Margaret Day, Part 1
An interview with Margaret Day at her house Birchlands in South Gorley in the New Forest on 13th October, 2016.
Images: Margaret Day, copyright reserved. For any rights requests, please contact the New Forest Heritage Centre in the first instance.
Margaret Day CH1 Duration: 7:59
So this is Clare Bates at Margaret Day’s house Birchlands in South Gorley in the New Forest on Thursday the 13th of October, 2016.
CB: So Margaret, tell me a little bit about your Commoning history. How long have you been Commoning?
Margaret: I’m trying to think.
CB: You said that Terry started when he worked –
Margaret: Terry was involved in it when he worked at Toms Farm, Linwood, from approximately the age of eighteen and he became their dairyman and milked the cows.
CB: Right.
Margaret: He used to go out onto the Common and bring in the cows that they’d let out, sometimes dry heifers and things like that as far as I can remember; and then became very friendly with Ben Clark at Birch Cottage further down, and that is how he started his association with it.
CB: And what sort of a herd? Did he have a big herd?
Margaret: I’m afraid I can’t remember how many cows it was but I think it was – it could have been forty to fifty.
CB: Right; and that was like the dairy. That was a big job, up early every morning then.
Margaret: Yes, I’m sure (Laughter)
CB: So, when did you and Terry actually start with your own stock on the Forest. Was that cattle or was it ponies?
Margaret: We had ponies: forty years ago we started off with some ponies and we bought them from – we had a pony from Geordie Cook at Bramshaw and some foals from [information witheld], and we kept them at the Brook Grounds in Linwood and let them out from there. And then, when our own daughters, [information witheld] and [information witheld] were approximately 8 to10 years old, he brought two Friesian heifers home from the farm with two buckets and some milk powder to see what sort of a job we would make of rearing them up.
CB: Brilliant! So did you live here, then? How long have you lived here?
Margaret: We’ve lived here in this bungalow – we built this bungalow –
CB: Did you?
Margaret: And he dug the footings out by hand and wheeled it away in a wheelbarrow! And it was 45 years ago.
CB: Wow.
Margaret: And we haven’t done a terrible lot to it since! (Laughter)
CB: Well, it looks good to me. Right, so let’s have a look at this first photograph. (MD001) Get it to come up. Can you see that all right?
Margaret: Yes.
CB: So, tell me, who’s driving this tractor?
Margaret: This is Terry, driving his tractor and baler up near White Field plantation; he’s been baling up some heather, which we used up the track and in various gateways and things so that there was a bed in there and it wasn’t so deep with the mud.
CB: Okay. So did he work for the Forestry Commission or was this his own equipment and –
Margaret: No, he didn’t, but he was happy to go up and bale some of it up and we brought some home and they kept the rest.
CB: So a community thing again –
Margaret: Well, that’s right. (Both talking at the same time; not clear what CB is saying)
CB: -so you did the work and you got some
Margaret: That’s right.
CB: And when do you think this was taken? Nineteen nineties? Looks quite a modern tractor.
Margaret: Possibly, because he was doing that up until three or four years ago.
CB: Really.
Margaret: Yes. Not every single year, but as and when it was required.
CB: Right, okay. So we’ll look at the next one. (MD002) Ah, a lovely picture. Tell me about this one.
Margaret: These are my grandchildren; [information witheld] is driving the tractor; [information witheld] and [information witheld] are in the trailer with [information witheld] -.
CB: The big lad at the front –
Margaret: And – erm – they’re up in our farmyard… I’m not sure really what they’re actually doing… (Both talking at the same time) Well. They were just driving about.
CB: Having fun.
Margaret: Yes. Um, we had to stick a nail in so that he couldn’t go any faster! (Laughter drowns some words) – um, they wouldn’t have been left in the trailer. But this is actually on Christmas morning.
CB: Oh, is it –
Margaret: I think. Maybe Boxing Day morning.
CB: Okay.
Margaret: Yes, it’s Boxing Day morning.
CB: Lovely. It’s a lovely picture. And how old – how long ago do you think that was, roughly. I’m not very good at maths –
Margaret: I’m not too sure. Possibly ten years. (2006)
CB: Ten years ago. Okay. Right. So, have a look at the next one: (MD003) oh, this is nice.
Margaret: We decided to have one or two pigs in our wood, and this is Terry and [information witheld], one of our grandsons, feeding the pigs.
CB: Right. It does look like they’re enjoying themselves. So, on to number four, (MD004) another activity photograph, is that snow on the ground?
Margaret: It is. This is Terry –
CB: On the right.
Margaret: Yeah, Terry with the chainsaw; my son-in-law, [information witheld], and Terry’s friend, [information witheld], cutting up our logs. And [information witheld] is –
CB: Stacking the logs as Terry’s cutting them up. A common activity for us…
Margaret: Yes, getting prepared for next year.
CB: Yes. Okay, so, number 5. (MD005) Is that the same day?
Margaret: I think that is the same day. He’s obviously concentrating on what he’s doing –
CB: – what he’s doing. He is, yes, he’s got a good look of concentration. So, how long ago do you think this was? Roughly.
Margaret: Ten years.(2006)
CB: About ten years ago. That’s great. Ah, now, look at this one. (MD006) So –
Margaret: This is Terry instructing [information witheld] how to calve his cow.
CB: So this was [information witheld]’s cow, was it?
Margaret: Yes.
CB: Looks like they’re having put the ropes on.
Margaret: Yes.
CB: Out on the dirt pound. And [information witheld] doesn’t look very old there. How old was [information witheld] there?
Margaret: Well, he could have been eighteen or nineteen.
CB: Oh, really.
Margaret: Yeah, or so.
CB: Yeah. And it came out successfully, I take it?
Margaret; Oh, yes, all was well.
CB: Yeah. Brilliant. She’s got a huge udder, hasn’t she?
Margaret: Yes.