Occupant from the '60s coming for tea

[JoceAndChris]

I'm very much looking forward to asking this lady a whole heap of questions when she comes tomorrow. She's as far back as I can go without resorting to the use of a medium - and I'd love to know how they managed without electricity or central heating, or even a track here, and what stood in the place where the workshop now stands, and where the horse lived, and what the rooms were used for. Her family occupied the building between the 50s and 70s, though she herself lived in the attic bedroom as a teenager and young woman in the 60s. The "then" pics show how her father left the place and were taken in the early 80s. This is the family who notoriously did nothing decoratively or repair wise, leaving the house with gaping holes in the roof and unusable rooms due to damp and a garden that was a solid wood. However, I'm just so grateful to them for that as that's why it's still got the period features!

I'm wondering how best to record her memories for future owners, any thoughts on that?


Just a few pics, I've got loads of these, but a lot of you have seen them before:

Then

Now

Then

Now

Then

Now

Then

Now

 

[Flyfisher]

How wonderful!

A few years ago, I was able to contact the grandson of the owner of our house in the 1930s and he kindly let me make copies of photos from his Grandmother's 'visitors book'. Although he didn't actually live in the house it was wonderful to hear his stories of playing in the attics and gardens as a boy.

But how much better to be able to meet up with a previous occupant! As for recording her stories, I would have suggested an audio tape recorder but they seem to be largely superseded these days. If it's not too intrusive and off-putting for her, perhaps you could video-record your conversations? If necessary, the audio could always be extracted.

As for posterity, The Listening Project might be interested in anything you are able to record and I'm sure I've read of similar projects over the years.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/the-listening-project

 

[skier-hughes]

audio recorder on your phone or laptop?

 

[Moo]

A bit of a tricky one, this.
If she was conveniently disabled it would be easy to show her the photographs and simply leave your laptop mike switched on. But I suspect she'll want the full guided tour, and you don't really want to cart a laptop around with you.
I have only two suggestions to add to the pot: use one of those hand-held dictating machines (having checked that it will pick up someone's voice from a few feet away) or - (the ideal) rope in someone to accompany you with a videocamera. I know that sounds a bit intrusive, but it's amazing how quickly one gets used to it, especially when you're looking at and talking about something you're really interested in. That way you and she could have a perfectly natural conversation.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Thanks for all the lovely suggestions folks. Following Skier's idea of the phone I tested out the video function on the iphone whilst driving ( with the phone on my knee!) Even over the noise of the engine and the heater it captured my voice extremely well. So although it won't be recording anything interesting visually if it's just in my top pocket or on the table at least I hope the interview can be preserved.

FF- I've heard those fascinating programmes on R4, what a great idea to try to contribute! I'll look into that.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

How exciting!

 

[Zebra]

Thank you for sharing those pictures, it's wonderful what you've done with your place - those pictures give hope for a transformation of a similar nature if not on a similar scale!
Annoyingly, I had a Christmas card hand-delivered through my door at Christmas from the son and daughter-in-law of the old lady who used to live here, but they didn't leave a contact address or phone number, so I can't ask if they know any of my house's history. Probably just as well they didn't though, there was probably a cement mixer in the living room at the time. Perhaps by next Christmas I could invite them in without them being too horrified.

 

[skier-hughes]

Just use the audio recording facility, will take up less space on the phone. Download an app from the store, I think ones like Blue Microphone’s Blue FiRe or voice memo are both free, and there are bound to be lots at 99 or more.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Thanks so much Graham - how girly but I didn't know it could do this. I've now found the function, so we're all set.

Zebra - I think the scale of what you do is much much greater and more impressive- we haven't done much structural work as yet. There are still many tons of concrete and cement to get rid of - the one criticism I have of the previous owner's astonishing rescue. He remade the roof, using the original early 19th C slates, and welding lead sheeting, and laid a track to town, and dug a trench there and laid electricity cables and fitted central heating and saved the sashes and the floors and spent thousands on beautiful mutule chestnut and lead guttering that replicates the original. He ran out of cash and inclination for much in the way of decoration though, but that's immaterial. These houses take a lot, and maybe a few owners, to put right. We don't have his practical skills ( or yours, come to that) but hopefully, at some point, will be able to get some good tradesmen for all the lime-work.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Oh, I mucked up the technology - anyway I expect she'll be back with her siblings. A long, emotional, and fascinating visit though, especially as she was born next door - when BC had a next door ( sadly now gone). She remembers her grandma selling milk to the Miss Burroughs - who lived here from the 1850s to the 1940s. And her family finding a German pilot and his plane in the field behind the house, calmly eating his sandwiches. And all manner of other wonderful things, including where the water wheel was sited ( we must put it back as it's just rusting away in the shrubbery), and that throughout the undercroft were flagstones, as I always suspected. And that the lack of electricity or heating never bothered them, but what did bother her was that her friends in town could wear elegant high heels, but she had to cart round a stout pair of boots, which is precisely what bothers me.

Interesting that the sitting room was their dining room, the music room was her grandma's bedroom, the wine cellar was a lumber room, the dining area of our kitchen a store room, and the kitchen part a wash room. And they never ran out of water!

If you can get hold of earlier residents it's well worth the tracking down.

 

[Jellyfire]

How fascinating, knowing all that personal history really helps being a house alive I think

 

[CliffordPope]

Lovely pictures. Such a pity you had to spoil the house.

 

[Flyfisher]

Oh, I mucked up the technology -

What a shame - it sounded like a fascinating meeting. I do hope there is another opportunity.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Oh, I think it's almost certain there will be.

Clifford - mm, sort of agree with you, the picking off the plaster in the old kitchen was not my doing though. And the removal of the old cupboards there - she said they were very rotted out. After yesterday, though, it's tempting to think of putting plaster and cupboards back.

 

[LadyArowana]

all manner of other wonderful things, including where the water wheel was sited ( we must put it back as it's just rusting away in the shrubbery),

You never mentioned a water wheel, that sounds very exciting, where was it and what did it do?

 

[worms]

all manner of other wonderful things, including where the water wheel was sited ( we must put it back as it's just rusting away in the shrubbery),

You never mentioned a water wheel, that sounds very exciting, where was it and what did it do?

BC had water?! :shock:

 

[JoceAndChris]

:lol: She said they never once ran out! But then, they seldom washed.

It was just on the side of the house and pumped water up from the well to the attic, from whence it flowed to the kitchen.

According to my visitor her younger brothers and sister liked to jump on the wheel's housing, and turn the wheel every day to replenish the supply. Underneath, she said, were steps down into our sunken scullery, which I can't understand as now the steps are at the opposite end. Maybe she's just a bit confused. Or maybe, when we get round to removing the concrete, we'll find another set of steps.

Nothing there now:

I always thought it was this, which is in our shrubbery - but now I see the photos side by side I see they're quite different watery thingies, which makes me very glad you asked the question LadyA, and gives me a bit of a puzzle really as I can't see what our rusty watery thingie was for.

 

[worms]

I think I'd be tempted to dig down and follow the pipes below the pump in your last picture. Is it possible there is some other water source down there?

 

[JoceAndChris]

That will be the underground rain water chamber that's caught your attention, now happily brim full!

 

[worms]

I mean the pipes leading into the ground below the wheel in your final picture where you say

a bit of a puzzle really as I can't see what our rusty watery thingie was for.

Does that lead to your rainwater camber?