Trafford Publishing: Emily's Story: Through a Dairy Window

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Emily's Story: Through a Dairy Window

by Joan Alice Bell

220 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #04-0002; ISBN 1-4120-2078-6; US$34.50, C$39.50, EUR28.00, £20.00

Emily's Story: Through a Dairy Window is a true tale about a young girl, in her teens, going into service on a farm in the north of England. This story gives an account of her day-to-day life as a skivvy in the 1930's.

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About the Book About the Author Excerpts Catalogue Information

About the Book

EMILY

From the day Emily was chosen to be a skivvy she would tread through rural life of North East England as it unfolded to her in with the natural world of a traditional farmhouse.
Those days were spartan and bleak, but with this farm at "Hunter's Piece", she was to find it a mixture of hardship, devotion and love.
There were many things to learn about -- the farm and its ways. The animals needed attention, every day all the year round. The seasons of the farming year all had their times.
She learned dairy work, housework and the outside days of haymaking, the harvesting and threshing days, and the gruesome killing of pigs and poultry, for food.
The hard graft of house cleaning, butter making, and huge wash days, with the old poss tub and wooden roller mangle. The bread and cake making to feed them all with wholesome meals, to give all the strength to put their backs into it.
Emily had the dedication to learn and fit in. Her slender body, was yearning to be good and to tackle the daily chores. Each task seemed to have a meaningful end, like lambing sheep, and tending her own little pig, Tansy.
In this farmhouse were the Boss, Missus, a horseman, a cowman, Old Tom the odd job man, and herself. Emily grew and developed daily, as she grew to have a fondness for this place
Read about her life as she travels towards a perfect ending.

About the Author

The author, Joan A. Bell, née Bentley, was born in 1919.
For the sake of her story Joan called herself Emily.

She started her working life at the age of 14 at Sandy Lea's farm Elton, which she called Hunter's Piece, it was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Hunter (The Boss and Missus). In that farmhouse she got the exact specialist training she was to use in later years. At first the work was very hard, but with persistent endurance she managed to overcome the vast array of farmhouse work eventually taking over the running of the whole farmhouse when the Missus was ill.
She endeared herself to Mr. and Mrs. Hunter who were without children and treated and her as their only child. She fell in love with the horseman and when he was expecting to be called up for war service married him at the age of 19 years.
She was giving away by the Boss and they were given a wonderful wedding reception in the farmhouse on November 18th 1939
Later she became the Warden of a W.L.A. (Woman's Land Army) Hostel in Leicester. for the duration of the war.
Immediately after the war she became Hostel Warden in various parts of the U.K. for up to 40 wartime displaced persons from all parts of Europe, eventually she settled down to a normal married life with her husband and two children to complete her 64 years of happy married life before dying on Dec. 10th, 2003.
She had written three books.
She had two children, four grandchildren, and six great grandchildren.

Excerpts

Market stalls were set out down the middle of the old wet, very wide cobbled High Street. The Traders huddled under their Tarpaulin covered stalls: At the far end of the street was the Church of St Mary, very old and stately, looking down on to the town Street. In the centre of this high street there was a large brick red building, the town hall , with a clock tower above and there was next to this the Covered Market. Between these two buildings was The 18 century market cross Around this were a set of steps, This also became the place of the annual Hirings where men and women sat on the steps waiting for a new employer to give them or hire them a place of work that was suitable for all concerned. This day, Emily Joan Bentley-Bell, was sitting on these steps trying to keep warm from the bitter winter wind.

The kettle was now boiling and she hung it on the iron hook over the fire. Then she put the frying pan onto the flames. She put some lard into the pan and the slices of bacon were soon sizzling, but to her horror a black lump of soot had fallen into the pan on to the bacon. Emily had not remembered the Missus’s warning,” scrape the chimney down first with the coal rake, to dislodge any black lumps of soot hanging down”. Emily carefully scooped the nasty black lump up with a spoon. A bit of soot never hurt anyone but the Boss will soon let you know if he finds any on his plate. The kettle now boiled and the bacon sizzling away gave Emily time to set the table for the lads and Boss. Mugs for the lads and a big cup and saucer for the Boss. A large home baked crusty cob white bread was in the middle with a large knife ready to cut it in to chunks on a round wooden breadboard. The bacon now ready cooked and free of soot was put on the boiler top on a large enamel plate and Emily cracked eight eggs in to the pan, careful not to break the yolks. She was making the tea when she heard the rattle of the milk cans. The lads were coming in to the house. She put the teapot on the large table and nearly knocked the Boss off his feet as she ran to the dairy for the milk.

Emily ran quickly upstairs to her room. What could she wear? She got out a red scarf her mother had sent her for her birthday. It was a very cold day, so she put on her thick serge overcoat over a paisley patterned dress. Her Lyle beige colour stockings were getting a bit tatty so she decided to buy some new Grey ones today, in the market. Oh heck she said crossly, as her suspender button came off in her hand. That will serve me right, she thought to herself, as she was hurrying too much. She quickly found an old button; this will have to do. Emily had no time to waste, so she put a small button in her pocket just in case she again lost the suspender button. Her black laced shoes were not very fashionable, but warm and strong. One day, she thought, I will have a patent leather pair of court shoes. She put her new red scarf round her neck and a red woolly beret on her head with gloves to match. Shyly she put a bit of rouge on her cheeks, and hoped the Missus did not notice as she passed by her. She fished around her black handbag, and found that she had four shillings and two pence in her purse, which she had brought with her. That would see her alright.

Emily was feeling very apprehensive at this situation, and hurried along at a quicker speed. Here said Joe where are you going its too dark to see far, you may trip up. Emily still hurried. She was a little afraid of his company. At the same time glad of it, because of the darkness, and was not quite sure of the way. Joe stopped at the gate leading up the road to the farmhouse; Joe felt for the fastener on the gate and opened it. He then quickly slid through a small gap only big enough for himself to squeeze through, and shut it behind himself. Emily shouted, here, what are you doing? Let me through, and she pushed hard at the gate, but to no avail. Joe was leaning hard on to it at the other side. Emily now angry shouted at him, I will tell the Boss about this. I am only teasing said Joe and opened the gate slowly and she pushed through. The moon was just peeping through a cloud and she saw Joe with his coat open.

The Missus came downstairs, and had her breakfast. Emily noticed she was dressed in a tweed suit, with brown brogue shoes, a brown velour hat and looking every inch the farmers’ wife, of Hunters Piece. She went into the dairy and collected her butter basket, which was full to the top of one-pound packs of wrapped fresh butter. Another basket was full of fresh free-range eggs. Outside the bullocks had been loaded in to the lorry and were going down the road. Bert had the trap at the back door, and was ready to help the Missus in to the back seat. He got her in first, and wrapped a blanket round her, then put the baskets of butter and eggs one each side of her. She took hold of the wicker basket handles, and held them there with a tight grasp of her hands. The Boss climbed up onto the front seat, took up the reins, then took the whip from its holder, then with a slight tickle of the whip on the horses back, said Gee-up. The pony and trap was on the move, and started to trot down the farm track. Steady now John said the Missus; don’t forget I have eggs on board. Emily knew she would remember this rural scene forever.

The Threshing machine had arrived. Emily heard it. She asked if she could go and see it in the Stackyard. Well put your coat on lass, it’s very cold out there. Don't be to long, it will soon be very busy in here. Out in the yard Emily watched the huge steam engine manoeuvring the threshing box in to position for the best place to be near the Corn Stack that was to be threshed. The Thresher owner was taking direction from the Boss, from his seat on the machine carefully moved the engine, after a lot of shunting around in controlled directions, till they both were satisfied with its position. Bob the thresher man stopped the engine and got down to see for himself. That’s just fine John said the owner. Emily had been exited at seeing the great machine and went inside to tell the Missus.

They went outside, Bert lit a hurricane lamp, and they went up the granary steps together in the moonlight. It was very dark in the granary, but with the light of the lamp Bert showed her the newly threshed corn. It has a lovely feeling, said Emily, as she let the corn run through her fingers. Yes said Bert. The fruits of all our labours, to think that I plough the fields, sow the corn and it ends up here to be re-sown and feed the stock. But now Bert out of sight of any one in the stack yard, gave Emily her first kiss, and held her in his arms. She would remember this threshing day forever.

Now you had better go to the Byre lass. I expect he will want two fresh eggs. Does he want them cooked? No lass, you go and see for yourself. Emily carried the eggs and went to the Byre. Good lass said the Boss as she handed him the eggs, and to her surprise, he cracked them in his hand shell and all, and carefully rubbed it all over the newborn calf. Why did you do that, asked Emily? Well lass said the Boss, the cow doesn’t always lick the calf at first, if she is a bit lazy, so I tice her to lick the egg off, and she as she likes the taste does. It always works, she gets licking, and they have a bonding with each other. Do all the farmers do that? I don't know said the Boss, but it's my way, and it works.

Most of the day’s food had been prepared the day before, now the Missus concentrated on the table and its appearance. For that festive look she had placed her best Damask tablecloth on, she smoothed it down as if to find some creases. Now for her best china bowl in which she placed some holly with red berries and a trail of ivy leaves intertwined. At Mothers place she placed a Damask serviette to match the tablecloth. Emily polished all the best glasses, and placed a cotton serviette for them all, knowing the lads would be amused, but nothing was going to put her off getting it right today. Emily knew that the Missus wanted to get it all right. Mother would notice any dropping of standards. Emily was thinking, I will remember this day when I get my own table. Take the time to show you care said the Missus, that you can work hard but not forget the time to impress the importance of being perfect. Xmas gives you that chance to please others. Emily thought that the Missus was a wonderful woman.

Now I want all the chamber pots of water keeping for a day or two, just female, mind you. Whatever does he want with that, asked Emily? Well don't ask me said the Missus, all I know he does. He always says that his Father taught him, the minerals in the Urine were medicinal, and the Boss has clever ways of looking after his animals, as you have seen in the past few weeks. So don't forget to keep the chamber pot water for a day or two. After this Emily could not understand why pork meat always tasted so good. Don't ask too many questions Bert told her, when she told him about it next day. It’s just as we all know the Boss, and his ways of farming. He is well known for his remedies, and the local farmers always consult him. He has saved many a Vet's bill. In the middle of the night.

Oh well, thought Emily, that was a funny experience, she wondered if anyone had seen her at the window. Bert had, and asked her later did you learn the facts of life? Emily looked guilty, but as Bert said all the mating of the farm animals took place in the Fold Yard, and what better place than the dairy window to learn it all. But she did admit that it was a bit embarrassing, and she knew she would be in the dairy watching breeding going on. She did not want to be ignorant as to the farm ways or to be the only person without Knowledge of the facts, as seen in the real ways of life, and not from here-say or books. She had that benefit, there would be pigs, and cows, and she wondered about Cuthbert, and Big Bertha, she had a lot of watching to do.

Bert put the trap away and took Dolly to the stables. Emily followed him for a goodnight Kiss. Bert hugged her to himself tighter than usual; she felt a thrill of sweetness, as their bodies mingled in that sweet embrace. Soon love, he whispered, we will not have to part. Emily went quietly upstairs, and looked out of her bedroom window, and waited till Bert's bike and the flickering backlight disappeared.

Catalogue Information