Emboldened writing is the part of the clip audible in the recording.

 

D215 

<F Nf11> 

<S RE> 

<G M> 

<A 76> 

<O RETIRED FARM LABOURER> 

<C NORFOLK> 

<V REEDHAM> 

<D 14-01-57> 

<I WNF> 

<L CN S100> 

<T 9:17> 

  

<RE There was only one fault she had, 

when you was a-backing her, 

she ‘d bite you. RE> 

<WNF Ah. 

# E+When you were backing her +?> WNF> 

<RE Oh aye. 

When you were backing on [: of] her, 

she ‘d have you if you didn’t look out. 

I ‘ve seen her take a +… 

xxx round and take your +… 

half your sleeve off. 

# But she frightened me one day. 

I was stone carting down by the river. 

# And there was an old chap following, 

# and I said to him, 

+” Now don’t back her straight for the river when you set agen [: by] the lump. 

# Keep her sideways, 

so if she run back, 

she ‘ll hit the lump of stones. “+ RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE Well because I knew she ‘d snap at him. 

So I say, 

+” Shall I back her? “+ 

+” No, “+ 

he say, 

+” she ‘ll be alright. “+ 

[!= sniffs] 

Well I got about # thirty or forty yards down the road and I +… 

Suddenly there was a noise. 

# Turned round and see # xxx xxx, 

and I see him, 

standing and going straight for the river. 

And I knew she ‘d have a go at him. 

She run backwards. 

And I just +… 

xxx running. 

Touched her with the whip so she jumped away from the river just as we was a-getting onto the # stage. RE> 

<WNF [!= laughs] WNF> 

<RE She put the br- +… 

he put the breeze out of me. 

I never left her along of him no more, 

xxx xxx setting xxx nor naught. RE> 

<WNF [!= laughs] WNF> 

<RE Frightened him too. 

Poor old chap. RE> 

<WNF He ‘d have backed her out in the river. WNF> 

<RE Yeah. 

She ‘d a-went in the river. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE xxx xxx xxx to got back in time. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. 

[!= laughs] WNF> 

<RE She jumped forward when I # spoke to her. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE She was a real good mare though. RE> 

<WNF Did you have any other # trouble with her? 

Like just [/] just [\] in the backing. WNF> 

<RE Oh yeah. 

No trouble. 

She was one of the best working mares you ever wanted. RE> 

|| 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE But she just got that little +… 

The boys what first had of her were +… 

when I xxx and bought her, 

they used to +… 

When they were going down the river, 

they ‘d sit on the front part of the cart and they ‘d keep touching her # on the back you know. 

Make her +… RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE Jump up. 

They used to think that was a +… 

And I said to one of the boys one day, 

I say, 

+” You ‘re making some trouble for somebody. 

When they want a ride, 

she won’t let ’em. “+ RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE And she wouldn’t neither. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. 

So you ne- never did ride her much? WNF> 

<RE Well I used to ride her if we had her in the cart or anything. 

But if you had her in the cart no saddle on, 

you could ride her as long as you like. RE> 

<WNF Ah. WNF> 

<RE When she hadn’t no saddle on. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

|| 

<RE Well I was # cutting up top of the # three corner field we call it. 

# And # I ‘d three good horses then. 

What # [/] what [\] persuaded ’em to run away, 

I never did know, 

and yet nobody else. 

I come [: came] and slipped ’em down to the # side next to the old cutting, 

as we call it, 

all at once, 

away they go. 

# Off xxx onto the platform and rolled off there onto the ground. 

The next thing I see, 

xxx +… 

old master he stood # crossways, 

the end of the field, 

where # my # binder was a-going out. 

Because that hadn’t got no flyers nor nothing on ’em. 

When I ‘d got to him, 

because they were all broke off and +… RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE Smashed to pieces. 

But uh # out of # one as we call it, 

struck into the # spokes of the wheel, 

just caught the wheel with our pony cart. 

And took the # cart away from there and never had to +… 

never moved the pony. 

The xxx broke and # cart +… 

# took the cart round, 

and they runned [: ran] away with it. 

Put +… 

that ‘s when the xxx broke the binder. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE When that hit the cart. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE And yet never had no pony. 

And they runned [: ran] away down to the railway gate and that ‘s where I # catched [: caught] them up. RE> 

<WNF [!= laughs] WNF> 

<RE We had only that lot of wheat to cut. 

There was about # four acres I think. 

Got it done, 

half on [: of] it. 

So we had to go home and get the old # Samson reaper and finish. 

Cut it loose. RE> 

<WNF Yeah. 

[!= laughs] 

# That was something. WNF> 

<RE Yeah. 

We still got the old binder. RE> 

<WNF What uh [/] what [\] made ’em run away? WNF> 

<RE I don’t know, 

and never did know. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

|| 

<WNF Swing the windmill around into the wind. WNF> 

<RE Aye. 

That was the +… 

She got a # worm up top. RE> 

<WNF Yeah. WNF> 

<RE And you see, 

she got flywheels up +… RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE Flywheel up, 

when [/] when [\] she ‘s the wrong way of the wind, 

the wind ‘ll put that # wheel round, 

and that turn on a cog wheel, 

round the cap of the mill. RE> 

<WNF Yeah. WNF> 

<RE And swing her round. RE> 

<WNF Oh yeah. WNF> 

<RE Else if she get stuck, 

# and the wind get behind here, 

that blow the sails off. RE> 

<WNF Yeah. 

Yeah. WNF> 

<RE that ‘s why that little wheel at the back, 

well that ‘s +… 

The little wheel ‘s about four foot across it. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE And that big # pattern ‘s all # interlocked like that you see, 

and # that go round. 

As that go round, 

that turn this # other # worm, 

in the cog wheel round the top of the mill +… RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE Just under the cap and swing the cap round. RE> 

<WNF Yeah. WNF> 

<RE there ‘s a big cog wheel +… 

cog, 

about that deep. RE> 

<WNF Yeah. WNF> 

<RE Built all round the cap. RE> 

<WNF Yeah. 

And that uh [/] that [\] works automatically. WNF> 

<RE Yes. 

That work when the wind work, 

you see. RE> 

<WNF Yeah. WNF> 

<RE As soon as the wind get round for these # fliers. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE And they +… 

Soon as they get in the wind they stop. RE> 

<WNF Yeah. WNF> 

<RE Get the sails into the wind. RE> 

<WNF Yeah. 

# And when the wind ‘s off a bit, 

it turns this uh little wheel on the back. 

Hmm. WNF> 

<RE # Oh yes. 

These patent mills, 

they # altogether definite old cloth xxx mills. 

Yes. 

That stopped them sometimes. 

They wanted fast and roll ’em. 

xxx. 

because they had a straight sail, 

you see, 

you don’t # roll it there. 

No. 

Always xxx you didn’t get much wind if she was a-going too fast. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE Old sailmen as we used to call them. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE ’cause these others, 

their wings # all one like uh Ve- Venetian blind. RE> 

<WNF Yes. 

Hmm.WNF> 

<RE You see they # naturally open themselves as the +… 

They got a weight on the chain +… RE> 

<WNF Yeah. WNF> 

<RE See? 

Like a Venetian blind. 

Well then they +… 

As the wind blow them, 

they lift the weights up. RE> 

<WNF And the stronger the wind blows +/. WNF> 

<RE The stronger the wind blow, 

the higher they +… 

open, 

more open they go, 

and the harder the mill go. 

See because they don’t open so you had to take the weight off and let ’em open out. RE> 

<WNF Yeah. WNF> 

<RE You have so many weights on, 

you see? RE> 

<WNF Yeah. 

Mmhm. WNF> 

<RE And you have [/] you have [\] a gripe rope a-hanging down by the pull +… RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE And so when you want to stop, 

you just # lift your # gripe up and hook the swing on side of your +… 

Lie your gripe onto the bat. 

Uh that ‘s a band go over the big # wheel. RE> 

<WNF Yeah. WNF> 

<RE And you hang on that and # pull it tight. 

[!= sniffs] RE> 

<WNF And that stops the +… WNF> 

<RE That stop the mill. RE> 

<WNF Yeah. 

That uh +… 

Does that sort of sever the stay also, 

they don’t uh +… WNF> 

<RE Ah you [/] you [\] let the wind out the sails afore you do that. 

You take your weights off and let your wings go right open. RE> 

<WNF Oh yes. WNF> 

<RE The wind ‘s a-going right through. RE> 

<WNF Yeah. 

I see. WNF> 

<RE # Instead of that one, 

they used to have to stop the old +… 

them old sail mills, 

they used to have to stop them in full swing. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE Then they roll +… 

Like a +… 

They roll +… 

Uh used to roll them up like the # sai- sailor ‘d roll a # sail up. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. 

Just # turn it. WNF> 

<RE Roll ’em all up onto a [/] onto a [\] # main arm # of the # sail and +… RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE Lash ’em there till they want ’em again. RE> 

|| 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE He used to supply the village with flour. 

# He used to grind +… 

You know, 

because that weren’t white flour that time of day. RE> 

<WNF No. WNF> 

<RE Meal bread. RE> 

<WNF Yeah. WNF> 

<RE Yes. 

My mother used to get ten stone of flour at a time. 

# Make her own bread, 

never bought no baker’s bread that time of day, 

you know. RE> 

<WNF No. WNF> 

<RE Oh no. 

Not sixty year ago. RE> 

<WNF No. WNF> 

<RE Near to seventy year ago. RE> 

<WNF xxx xxx did she bake once a week? WNF> 

<RE Once a week. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE Make a batch of bread [/] make a batch of bread [\] # overnight on a Friday. 

# Hot little cakes for breakfast Saturday morning. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE Bit of cheese in or a # bit of bacon. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE # Take your +… 

When that ‘s cooked, 

take it out and # shove a bit of cheese in and just put it back in the oven for a minute or two. RE> 

<WNF That ‘s good. WNF> 

<RE That was # Welsh rarebit alright, 

I ‘ll tell you. RE> 

<WNF Yeah. 

[!= laughs] 

Yeah. WNF> 

|| 

<RE And uh # that used to be made with brewer’s yeast, 

you know. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. 

# Hmm. WNF> 

<RE These old people you know, 

it was about a long while afore they ‘d use that # patent yeast, 

they ‘d call it. 

Well, 

the German yeast was the proper name when that first come [: came] out. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE But the older xxx used to call it ‘patent yeast’. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE Used to take a penny, 

# an old girl what sold it used to lay a penny on the scale and give you the weight of +… 

in yeast back. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE For a penny. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE So you want to look out and take a good heavy penny, 

you know. RE> 

<WNF [!= laughs] WNF> 

<RE Better nigh new one. 

Not one was wore off. RE> 

<WNF [!= laughs] WNF> 

<RE Dear oh Lord. RE> 

<WNF Uh where did you get the brewer’s yeast? 

Was the brewer in +/. WNF> 

<RE Yarmouth. RE> 

<WNF Oh, 

you did have to go to Yarmouth. WNF> 

<RE No, 

she didn’t go. 

This old girl used to sell f- +/. RE> 

<WNF Oh, 

she ‘d bring it in. WNF> 

<RE She used a # ten ga- +… 

She had a ten gallon # tin. 

Like the milk churns are now. RE> 

<WNF Ah. WNF> 

<RE And she used to get so much of what she kn- +… 

thought she ‘d want, 

you know, 

in this # churn. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE And uh she used to sell herring or # bloaters. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE Kippers she used to bring home. 

Newspapers on her. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE Ysed to bring all the newspapers and that. 

Old books and what everybody wanted. RE> 

<WNF Hmm. WNF> 

<RE Yeah. 

The old girl used to go every Thursday morning. RE> 

  

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