Owen recalls the aged Yardman who was once an integral part of life on many Norfolk farms...
Hello Ole Partners,
My gardening tips this month:
Start ‘chitting’ your first early potato tubers by standing them on end in an egg tray. ‘Colleen’ is a variety I’d recommend. Annette tells me blight was a big problem last year and this variety has good disease resistance.
Check if old seed packets are worth keeping. Sow a few seeds on damp kitchen paper to see if they germinate
Plant bare root fruit trees, bushes and canes now – as long as the ground is not frozen
Hunt out pesky snails over-wintering in pots and hidden corners to reduce the population
Start sowing some herbs in pots and place on a sunny windowsill so you have them at the ready to use in cooking. Basil, coriander and parsley will do well.
I write today of my memories of over 80 years ago when every large farm employed a yardman. He was generally a man who had worked on the farm all his life and had become too frail to do a full week’s work. He was always present in the farmyard and kept a strict eye on all that took place.
In the summertime he had to make sure that children didn't make the farmyard their playground. In the evenings he had to keep an eye out to make sure tramps and vagrants didn't bed down in the farm buildings; the reason being that during the night a discarded cigarette could cause a fire. Another of his duties was to light the copper fire early in the morning so the washer woman had a plentiful hot water when she arrived - no fancy washing machines in those days! He had to ensure there was an ample supply of firewood waiting beside the copper for the washer woman to keep the fire going. Likewise, he had to leave a supply of fuel next to every open fire in the farmhouse.
He also saw to the travelling sales reps - intercepting them if it was the afternoon - as the farmer would be having his nap. On no account was The Boss to be disturbed so the rep had to make an appointment to call in the morning when the farmer was about.
The yardman had a horse and cart at his disposal. As there was no such thing as straw or hay bales in those days he would have to take cartloads of hay and straw to deposit in the stables or cattle yard for the use of the animal keepers. In wintertime he was expected to clean and grind, by hand, the beet to help feed the cattle. In summertime he would help the gardener with light weeding in the flower and vegetable beds. He tended any free-range poultry and fed and exercised the farm dogs. The dogs were generally fed on a product known as Kositos (aka ‘cossy toss’ or 'coshy toss' locally) which was cooked, flaked maize dampened with a little milk. The dogs loved it and were always healthy. He also had rat traps set at different points to try and keep the rat population down.
Farm labourers working near Bunwell Wood - probably for Easton's. Sitting on the binder is Owen's good friend Leslie 'Rabbit' Stimpson and the tractor driver could be Dennis Philpot. Owen took these photos in the early 1950s on his new Kershaw 'King Penguin' Eight-20 camera (shown in the gallery). You can see Owen's shadow on one image.
If the farm had any breeding sheep the yardman would take a turn on night watch to give the shepherd a well-earned rest. If the farm had a shoot it was always the yardman’s task to hang any shot game in a cold place in the farmhouse. He would be expected to pluck and draw any of the game when the cook required them. If the farm made butter he was expected to take a turn on the churn. Some farmers would allow their yardman use of a pony and trap to deliver butter and eggs to various outlets. He felt like a lord driving around the countryside waving to his old workmates still toiling in the fields. As there were few telephones in those days his arrival with the produce was greeted with enthusiasm as he would relate all the local gossip he had picked up on his rounds.
You may think he was an extremely overworked man but remember the old age pension was only around 50p a week in those days so he was glad of his free cottage, a hot midday meal, and what he regarded as light duties. When the time came for him to depart - often through extreme old age, illness or death - there was never any shortage of applicants for his job.
Nowadays, with wages being like they are, I suspect it is impossible for many modern farmers to be able to afford a yardman.
Until next time, moined ‘ow yer go.
Owen
First printed in the Wymondham Magazine, Feb 2022
For info: I'm told by a couple of people in the know that the tractor in the photo is a Fordson Major P6. Almost certainly one of the petrol/ paraffin models, as opposed to the Diesel engine. Ford chose the P6 for its first diesel tractor model in 1948, offering it as an alternative to the 30hp spark ignition engine in its UK-built E27N Fordson Major. Fitting the Perkins engine boosted the output to 45hp but it also increased the price to £595 compared with £303 for the standard model.
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