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?

Image discussed in text

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?

Image discussed in text

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

Image discussed in text

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.

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