Rosemary Harding, Part 1
An interview with Rosemary Harding at her home Bussies Farm in Linwood on 20th October, 2016.
Images: Rosemary Harding copyright reserved. For any rights requests, please contact the New Forest Heritage Centre in the first instance.
Rosemary Harding CH1 Duration: 4:17
CB: So this is Clare Bates interviewing Rosemary Harding at her home Bussies Farm in Linwood on 20th October 2016. So Rosemary, tell me about this first photograph. (RH001)
Rosemary: This is myself leading Conkers with [16.4] [information redacted] and [17.15] [information redacted] on and that was in about the 60’s.
CB: In about the 60’s
Rosemary: And that’s here.
CB: And that’s Fritham Conker –
Rosemary: Yes
CB: And that’s the pony you particularly remember.
Rosemary: Yes, he was a stallion.
CB: He was a stallion. Okay, that’s lovely, thank you. So, Rosemary, tell me about this second photograph here.(RH002)
Rosemary: This is my father on Conkers with [35.65] [information redacted] on. And that’s then, in the mid-sixties.
CB: The mid-sixties. And your father’s name?
Rosemary: That’s Raymond Stickland and it’s down outside the gate here.
CB: Just outside the gate. That’s lovely. So this third photograph (RH003); that’s a lovely picture again of your father.
Rosemary: He’s on Sunsalve, (NFS 480, foaled 1961 bred by [information redacted], Fir Tree Farm, Ogdens) which is a stallion. And it’s outside the gate on the Common here. It’s got to be in the sixties.
CB: Back in the sixties.
Rosemary: Mmm.
CB: Yeah, that looks lovely, thank you. Okay, so we’re on to the fourth photograph now (RH004). And tell me about this one, this is very interesting –
Rosemary: Well this one is where my Dad and – I don’t know who the other person is – they’re colt-hunting, catching the horse by its tail, like they used to – and that’s got to be in the sixties as well.
CB: So the person on the left looks like they’ve got a rope –
Rosemary: Yes.
CB: And that’s who we don’t know.
Rosemary: Yes.
CB: And the person on the right is Ray Stickland.
Rosemary: I’m sure it’s my Dad. And that’s how they used to catch them.
CB: Proper colt-hunting. Yeah. That’s lovely. So on to the fifth photograph. (RH005)
Rosemary: It’s a picture taken of the point-to-point, you know, that we have on Boxing Day. But who’s on the horses, I haven’t a clue.
CB: So interesting, they’ve got ties and jackets on.
Rosemary: Yes.
CB: Very.. not like.. I think –
Rosemary: They used to get on and go, didn’t they? They never used to worry about all the gear, did they?
CB: Ange, Who did you say you thought that was?
Angie Wilson: [1:54.7] [information redacted]…
CB: [1:55.75] [information redacted] is probably on the lead horse. So this is a lovely picture of the farm. (RH006)
Rosemary: Yes. This is –
CB: This is Bizzies Farm –
Rosemary: That’s Bussies farm, yeah.
CB: Bussies Farm, sorry.
Rosemary: That’s okay. That was taken in the ‘fifties, it’s got to be.
CB: Okay; and is that a caravan?
Rosemary: Yes. And that up there.
CB: What, on top of the hill?
Rosemary: That was to do with Hurn Airport, to bring the planes in. And when we used to come across the top, we used to call it ‘The Ship’.
CB: It looks like a ship, doesn’t it?
Rosemary: Yeah. Yeah.
CB: So,do you remember that, up on the hill?
Angie Wilson: I do, yeah.
CB: So, is this before there was a house down there? Or is there a house there.
Rosemary: That is the house
CB: Oh, that is the house.
Rosemary: That’s how it was.
CB: Oh, I thought it was a barn.
Rosemary: No.
CB: Oh, yeah, I can see now, you’re right.
Rosemary: That was put up temporary in the war.
CB: Yeah.
Rosemary: And it stayed till 1992, then we knocked it down and we built this.
CB: Oh, I see.
Rosemary: Yeah.
CB: So this, number seven. (RH007) You tell me it’s the Dalgetty cattle.
Rosemary: Yes.
CB: The Dalgettys, where would they be?
Rosemary: In the village here, just across the Common.
CB: Across the Common –
Rosemary: But it’s called Little Pointers, the name of the farm was.
CB: Yeah –
Rosemary: And that’s in the yard. They had black Galloway cattle, he did.
CB: Oh, they’re Galloway, are they?
Rosemary: Mmm. He had hundreds and hundreds of them here.
CB: Somebody told me the Dalgettys had Black Angus.
Rosemary: No.
CB: Definitely Galloway.
Rosemary: They’re Galloway, yes. ‘Cos they used to push them through Fordingbridge, put them on the train to go to Lymington –
CB: Yes.
Rosemary: They used to take them to Brighton, up near Rottingdean, on the waterworks place; they used to go there, and they also took them to the Isle of Wight.
CB: And was that for slaughter or was that to gr –
Rosemary: No, that was for grazing.
CB: Oh, wow.
Rosemary: So when dad used to go with them, and he used to drive them on the ferry –
CB: Literally?
Rosemary: Yes.
CB: On hoof?
Rosemary: On hoof.
CB: Back of the ferry?
Rosemary: Yes.
CB: Wow! That’s amazing.
Rosemary: Yes, go down to Lymington, they used to drive them on the ferry.
CB: And then –
Rosemary: Nudged(?) all the muck! (Laughter) This was in the early ‘fifties.
CB: In the early ‘fifities, lovely. Number eight photograph. (RH008)
Rosemary: That is the deer in the top field. In the ‘sixties.
CB: Jumping over the fence to eat all your grass.
Rosemary: Yes.
CB: They’re fallow deer, aren’t they?
Rosemary: And Roe; and we get Sika.
CB: Oh, really –
Rosemary: Mmm
CB: That’s a lovely picture.