Listen to Wenhaston people talking about their village for the Wehaston Archive

Arthur Musk has collected together over twenty voice recordings on behalf of the Wenhaston Archive Project group. These are the stories of local people by local people born and brought up in Wenhaston. Chris Lavender, Shane Smeaton-Small and Bridget Cousins have added to these recordings making a total of over twenty-seven recordings in total to date.

The recordings have been edited by Ann Follows so that the voices are continuous (without silences and gaps).

Name	Date Recorded	Length
John and Winifred English	06/08/2008	25 mins 31 seconds	Details Download MP3
Winifred English and her son, John English, talk to Arthur Musk about some of the children in a school photograph and Winifred talks about her life in the area. Please note that due to a bug in the browser, Firefox will not be able to play the below audio bookmarks unless the audio has already been started using the play button, above. 00:00 John names the children in Wenhaston School photo taken in 1981[ View Doc ] 02:00 John talks about his work at Bernard Matthews 02:30 Winifred talks about her son Trevor English 03:00 About Winifred's family (siblings) 03:30 School bikes 04:00 Work in pie factory Holton 04:30 About her husband Brian English and his family (siblings) 06:00 The other residents at Heath Road 48 years ago. State of Winifred's house now. 07:00 Health 08:00 Winifred's father and uncle worked for Freeman. Mother's work dressmaking. 09:00 Wenhaston School days in Winifred's childhood 10:00 Residents of White Cottage 11:00 Wenhaston Old Hall when Winifred first left school 11:30 Strawberry picking 12:00 Factory work 12:30 Music Circle in the old school 13:00 Sports day 13:12 Meeting Brian 13:30 Accident at work from soldering 14:30 The working day and week at the factory 17:00 Shops and delivery in Wenhaston 18:00 Old boys remembered: 'Ginger' tramp, 'Tiny Tubble', Gordie 19:30 Father was in the Home Guard 21:00 Mrs Marshall was teacher at Bramfield school 21:00 Vicars in area Interviewed by Arthur Musk
Margaret Musk	07/08/2008	18 mins 36 seconds	Details Download MP3
Chris Lavender talks to Margaret Musk Please note that due to a bug in the browser, Firefox will not be able to play the below audio bookmarks unless the audio has already been started using the play button, above. 00:00 Photo: 1920 Granny Musk outside the farm 00:21 Granny Musk delivered butter and milk daily to Halesworth 01:49 About the Musk family names 02:12 Photo: 1950s Granny Musk in pony and trap with her four children 03:11 Photos including her children: Mary with chickens; Arthur thrashing aged 12 with his father. 03:59 Photo: Alan taking milk churns on the farm cart. 04:25 Photo: Mary with her father in the fields 04:51 Bills and receipts from the 1930s including: seed and animal feed; farm equipment. 06:13 Barnaby Lane later named Batholomew's Lane 06:27 Bills and receipts from 1930s continued: milk cooling plant; H. Kett radio equipment; W. Hurran coffin and funeral expenses; E. Hurran chaff cutting oat thrashing; cow feed; Freeman's Corn, Coal and Seed Merchants. 11:02 Photo: Alan with his muck-spreader 11:08 Copy of: Scheme for Regulation and Management of the Commons 11:21 About taking cows on the marshes to feed 11:34 Photo: Evacuees during the Second World War at the farm 12:27 Evacuees return to Wenhaston in recent times 14:36 Mr Musk in the 202s Churchill's Secrete Army and what it was. 15:44 Photo: Wenhaston Young Farmer's Club 1940s pig judging. 16:07 Newspaper article 1943: Autumn rally ploughing competition Mr Musk is First; flowers and produce with H. Ellis (later H. Phillips) secretary and representing Wenhaston Young Farmer's Club won Thatching Second place. Rabbit section. 17:35 Receipt: Christmas Day Gifts for giving overseas 17:46 Wenhaston Great Tithe. 1930 money collection then called "Queen Anne's Bounty" later just called the Tithe Collection. Interviewed by Chris Lavender
Joyce Farrington	26/08/2008	14 mins 22 seconds	Details Download MP3
Bridget Cousins talks to Joyce Farrington who has lived in Wenhaston for many years ever since she married. Please note that due to a bug in the browser, Firefox will not be able to play the below audio bookmarks unless the audio has already been started using the play button, above. 00:00 Born in Uggeshall, Suffolk 00:11 Marriage to George Farrington 00:25 Arrives in Wenhaston 01:27 Life in the cottages (next to Brian & Jane Nolloth) on The Street[ View Doc ] 04:28 Domestic water and the well outside the cottage [ View Doc ] 05:00 Move to Heath Road 05:36 Farrington family: Donny and his uncle George's generation 07:24 George's work after leaving the army 08:52 Being a full-time mother to Peter, Roy and David 09:08 Queen's jubilee and painted chimney pots 09:44 Looking at a photo of Archie Farrington (George's father)[ View Doc ] 10:03 Shops in Wenhaston 11:50 Gardening today 12:37 Milk delivery and making butter during the WW2 13:34 Baking today Interviewed by Bridget Cousins
Daisy Stammers	01/09/2008	17 mins 27 seconds	Details Download MP3
Daisy Stammers talks to Bridget Cousins about her long life in the village. Please note that due to a bug in the browser, Firefox will not be able to play the below audio bookmarks unless the audio has already been started using the play button, above. 00:00 Childhood and School in Wenhaston 01:00 Meeting husband, marriage and having children 01:30 Getting married and moving to cottage. 02:00 Water well and wash day 02:50 Marriage, children, grand and great-grand children. 03:35 Shops in Wenhaston and deliveries to the houses 06:15 What Daisy's end of the village looked like - how its changed 07:30 The Star Inn 08:10 What Daisy's end of the village looked like - how its changed 09:10 Swimming in the river Blyth and what children did years ago 10:15 The Stammers family in Wenhaston 11:00 Life now, housework and changes in the home 11:35 Other people who have also lived in Wenhaston all their life 12:00 Description of the Village landscape over the years 12:45 The Luncheon Club (looking at a photo)[ View Doc ] 14:00 Wenhaston Football Club presentation at Norwich (photo) 1965[ View Doc ] 15:00 War memories: bombs dropped on Wenhaston and Halesworth Interviewed by Bridget Cousins
Brian and Jane Nolloth	22/09/2008	12 mins 57 seconds	Details Download MP3
Brian and Jane Nolloth talk to Shane Smeaton-Small about the Paint Shop and life in the village over the years. Please note that due to a bug in the browser, Firefox will not be able to play the below audio bookmarks unless the audio has already been started using the play button, above. 00:00 Harvest time 00:20 Entertainment in the Village 01:30 Shops in the Village in past years 02:56 Tale of poacher and policeman 03:24 Jane talks about arriving in Wenhaston after meeting Brian 04:07 Jane remembers meeting Brian's parents for the first time 05:04 Setting up and running the Paint Shop 06:18 Brian expanded the business to garden supplies 07:57 Village life 08:44 Shops in the Village 09:09 Deliveries into the Village 09:28 Work and family life 10:50 Closure of Village shops 11:32 Annual Trade Show in Norwich 11:45 Entertainment: pantomime; Pier Show; pram races; carnival parade Interviewed by Shane Smeaton-Small
Tony Canham	09/10/2008	29 mins 41 seconds	Details Download MP3
Tony Canham talks to Arthur Musk about his life in Wenhaston,conscription in Korea and playing football for Wenhaston. Please note that due to a bug in the browser, Firefox will not be able to play the below audio bookmarks unless the audio has already been started using the play button, above. 00:00 Birthplace in Wenhaston 00:21 Council houses' construction 01:46 Remembering shops in Wenhaston 03:08 Father's work on the farms 05:21 Work after leaving school - learning brick laying trade 06:42 Being called up. Life in the army and front line in Korea. 19:22 Coming home from war and meeting his wife 20:15 Work in construction trade and family life 1950s - 1970s 27:41 Playing football for Wenhaston (also Southwold/Halesworth) Interviewed by Arthur Musk
Mick Bird	21/10/2008	17 mins 40 seconds	Details Download MP3
Micky Bird talks to Arthur Musk about his life farming in Wenhaston both with horses and later with tractors and combines. Please note that due to a bug in the browser, Firefox will not be able to play the below audio bookmarks unless the audio has already been started using the play button, above. 00:00 Birth Certificate and family members 01:00 Schools In Wenhaston and Halesworth 01:03 Work after school with Leonard Freeman. Coal and corn distribution. 02:50 Work with his father with horses and cows. Marsh farming. 07:11 Father's work as a horseman 09:20 First tractors and combines in use 10:08 Corn cutting around Wenhaston 11:35 Road clearing in Wenhaston 12:18 Corn stacking and introduction of combines 13:54 War memories 14:05 Stories from working life 15:20 Mother's work 15:36 Entertainment 16:00 Working for John Brown Interviewed by Arthur Musk
Jean Spindler	28/10/2008	19 mins 16 seconds	Details Download MP3
Please note that due to a bug in the browser, Firefox will not be able to play the below audio bookmarks unless the audio has already been started using the play button, above. 00:00 Jean moved to Wenhaston 58 years ago today 00:08 Childhood in Wrentham and Southwold 00:16 Father bred and reared Suffolk punches 01:11 Father's vegetable garden fed the family all year round 01:38 Affect of 1952 floods 02:04 Father in the Home Guard 02:35 Father moved from Cambridge to Suffolk 03:18 Grandfather was a blacksmith - original shop still in Henstead 04:24 Father worked from age 12 to 75 years 04:37 Entertainment when a child in Southwold: cinema and fish & chips 06:07 Meeting her future husband Colin 06:20 Colin's years during WW2 in the navy 06:35 Colin joins the family fish sales business 08:13 Buying herring at Lowestoft fish market with her grandmother 08:39 Four Spindler brothers went into fish business 09:46 Where they lived after marriage to Colin 10:56 Peter Scott stays in the Village 11:44 Shops in the Village 13:10 Bus services in the Village 13:26 Daughters Jan and Ann Marie are born in the Village 13:38 Colin's hobby was snooker 13:45 Jean works in a boutique and then Wenhaston Play Group 15:09 Starting up and organising Wenhaston flower club with Hazel Ward 17:02 Special birthday party in the old school room 17:34 Mothers Union 17:38 Photo: Colin age 9 in London 18:05 Photo: The shop in Arlington Road, London 18:09 Photo: The run with horse and trap 18:24 Photo: Colin standing on Wenhaston Black Heath 18:37 Photo: Colin's sister Stella 18:55 Photo: Wenhaston station. 19:05 Photo: The old bridge and water tower Interviewed by Arthur Musk
Terry Gunton	30/10/2008	22 mins 38 seconds	Details Download MP3
Please note that due to a bug in the browser, Firefox will not be able to play the below audio bookmarks unless the audio has already been started using the play button, above. 00:00 Arriving in Wenhaston from Laxfield 30 years previously 02:15 First impressions of Wenhaston 03:10 New building at Vale Farm 05:15 Work from leaving school including building 50 houses in area 07:10 Childhood memories and apprenticeship 09:30 Early childhood in Melton 13:45 Terry's daughter, Holly 14:45 Changes seen in Wenhaston Interviewed by Arthur Musk
Jimmy Napthine	08/11/2008	21 mins 19 seconds	Details Download MP3
Aged 96 when this recording was made in 2008 Jimmy talks to Arthur Musk about farming, thatching, his work with farm horses and his long life in Wenhaston. Please note that due to a bug in the browser, Firefox will not be able to play the below audio bookmarks unless the audio has already been started using the play button, above. 01:00 Looking at photo of farm land, farm workers and machinery. 01:50 Thomas Napthine thatcher 02:00 Old hump back bridge with village postman 03:00 Church bells 04:00 About other family members (brothers and sisters) 04:50 Photo from church tower over Compass Pub 05:00 Work history Wenhaston Old Hall 06:00 Henham Estate, Brooke Farm, Moor Farm, Desborough's farm. 08:00 On being a horseman 10:00 On thatching stacks learning from his uncle 10:50 Making and selling faggots 11:50 Entertainment in the village 12:00 Jimmy's children 12:50 Upbringing, rabbiting and football 14:50 Marriages 15:00 War memories (WW2), airfields 16:50 Remembering village characters and poachers 17:00 Snooker 17:50 On having a motorbike, driving tests and driving a car 19:00 Wenhaston School choir (Jimmy's daughter recalls girls in the photo) Interviewed by Arthur Musk
Violet Jackson	18/11/2008	32 mins 15 seconds	Details Download MP3
Please note that due to a bug in the browser, Firefox will not be able to play the below audio bookmarks unless the audio has already been started using the play button, above. 00:00 Introduction and arrival at Wenhaston 1962 02:09 Blythburgh school closes 1964 03:35 Staff being addressed by their first name 04:07 Remembering Kathleen Swan 04:50 Changes seen in children 05:33 Arthur Musk remembers watching the first moon landing 05:45 Mother's background in Hopton in 1920s and 1930s 06:45 Father's background from Cornwall to Southall, Middlesex 08:45 Living in Southall and secondary education 10:36 War years in London 11:15 First teaching jobs and gaining a Degree at Birkbeck 12:10 Pay and relative costs then and now. 12:57 Meeting her husband at a WEA class in 1952 and foreign travel. 13:57 Deciding to move to Wenhaston School. 15:12 Marriage in 1953 and interest in theatre 16:20 Talks about her son Robert and daughter Elizabeth 17:15 Talks about her two sisters and brother John 17:37 Discussing photos of school pupils in 1969, 1981 24:00 Reading to the children of former school pupils 25:00 Retirement from Headship 25:38 Shopping today 26:42 Changes in the Village (buildings) 28:48 Wenhaston Women's Institute 29:25 Bell Ringing from the late 1970s 30:00 Book Groups in Wenhaston 31:36 Drop-in in the Village 32:00 Listening to children read today Interviewed by Arthur Musk
Kathleen Swan	20/11/2008	24 mins 57 seconds	Details Download MP3
Arthur Musk talks to Kathleen Swan who has spent her entire life in and around the village inlcuding many years as a school teacher at Wenhaston School. Please note that due to a bug in the browser, Firefox will not be able to play the below audio bookmarks unless the audio has already been started using the play button, above. 00:00 Born in Hong Kong and returned to family in Wenhaston 02:10 Wenhaston school age 5 years, the teachers and winning a prize 03:57 Left school for Pupil Teacher Centre in Halesworth and Teacher training in Norwich 04:22 First teaching job in Ipswich 06:51 Met husband Douglas before returning to teach at Wenhaston School 10:24 Village life and changes seen 11:50 Mother and grandfather's background in Black Heath Wenhaston 12:42 Remembering the shops and buying gob-stoppers from Myrtles 16:43 Brothers Phillip and Goss; Goss and Uncle Jack when Prisoners of War 17:32 Trips to Southwold on the railway (the 'Crab & Winkle') 18:16 Shopping outside Wenhaston and going to the cinema 19:05 First motor bikes and cars in the Village 20:04 War memories in Ipswich and evacuees in Ipswich, Northampton and Wenhaston Interviewed by Arthur Musk
Rob & Felicity Jeliffe	29/01/2009	27 mins 00 seconds	Details Download MP3
Please note that due to a bug in the browser, Firefox will not be able to play the below audio bookmarks unless the audio has already been started using the play button, above. 00:00 Felicity arrives in Village to live at Sunnyside in 1948 00:19 Sunnyside neighbours 01:17 Felicity's school days at Wenhaston and Halesworth 02:20 Felicity's work after school and training to be a cook 02:56 Felicity returns to Wenhaston 03:50 Felicity meets and marries Rob and remembers John Drew 06:40 Rob & Felicity move to the Pet Shop and then The Dell 07:43 Remembering George Bird, Methodist minister & neighbour 09:19 Son Colin born and then daughter Pennie 10:22 Felicity's mother did the post-round, the dances, socials and plays 13:11 Rob's work in forestry then Garretts in Leiston 16:44 Remembering Lenny Saunders and Keith Spindler 18:23 Remembering Lenny Saunders and Keith Spindler 21:31 Poaching stories 'a little night walking' 22:30 Changes in the Village and remembering neighbours 25:04 Rob's memories of early days, fields, marsh and the commons Interviewed by Arthur Musk