DEEKER BLOWERS
Surname
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Blowers
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Forename
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Deeker
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Date of recording
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March 2008
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Year of birth
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1947
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Place of Birth
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Snape
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Occupation
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Farmer
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Fathers occupation
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Farmer
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Present Address
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Snape
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Location Interview
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Snape
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Interviewer
Summary |
John Hambley
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Duration
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49 Mins
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This recording consists of 3 tracks.
Track 1. Introduction Track 2. Born at New England Farm, Snape on 7th August 1947. Described how his father had farmed New England Farm since the late 20's early 30's, but originally had come from Sotterley, near Lowestoft. Described how his grandfather came to run the Crown public house at Snape in the mid 1920's, having previously run The Sotterley Falcon and also that he was a horse dealer, 'a Jack of all trades'. Describes his uncle Peter being born at Snape. Describes that even today his family visits Sotterley but the pub is now a private house. Describes how his father got a job with Sir Guy Hamblyn in the mind 1920's, at Hall Farm and how he was most interested in tractors in his late teens. Describes how his father drove 10/20 international. Mentions that Guy Hamblyn was a relative of Robin Hare who lived at Yoxford, who was a distant relative of Harry Ferguson. (tractors) Describes how his father remembered an old gentleman appearing on the farm from time to time in an old World War I army coat and spent several afternoons riding up and down on the tractor and that he did not question why because in those days you were always in fear of losing your job. Describes how it later emerged that it was Harry Ferguson who invented the 3 point linkage, hydraulic system. Describes how his father remembered a big law suit several years later between Ferguson and Ford who apparently copied the 3 point linkage system. Describes that some years later, probably before his father met his mother, his father managed to take over New England Farm. Describes how his father was laid off from Hall Farm during the depression and thought he would 'give it a go'. Describes how it paid off but it was a 'bit of a battle' compared with what we know today. Describes how his mother worked in service both in London and Aldeburgh, her maiden name being Howell-Smith. Describes how some of the sisters took the name Howell, and some Smith and some the double barrelled name Howell-Smith. Mentions that his grandmother was a housewife. Mentions that he has his father's discharge papers from World War I, signed by King George II in 1919, on the wall over his desk in the office. Describes how his father worked for a short time at Abbey Farm in the mid 1930's. Describes how his father paid a few pounds rent a year for New England Farm. Describes how his father used to do various extra work, like tree felling, on the estate to help pay the rent, and would sometimes earn too much money over and above the rent and then the estate would owe him money. Describes the farm, the way it abuts the river and how there is a buffer area of saltings and permanent pasture. Mentions there being no problems being near the river. Described how 20 years ago he installed an irrigation system, but there was no such system when his father had the farm. (10 minutes) Describes how he went to school at Snape School. Describes his earliest memories as being the 1953 flood when he was six years old. Remembers his sister walking him down Snape Street where the water was just coming into the Crown public house and Snape Street was flooded. Describes how his grandfather lived in a bungalow on Foxes corner in the 1950's. Describes how the water came over the top of his wellington boots and he went to see the damage done to the Crown, his uncle having taken it over about that time. Remembers his father saying that we had got away with it fairly lightly compared with people in Essex and Canvey Island, as we did not have many deaths. Describes how when he was 11 years old he went to the brand new Secondary Modern school at Saxmundham. Describes how, when he had finished all the jobs his father had given him he used to go fishing and remembers his early teenage years, leading up to 15, as being 'a great time'. Describes fishing off of Snape Bridge and the river Alde being full of mullett at certain times of the year. Describes how the station master at Snape Maltings a man called Jock Miller, used to fish off the bridge using a bow and arrow. Apparently Jock was an archery enthusiast and would fire his arrows at the fish quite successfully. Describes how they would catch roach and sometimes plaice and lots of eels. Describes how his son does not go fishing, not many youngsters do, they just play on computers. Mentions that he did not go swimming but went out on a boat now and again. Describes his life now as being very much tied to the land. Describes how his friends would ask about the tide so that they could come and dig for lug worms but he did not have much interest in the river and could not tell them whether the tide was up or down, it was as if the river did not exist. Describes his lovely views and the lovely sunrises and sunsets. Describes how he met his wife in 1966 and they were married in 1970. Describes how they bought a house at Knodishall and lived there for fourteen years, and their son was born there. Describes how when his father died in 1983 the family moved to the farm although they still have the house at Knodishall. Describes how his mother bought a bungalow in Duary Park and has lived there for eighteen years. Describes how he used to drive a Morris 1000 pick-up to work on the farm. (20 minutes) Describes how he did not go to agricultural college but learnt everything from his father, but he did go on a few courses over the years. Thinks himself as a Snape person. Describes how his son runs a contracting business from the farm and also assists in the running of the farm, he lifts potatoes for Walkers Crisps. Describes his early teenage years when he worked with horses and that he really hated horses, there being nothing pleasurable about them. Describes how he spent days and days walking beside one on the sugar beet fields in the early 60's when he was about 14 or 15. Describes how horse would sometimes stamp on his toe or cock it's head up in the air if it got niggled by fly and it would nearly pull your shoulder blade out of its joint. Describes how he welcomed tractors as opposed to horses. Describes the horse as being a Suffolk Punch called 'Boxer' and that 'Boxer', knew when you finished the field and turned in the direction of the headland that the job was nearly over and he would go twice as quickly, and he seemed to know he was getting close to a rest. Describes how his father employed 2 or 3 chaps in the early days, and that they had 240 acres. Describes lifting sugar beet by hand when he was 15 or 16 years old. Briefly mentions Bentwaters and the Cuba Crisis of 1963 and worried about there being World War III. Describes how in the early 1960's the use of horses and gone and had been replaced with a Fordson tractor. Describes the changes and the amount of people that worked the land in the early days and how his father and him worked the from on their own in the 60's and 70's. Describes how mechanisation made life easier and more enjoyable in that you were less tired but on the whole it was less enjoyable. Describes how everyone in the village would appear in the harvest field when the binder was cutting the last acre and catch all the rabbits made a welcome meal. Describes how he now sometimes feels isolated on the farm as harvest time is not the same as 40 years ago without the villagers helping. (30 minutes) Describes how he feels the village community has gone forever. Describes going shooting and sea fishing from Aldeburgh in his teenage years. Describes himself as generally being a law abiding teenager. Describes that there was no need to go poaching the gamekeeper would occasionally give them a brace of pheasants if they wanted them. Remembers his mother would get the whisky bottle out when the gamekeeper came. Describes how it was a hard life for his parents but not so much now due to mechanisation, but still it is not an easy life. Describes how he grows asparagus and vegetables, although someone else does all the marketing for him. Describes how the asparagus is harvested from 20th April through to 21st June, a very short season. Describes again about fishing off Snape Bridge and briefly mentions the production of malt for making beer at the maltings. Describes how Jock Miller was a very keen archer and would hold archery contests at the village fetes. Describes how everyone would watch Jock fishing for mullett with his bow and arrow off the bridge. Describes how Jock would attach a piece of string to the arrow and pull the fish over the bridge when caught. Track 3. Describes the involvement of English Nature now and mentions the water voles at the river edge. Describes the area as being an ASI and how they are trying to protect the skylarks, lapwings, peewits and plovers. Describes how a recent survey showed an increase in water voles, and that they used to be called water rats. Describes how there is now a colony of skylarks on the land in front of Iken church, and that skylarks were on the decline. Describes how he thought that the decline in water voles was due to minks and that perhaps we should set traps as they had done previously for coypu in and late 50's and early 60's. Describes how the avocet had reappeared in the late 50's early 60's at Havergate Island and now on the maltings. Describes how some of his land has now become a bird sanctuary and he enjoys showing his grandchildren, aged 5 and 3 (twins) the birds. Describes how his son would probably take the farm over but he worries about the future for his grandchildren with the population predicted to rise to 70 million in 20- 30 years. Mentions that his grandparents most probably worried about the same things. Describes the workers on the asparagus farm now coming from Poland, Bulgaria and the Ukraine and how the wages paid here are much higher than at home Describes how the supermarkets put pressure on the farmers for cheap food and mentions the price of pork and how customers are buying it in the supermarket far more cheaply than it can be produced. Likened it to the motor industry where they would not sell a car for less than it cost to manufacture it. (10 minutes) Describes how the foreign workers are willing to work for the minimum wage whereas local labour are not. Describes how it is easy to get the workers as there are various recruitment agencies, and there is a lot of unemployment in Poland and the workers discipline themselves to work and save money to eventually go home and either buy a house or car. Tape stops. |