Years of Shear Neglect.

Years of Shear Neglect.

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The top photo shows the Widbrook Stream as I remember it in the 1930’s, clear and free flowing as it was maintained by the then Thames Conservancy. A team of twelve men lead by a Mr. Arthur Savoury used to maintain the streams leading into the Thames from the Berkshire side of the near Winter Hill right through to Bray. Someone is going to say, how do I remember Mr. Savoury in particular? Well, he was and “Old Time Dance,” partner to my Aunt Flo. Once about every five years the Thames Conservancy would bring in a Priestman excavator or dragline in, to remove the silt from the bottom of the stream.

 

This next photo is how the stream looks today all choked up with aqua-weeds. I know the pollard willow trees look the same. As a matter I would say that they are way over a hundred years old. There have been willow trees along the stream for centuries. That is how the name Widbrook is derived from the old local dialect word “Widdie,” for Willow. There was a time when I could take my canoe from home and follow the stream down through Islet Park to the river, then paddle up to meet my friends from White Place Farm. Or one could paddle in the other direction to the Fleet at Cookham. The last time that I remember it was given a good clean was in the autumn of 1943 by a large group of Italian prisoners of war.



Bulk Biscuits of bygone years.

Bulk Biscuits of Bygone Years.

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To continue with the grocers receiving goods in bulk reminded me of when biscuit manufactures like Huntley and Palmers of Reading supplied the shops with biscuits in tins like the one above. As a result it was a delight for little boys like myself, to go into Budgen’s or The International and be able to buy a bag full of broken biscuits for just a few pennies. It was a usual mixture of cream filled, chocolate digestive, or just plain digestive.



The Tea Chest Rabbit Hutch.

The Tea Chest Rabbit Hutch.

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As I mentioned in the previous blog that I would tell you how we my father and I converted the tea chests into rabbit hutches. I say we as he helped me build the first three, from then on I was able to follow on building from the original design. The material used in the conversion came from wooden boxes that once held Corned Beef tins from the Argentine that my father brought home from the shop. Other wood came from Messer’s timber yard in Queen Street, Maidenhead. Other hardware fittings came from Bill Church on Station Hill.

The top photo shows the front of the finished which I have drawn from memory. The door to the right opened up to the breeding chamber. The left was what I will call the day chamber where the food was placed with a small container of water. Both doors were held shut with a single button closer. The breeding chamber floor was covered with a layer of hay. While the day chamber had a layer of sawdust, of which plenty was available in the butchers shop.



The second photo is a drawing looking down from the top, showing the dividing wall between the two chambers.

The third photo drawing shows the entrance hole for the rabbit to go from one chamber to the other. These photos are of the hutches that I used for breeding; other hutches not required for breeding did not have the dividing wall and could hold four rabbits that were being raised for the table.

While the doe was having her young in the breeding chamber, one never open that door as she would more than likely kill her young? One had to wait until they ventured out into the day chamber to find how many young there were.



 



The Bulk Tea Chest Story.

The Bulk Tea Chest Story.

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I have noticed that over the past few years that a lot of people have come to realize that when they purchase their groceries in fancy packaging that they are paying for all the glit and glamour, and for what? If the contents of the packages had been sent to the store in bulk, the cost would greatly reduced. This takes me back to when the village had two grocery shops of Budgen’s and The International. Both of these shops received a lot of their goods in bulk, which the staff used to package and weigh before placing on the shelves. One of these commodities of course was tea, which came in large plywood chests. Plywood tea chests was something that I, as little boy was always looking for empty ones, to turn into rabbit hutches. How they were built will follow in the next blog.

As my breeding stock grew I was always looking for more hutches. So I would go to Budgen’s and ask the manager Stan Boon or his assistant Mont Lacey, if they had an empty tea chest that I could have. For task of sweeping the stock room floor I got an empty tea chest, which I would then carry home to Widbrook.



The well shod lady in 1934.

The well shod lady in 1934.

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Yes this is what the well dressed lady stepped out in 1934 and most likely would have lasted her for 20 years with careful polish and repair work carried by the local shoe repair shop in the village. They would have been most likely bought in Maidenhed from Dolcis shoe shop. Note the price was seven shillings and eight pence. That was the price you paid, as there was no hidden VAT or other taxes in those days. Of course in 1934 money was still tight for most, so the ladies went into a drapers shop like MacIllroy's in the high street for their dress material. Dress patterns were shared among the ladies as styles did not change that fast. Silk stockings were not used for daily wear, the Lyle stocking was the one most worn as they were hard wearing. Someone is going to ask how I remember all these facts? Well you have heard of the saying, "Little Boys should be seen and not heard." Well that does not stop a little boy from listening!