Survey of English Dialects recording in Firle, Sussex

Description

[Side 1] Harry recalls leaving school aged 11 to work on potato farm, discusses selling potatoes to tradesmen and grinding up leftovers for cattle feed, recalls coursing hares with greyhounds, discusses financial hardship and difficulty of moving jobs as local farmers were reluctant to take other farmers' men, mentions father killed in accident and he and 5 brothers had to stay at home, recalls planning to leave farmer but being persuaded to stay for more money, describes finally moving to live and work at hunting stables, reflects on improved working conditions and better wages supplemented by milk and vegetables, extols virtues of Sussex farm worker. [Side 2] Harry talks about young farm workers learning from older farm hands, recalls learning to build stack using hand-made 'bonds' [= band/rope used to tie sheaves/fasten thatch on stack], remembers making bonds as young child still at school, stresses farm workers' dedication and expertise, explains how to 'shock' corn [= set up sheaves of corn in field to dry], compares farming now and in past incl. dismissing merits of modern combine harvester, describes practice of 'leasing' [= gathering leftover corn] after harvest and sending to mill to grind for flour, recalls mother bakng bread.

Metadata

Identifier gp7nc8r8
IRN 726676
Class Mark LAVC/SRE/D/2/D297
Level Item
Type of Record Archives - ISAD(G)
Peristent Link http://prototype1.library.leeds.ac.uk/gp7nc8r8
Collection(s) Leeds Archive of Vernacular Culture
Category Archive
Parent Record English Dialect Sound Recordings (England and Wales)
Date Jun 1959
Size and Medium [Side 1] 04 min. 54 sec., [Side 2] 04 min. 45 sec.

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