D290
<F Do3>
<S JS>
<G M>
<A 85>
<O RETIRED FARMER>
<C DORSET>
<V WHITCHURCH CANONICORUM>
<D 00-12-56>
<I SE>
<L CN S138>
<T 9:30>
<JS Well,
I # [/] I [\] dare say it is better +…
Well,
it is better now we know.
I mean,
we was happier then in [/] in [\] them days. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS Oh yes. JS>
<SE Hmm.
Do you think people were happier? SE>
<JS Yes.
See,
they hadn’t had +…
they hadn’t got so much money to play with.
[!= laughs] JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS Not then. JS>
<SE No. SE>
||
<JS I went on to work about eleven.
Well,
we used to go on # seven o’clock in the morning,
# then work till six by night.
# And no uh # [/] no [\] Saturday # half a day. JS>
<SE No. SE>
<JS No.
Oh no.
# And in haymaking time,
see,
we used to work to # [/] work to [\] dark. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS # You used to have a # skinful of ciders.
[!= laughs] JS>
<SE Did you? SE>
<JS Yeah.
[!= laughs] JS>
<SE Aye.
# Aye. SE>
<JS Yes,
they +…
# I ‘ve a-come across a field here and the # church clock used to be striking # one.
In the morning.
# Well,
we used to go into the forge,
sit down,
have a sing song and that. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS After we left work.
That ‘s in haymaking time. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
||
<JS Oh,
well,
the farmers # used to make their own.
Make their own cider. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS # Well,
that ‘d soon # get up in your head. JS>
<SE Yeah. SE>
<JS [!= laughs]
But they did +…
They used to drink a lot of cider though then.
# Cider and # bread and cheese.
xxx xxx.
Used to have. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JTW How did they make the cider Mr +…? JTW>
<JS # Well,
they g- +…
# uh had a mill,
see,
xxx ground down # uh grind down the apples.
# And then they uh # [/] they [\] had like # a press,
see,
for to press it down.
Put the +…
Well,
pommy we used # to call it.
# In the +…
# That ‘s how they w- +…
then would press it down,
press the cider out. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS And strain it. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS # It wasn’t sweet.
Not very sweet.
Not like you can buy +…
Not the cider that you uh buy from the # brewers and that. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS No. JS>
<SE And how much would one farmer make then? SE>
<JS Well,
that all depends on the crops.
Some [/] some [\] years,
you didn’t uh # [/] you didn’t [\] get any hardly.
Not much.
But now this year there ‘s a fair drop about,
but you can’t [/] you can’t [\] sell it very well.
Not like you could in the olden days. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS No.
# Oh no.
# They don’t drink it the sa- +…
They don’t don’t the same.
They ‘d sooner have something a bit better. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS [!= laughs]
Sooner have some beer. JS>
<SE Yeah. SE>
<JS [!= laughs] JS>
<SE And how much cider would a man drink in a day?
A working man. SE>
<JS Oh,
[!= laughs]
All depends.
Some ‘d drink two or three gallons.
# Yeah. JS>
<SE # Well,
you can hardly believe +/. SE>
<JS I dare say [/] I I dare say [\] I ‘ve had that before now. JS>
<SE Aye. SE>
<JS I ‘ve had enough for to make me lie down. JS>
||
<JS Yes,
I remember +…
# Well,
you know,
they uh # drive the horses with reins.
# Now.
But I [/] I [\] remember when they used to uh +…
# Well,
the boy,
the plough boy ‘s had to lead ’em.
Yes.
I can mind before there was any reins # for to drive ’em,
for them +…
the carter,
we ‘ll say,
to drive ’em. JS>
||
<JS Aye.
Well,
they ‘d be uh # [/] they ‘d be [\] mowing.
Mowing with their scythes,
one after the other. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS Yes.
One after another. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS And very often it was normally about two.
# They used to +…
Well,
they used to reckon to mow a # acre a day. JS>
<SE # Hmm. SE>
<JS And now today,
I suppose they wouldn’t [/] they wouldn’t [\] cut a quarter on [: of] it. JS>
||
<JS I think people was more # contented years ago. JS>
<SE # Hmm. SE>
<JS Well,
they didn’t get not but about # [/] about [\] ten shillings a week,
a man.
# No.
That ‘s all.
# And had a family.
# Yes.
# And my father was the carpenter.
# And he have been dead some years.
He never had more than three shillings a day. JS>
||
<JS And we used to [/] we used to [\] do pit sawing then,
you know. JS>
<SE Oh. SE>
<JS Yeah. JS>
<SE How was that done? SE>
<JS Well,
that was # two big pieces uh # sleepers to go through like this.
And then you did +…
# And some pieces to go across.
Well,
then you ‘d a roll your # tree,
or whatever it was,
up top here.
# With +…
And then you did +…
Uh one go under +…
One go on the top with a handle,
the [/] the [\] long saw,
like,
# and uh # the other one go # [/] go [\] under it.
# Oh,
the box [/] box [\] we used to call that then.
# That was pit sawing then. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS # You so- you sort of knock out about two bob a day,
each,
then.
# Aye.
[!= laughs] JS>
<JTW That was hard work,,
was it? JTW>
<JS Aye.
It was hard work. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS And very often boys was # put at that.
I [/] I [\] ‘ve a-cut +…
help cut out scores and scores of # xxx. JS>
<SE And that was for planks,
or beams? SE>
<JS Yes. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS Yes.
# Well,
you # put your tree up top.
Well,
you had to roll him up top.
# These are your two long pieces.
# And then +…
# What they used to call a [*transom*].
That ‘s what they did.
[*Transoms*] they used to call it.
What do go across. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS And you had to go in under,
look up and # [/] up and [\] down.
And when the wind was blowing wrong,
you had d- dust in your eyes.
# [!= laughs] JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
||
<JS Well,
now we haven’t got a rabbit here now. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS Not one.
# No. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS No.
I think that was # [/] that was [\] a shame,
I think,
doing away with the +… JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS # We might want ’em to eat yet.
# [!= laughs]
We don’t know. JS>
<SE No. SE>
<JS They was alright uh # uh +…
Uh the last war,
xxx they was alright then. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS Oh yes. JS>
<SE And have you kept a lot of dogs? SE>
<JS # No.
We haven’t got one now. JS>
<SE No. SE>
<JS Well,
I used to keep one,
you know.
# Well,
we got one here belonging to my # son.
# He do come on in the morning,
when he do come on to work,
and # stop here all day,
and # then when he go home by night,
he won’t # go home,
and +… JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS Yeah. JS>
||
<JS This dog what he got now ‘ll # carry anything.
# Yeah. JS>
||
<JS Well,
I [/] I [\] think it was # [/] it was [\] better # pork then than what it is today. JS>
<SE Do you think so? SE>
<JS Yes.
I do. JS>
<SE How [/] how [\] ‘s that? SE>
<JS I know [/] I know [\] it is too. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS well,
you see,
one time the +…
They used to give ’em uh # a lot of separated milk.
# Well,
now they +…
# Now you sell the milk,
and you haven’t got # [/] you haven’t got [\] that. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS No.
# Oh no. JS>
<SE Of course,
the curing’s different,,
isn’t it? SE>
<JS Oh,
it is now.
# You see,
we used to fat it,
years ago.
But now they +…
# If you got it # too fat,
# they won’t buy it. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
||
<JS Yeah.
They don’t eat it now,
a good many. JS>
<SE No. SE>
<JS They ‘s too particular now for to +…
[!= laughs]
for to eat it like we had it.
But mind you,
that was the w- [/] that was the [\] +…
# Do you more good.
# I like fat pork. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS # But the younger generation now,
# they don’t. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS Well,
they don’t about here.
And that a good many. JS>
<SE No. SE>
||
<JS I ‘ve made # good many pounds of butter. JS>
<SE Yes. SE>
||
<JS Well,
you ‘d get the cream,
see,
you take the cream off the milk. JS>
<SE How? SE>
<JS # Well,
you has # a skimmer.
# You had a skimmer for to take it off.
# You haven’t never seen +…
You ‘ve seen a churn,
# I suppose. JS>
<SE Yes.
I ‘ve seen # a churn. SE>
<JS Hmm.
Hmm.
Well,
put it in there,
and # turn the wheel.
[!= laughs] JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS Sometimes doesn’t come for # three or four hours perhaps.
Not in cold weather.
It was # a job waiting cold weather. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS Yes.
[!= clears throat] JS>
<SE What was the reason for that? SE>
<JS # Well,
you had to put hot water # uh [/] water [\] with it,
see,
or it uh +…
# And if you didn’t happen to put enough,
well,
you had a job with it.
# And now today I suppose that ‘s # different +…
made different now. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
<JS Oh aye. JS>
||
<JS More trouble to make cheese. JS>
<SE Aye. SE>
<JS Never meade a lot.
we made +…
We used to make a bit for usself. JS>
<SE Hmm. SE>
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
