The war years and just afterwards
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Year: 1945
The war years and just afterwards
Turvey Abbey was owned in those days by Rupert Allen who owned an engineering factory in Bedford. My father was employed on the estate as gardener/general factotum (and was paid a pittance for the privilege). The Abbey had a few cows, pigs, geese and chickens. It was often my job to go out at dusk to shut up the chickens to stop the foxes getting them. I remember it was quite spooky as it got dark (I was only 10 or 11 at the time) and I used to run as fast as I could to get the job done. When I think back to those times I wonder what the Health and Safety people of today would have said about some of the things I helped Dad do - like operating the big chaff-cutter or the machine that chopped up mangle-wurzels for the cattle. We always had a goose for Christmas and whenever a pig was killed we had the offal (chitterlings etc). My favourite thing was after a cow had calved and having some of the first very rich milk made up into a lovely milk pudding. Happy days!!
Shared on 31 March 2009

