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Jack Hill tells us about his father, Sidney Evelyn Hill, who was born on August 30th 1886 at Newbold Verdon.
In the 1930's when we lived at The Gables Farm, Desford, dad wore fawn-coloured knee breeches that had laces for tightening and these were half concealed by long socks knitted by mother.
Because of mud in the fields he invariably wore boots and seldom used wellingtons except for very wet conditions. Slippers were the norm for indoor wear. When going to town he would don a pair of shiny leather leggings, which had a metal catch to take a metal key at boot level plus a leather strap at the top to secure the leggings in place. They were shaped to fit to the calves
His shirts were thick heavy cotton with long sleeves but no collar. If a collar was deemed necessary for town or Sunday wear it would be a starched one and attached by two studs one at the rear and another at the throat. Fixing these involved much grunting and mild expletives and much help from females.
Beneath his shirt he would wear a flannelette vest with a button up collar. If the weather turned cold he would don a waistcoat with his pocket watch attached with a chain and red ruby coloured fob.
His headgear would be a flat cap in varying shades of grease and sweat but on occasions he did wear a black bowler hat, which gave off a hollow sound when hit with a finger. This was the one with the slice in the brim.
His usual wear on the farm was a yellowish coloured smock held in place with binder twine knotted around his waist. This was also his milking kit but whilst working the cows the flat cap was turned around to prevent it being pushed off by a cow's tail. This is where most of the grease originated.
Dad had a bespoke tailor in Leicester called Cornelius Smith in Belgrave Gate with whom he had an account so an instalment system of payment was adopted, allowing for payment when the milk cheque came in. Visits to the shop were a social occasion with much laughter and banter. Suits at this period were priced at fifty shillings. Underpants were flannel long johns with loops to slip over the braces to hold them in place.
Sleeping gear, I think, was a nightshirt but this is hazy. It was a shirt but whether it was the one worn during the day I can't recollect.
He would never work outside without a full compliment of clothing but I cannot imagine how he managed to stay cool in the summer months.
Despite having been gassed and blinded in l917 he persisted in smoking cigarettes until late in retirement and at one stage always smoked Black Cat brand.
He was a staunch tee totaller and never touched alcohol. I do recall seeing some Australian wine with the label Emu in the kitchen when Madge was married but that was the only occasion.
He spoke with a broad Leicestershire accent and used the phrase 'me duck' as an endearment, referred to mother as your mam or mamma and was very soft-hearted towards children.
Being a farmer during the years 1924 to l940, he never really had an easy time financially and was always in debt. Purchase of the farm involved an overdraft from National Provincial Bank and this was a permanent fixture until the farm was sold.
Often when animals were taken to market, their selling price was little different from that which had been paid six months earlier, often it was even less and consequently ready cash was always at a premium. As mentioned before, the milk cheque was vital to cash flow.
He had a sort of poem that he used to trot out at family occasions, which went something, like:--
When I were a lad, as big as me dad, I put me father's boots on, I buttoned my sleeves right up to the elbows just to keep my belly warm. Collapse of listeners......
In his teen years he was very fond of dancing and would go to neighbouring villages for the evening, stay till late, probably walk some girl home and then walk back home just in time to change his clothes for milking at 8 am. Can't imagine how he met mother, who had no interest in such frivolous matters.
They did meet, eventually married and produced my sister Constance Marjorie in 1914.
Also in l914, Dad had a row with his father and stormed off the farm that he was helping to run. I guess that would have been at Bagworth and he took a job as a miner at Bagworth Colliery.
He was given work in Top Seam in a pillar and stall system of coal -getting whereby a section of coal would be dug out but the next section would be left to support the roof and so avoid problems with subsidence. He didn't tell me much about this period but I do recall they had to work by the light of candles, set in jam jars so that they didn't flicker with the wind.
This was a reserved occupation until the manpower shortage at the battlefields became acute and then in 1916 he was drafted into the Yeomanry. Photographs of him show a man in khaki uniform with puttees on his legs and spurs on his boots.
These latter were for spurring on the horses used for hauling the howitzer guns on which he was engaged. His experiences were such that he refused to talk of them, but the lack of ear protection caused him to suffer from tinnitus. He and his mates were caught in a mustard gas attack whilst they were sheltering in a dugout and he was blinded for at least a week.
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