Reg Rush of Norfolk - Reminiscences

"Recently I completely lost myself searching through the superb Metheringham website (www.macla.co.uk) bringing back wonderful memories of my early school days, pictures of people I grew up with, places, and events. My favourite times were, attending Metheringham C of E School, Metheringham Feast, the best day being Tuesday's Sports & Show, with the Gymkhana and Races for the varying ages of children, can't remember winning though, nearly always fell over before reaching the finishing line and of course the Summers on Blankney Estate with father and his horses.

I still retain wonderful memories of my early childhood, especially Drury Street, the Slater Thompson Chemist and General Stores at the bottom of High Street, the Green family Joinery business almost opposite on the corner of Drury Street, and Scott family (including their Metheringham Mill and Milling business), their attached thatched cottage on Drury Street Corner is just showing on one of the Lower High Street photos of Thompson's Shop on the "web". On the opposite side of High Street, the then Station Hotel (now the Scarf and Goggles), with its Petrol Pumps on the forecourt, (petrol 1/2p per gal.) and the Terraced Houses plus (I think) the Cobblers Shop which my Aunt retired in, which in later years was transformed into a bungalow joining with again Thompson's Shop. Also not forgetting the Co-op I shopped in for mother. All these things were brought wonderfully to the surface again by your website and its photographs.

I used to deliver the Lincolnshire Echo down Drury Street during my early schooldays and got paid one penny a night (sixpence a week). Consequently I was familiar with most of the family names, not only in the street but the whole village, also in Blankney. Father worked on Blankney Estates with the horses, and I spent most haymaking and harvest season playing in the Estate fields and riding on the hay and corn wagons.

During my schooldays we never had the luxury of fresh tap water or flush toilets. When father came home from work in the late afternoon he would pick up the drinking water bucket in the Pantry and I would toddle along with him to the bottom of Drury Street. On the left hand side of the road we entered a small passage to a fresh water Spring, this was our source of drinking water. This Spring was also the beginning of a stream that ran by the Manor House and on towards the Station, we often caught minnows in it and gathered watercress. Towards the end of my schooldays I remember the reservoir being built up on the higher ground near Heath Lane Stone Pit, and mains water was laid through the village, but in Drury Street we were only given standpipes from which we then filled the bucket.

Electricity also came to the village about that time; enabling us to throw away our paraffin lamps and candles to go to bed! With electricity coming about the same time we had our first Radio replacing our old HMV windup record player.

Every Sunday during the summer a stream of early model Motor Cars and Motor Bikes passed through the village in the early morning, coming from the Sheffield and Scunthorpe Steel Foundries, on their way to Fishing Contests held on the Banks of the River Witham, these returning again in the evening. In winter early Haulage Lorries also passed through the village from the Sugar Beet fields of the Fenland Farms, carting the beet to Bardney Sugar Beet Factory (I would thumb a lift sometimes and travel in the Cab for a ride to the factory).

I visited one of Metheringham's famous Feasts a few year ago just prior to my dear mother being interviewed on Radio Lincolnshire. She was then 90 and the oldest person in the village. I remember at the same time looking in what we called the Reading Room (now the Village Hall). What a wonderful display of old pictures and history of the village there was to behold. The theme of the parade through the village was also very appropriate on that occasion representing the farming community of the early twentieth century. I was also lucky enough to meet up with a number of local people of my generation, plus having an excellent meal in the Station Hotel / Poachers (now Scarf and Goggles) my first drinking hole, and being waited on by a girl I went to school with?

Recently I saw the picture of brother Gerald and Blankney Football Team of 1950 on the website and apart from the Trainer, Titch Auckland (whose name sounds familiar) I recognised others including the ex-German POW, Alan Garrill, and Cyril Ford. Bruce Holvey I think was possibly the nearest to my age group. I came out of the Royal Marine Commando Special Intelligence Services in 1946, got married in 1948, asked Gerald to come and be my Best Man but he made the excuse he was playing in a special game of football for Blankney, and could not make it.

There were four football teams in the village during my youth, the Church School team, the Junior Eleven, and Metheringham First & Second team and local derbys were against Martin and Billinghay. Most years the first team played at Sincil Bank in the final of the Village Trophy, Amateur Cup or both and I would cycle to the games with father to Lincoln, leave our cycles at the Durham Ox Pub and walk through acres of allotments before entering the turnstiles at Sincil Bank. I only played in the school team, leaving home at sixteen to go to The Midland Agricultural College (thanks to Head Scout Mistress, Mrs. Kennington) but playing in their Football (awarded Colours), Cricket, and Billiard Teams, also competed in their Annual Athletics on Sports Day. The College I remember was the first place I experienced hot water baths after a game of football. At home we bathed in front of the fire on a Friday night with rain water from a tub outside the house, heated by a small boiler at the side of the fire, plus a big black pot on the fire.

Dad I remember always supported Metheringham Football Club, and sometime after WW2 he became their Chairman; I also remember Alderman Flintham (Georgie Flint), I both set and picked many tons of his early potatoes during my schooldays (2/- Sat. morning, 2/6 for a full day).

The village and surrounding area changed dramatically during the war years and so far I have found very little on the website of Metheringham & District during that period i.e., the Americans (Black & White), RAF Digby & Metheringham, Army Search-Light Unit, Home Guard, Special Constables, etc. There always seem to be one or two of my pals on leave at the same time, and occasionally we got mixed up in a bit of trouble in the Station Hotel, White Hart, or Star & Garter. Mr Quincey, Landlord of the Londesborough Arms kept a much quieter little house, although a fair number of the RAF used the house frequently.

I came to visit my late sister earlier in the year in the Old People's home on Lincoln Road (The Haven) and had a few words with George Cucksey (recently deceased). His father was ice cream seller & pork butcher. I couldn't find any pictures of his old fashioned ice cream cart at ½ penny a cornet. I don't think he recognised me unfortunately. His elder brother Geoff attended school at the same time as me. I know he died quite a few years ago now. Most of my school friends and those engaged in the war, I am afraid, seem to have now passed on.

Many thanks to Jeff Bird and Peter Ford for your great website."

Reg Rush - late of Metheringham