Buxton

HARBY IN 1912 - REMINICENCES OF EDITH BUXTON

Edith Buxton came to Harby about 1912 to teach the infants in the village school. A photo of her then can be seen on 0906. She was involved in village life such as playing the organ in church and in the WI. In September 1952 edition of the Harby Beacon, she wrote an account of Harby when she first arrived.

Harby Forty Years Ago

We often sit and think of the days that were. The 'good old days' some people say. No doubt they were good but we have Improved In many ways. In the old days the lodge children who came to school had to bring sandwiches and cold tea. Now there are excellent dinners provided -meat, two veg. and a sweet for all who care to pay 7d (2 1/2 p). At playtime too, each child has a bottle of milk and a straw with which to drink It. There were slates and slate pencils and very few books. We learned to count on a ball frame. Now there are papers, exercise books and dozens of texts books and a wireless set.

In the winter evenings we sometimes had a magic lantern show. Magic indeed. I remember Uncle Tom's Cabin being shown and at the end when the lamps were turned up we were all black with smuts and smoke from the smoking paraffin lamps. Today we have the Pictures and Television. We went to Nottingham once or twice a year and had to walk to the station a mile away. We went to Skegness for the Choir Outing by train. We had l/-d (5p) to spend and were passing rich. We bought a pipe for Father (clay, of course) and a box with shells on for Mother, 1/4 lb. of sweets for 1d (!) - a donkey ride for 1d and glasses of lemonade at 1/2 d (!!) a glass as well as 1/2 d ice cream cornets. Today the buses take us every week somewhere.

The hounds used to meet In Mr Furmidge's field and Royalty & Nobility gathered there. The 'take off' would be to Harby Covert which is now an Aerodrome. There were many horses and carts, bicycles but few motor cars. Today we are all mechanised. We used to glean a good bit of grain for our fowls in the winter. But the modern instruments clean all up. Early to bed was general as lighting was somewhat dim with oil lamps and candles. On very dark nights we went to Church & Choir Practice with a candle - laterns. Now we have our torches and soon we shall have street lighting.

All social events were held In the School as there was no Institute then. Miss Starbuck's Harby Feast Tuesday Concert was the great event of the year together with Mr Pepper's Yeomanry Ball. The policemen were nice & friendly. A few people were taken to court. One policeman I remember had 4 boys who could swear like troopers.

The canal was often frozen over for weeks at a time. What fun we had sliding & skating in the moonlight. Romance began - but the ice thawed before It had time to mature.

People were kind and helpful then with less amenities. But kindness and helpfulness is still to the fore today. Indeed I think nothing will ever obliterate Village kindliness - it is proverbial.

The following month in the Harby Beacon for October 1952 t wrote an account of Harby Feast.

HARBY FEAST AS IT USED TO BE

Weeks before the feast, preparations began. Excitement was rife amongst the children, for the roundabouts stalls, swinging boats, coconut alleys and gaily painted caravans were expected. On the Thursday before the Fest they duly arrived in the public house paddock. The thrill of seeing the erection of the fair and the counting-over of coppers saved for weeks followed. Finally, on the Saturday evening, the organ blared forth “Goodbye Sally I must leave you”, the rifles banged at the rifle range, the swings swung high and the coconuts were knocked off at “3 balls a penny”. How we treasured our goldfish, bought for 6d. complete with glass bowl! Sunday saw both Church and Chapel full of grateful people lustily singing “Come ye thankful people come” and the collection, which was always £5 and over, was sent to Nottingham General Hospital.

Then the Monday brought two shows – the Horticultural and the Poultry in Mr Furmidge’s field. There was friendly rivalry over the onions and potatoes and the late Mr Dick Wilford’s heavyweight marrows for which he won the late Mr C Rawlinsons’s prize of 2/6d.

The cricket match attracted a great crowd and the proceedings were generally enlivened by the Long Clawson Band with its tunes of “Sally get out of the donkey’s way “ and “knees up, Mother brown”.

Tuesday evening brought Miss Starbuck’s Concert in the School. Here the comedian sang annually of “the shipwrecked boat” and how he “knocked a hole in the bottom to let the water out”. This concert would benefit the Belvoir Nursing Association by £6. And a word about the Feast Fare: - Roast Beef, Plum Puddings, Damson Pies, Cold Chicken, Trifles and Stilton cheese. Beer and wine flowed freely for there were many visitors to be entertained. Friends of many years met and had a chat and a drink at the good old Harby Feast. May all these good things soon return.