>
<SH See? SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH That was to +… SH>
<OS Clip it.
xxx xxx +/. OS>
<SH That was to split all these straws.
# By a +…
I think it was a two,
three,
# and a four.
# Well I had to sit down,
and how long that took me I couldn’t tell you now,
because that ‘s so many years,
as I say. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH And I had to split all these straws,
# with these different splitters according to what these +…
they wanted to plait. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH You see,
they got different sorts of plaiting. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH # Well,
when you done that,
# and split these here straws,
# the next job was # that you split ’em,
every one,
with these different splitters. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH And laid them by theirselves. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH Well,
when you ‘d finished that,
there was an old +…
[!= laughs]
I don’t know what to call it.
A mill,
they used to call it then we ‘ll say. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH Well uh every one of these straws,
# had to go through separate.
# So you can tell what a [/] what a [\] # a nice boy I were to do the business. SH>
<HC [!= laughs] HC>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH Can’t you? SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH And that took me some time.
Very likely +…
# My mother used to say,
+” Well,
you ‘ve finished one lot,
and # you can go out to play for hour.
But you ‘ve got to come +…
You ‘ve got to xxx +…
you ‘ve got to come back and split another bundle afore you go to bed. “+ SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH Well you see,
there were one bundle left.
Well I were dreading and the fear of that +…
The next uh [/] next [\] night’s work.
[!= laughs] SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH You see?
# Well I had to split them to +…
for them,
and my father as well.
I ‘ve heard him talk about the +…
He ‘s done plaiting. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH In those days.
# To get the living. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH # But today,
# if you was to talk about splitting,
# and uh plaiting today,
with these younger ones,
well they ain’t know where to begin or end. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH Would they? SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH I know they wouldn’t. SH>
<SE And what did they use ’em for in the end then? SE>
<SH Well,
for uh straw hats. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH You ‘ve seen these straw hats as they uh [/] as # they [\] come round wi’. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH Well they +… SH>
||
<SH And uh,
if that was a very good plait,
I ‘ve seen my mother wet her # lips,
and # rubbing ’em along the straw before she started plaiting. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH That was to wet ’em.
So they plait easier. SH>
||
<SH Oh,
they didn’t get their living easy. SH>
<SE # Hmm. SE>
<SH I ‘ve heard my father say it plenty of times.
# In the Russian War +…
# Well I can’t remember that.
That +…
I mean,
at time as # [/] as [\] I ‘ve heard him say. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH He ‘s got a piece of bread,
in front of the fire,
and blacked it. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH And put it in his cup.
They hadn’t got a bit of tea to use. SH>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH That ‘s going back afore my +…
# I don’t think Mrs. Beasely ‘s gonna remember that.
# Can you Mrs. Beasely? SH>
<OS What? OS>
<SH What I to- +/. SH>
<OS Making toast?
For +… OS>
<SH Hmm.
For tea. SH>
<OS xxx xxx +…
Hmm.
I +…
Well,
I ‘ve heard ’em talk about it. OS>
<SH Well I ‘ve heard my father talk about it,
and that ‘s how I know. SH>
<OS I can’t remember +… OS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<SH But you may depend,
thay was hard +…
very hard times then. SH>
<SE Yeah. SE>
<SH Hmm.
That ‘s how it is. SH>
Transcription by Juhani Klemola and Mark Jones, 1999 See http://digital.library.leeds.ac.uk/381/1/LSE_1999_pp17-30_Klemola_Jones_article.pdf and http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/ach-allc.99/proceedings/scott.html
