Title
Sharnford
Subject
Sharnford
Description
Arthur John Morton talks about village life during the 1900s and 1910s. Also, he recalls the lack of means of transportation and amenities in Sharnford.
Creator
East Midlands Oral History Archive
Source
EMOHA
Publisher
EMOHA
Date
1988
Contributor
Photograph courtesy of Hinckley Times. To use seek permission from https://www.hinckleytimes.net/news/local-news/gallery/pubs-from-the-past-11013693
Rights
You may use this item in accordance with the licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/uk/
Format
.mp3
Type
Oral History
Duration
1 min 52 sec
Transcription
Mr Morton: Well we went from, I was born in Market Bosworth August 8th 1891 and we moved to Sharnford on the death of my grandmother, we took over the pub, the Blue Bell, at Sharnford. I can’t quite tell you when, I were only about six at the time. And then we went to Sharnford school under Mr and Mrs Barker, and then I left school somewhere around 13, I think.
Interviewer: What was the population of the village?
Mr Morton: Well at that time it was roughly, as near as I can say, about 480 persons.
Interviewer: Can you tell me what the roads were like?
Mr Morton: Awful. All water bound roads with no tarmac at all. No transport at all, only a carrier’s cart, that’s all there was.
Interviewer: So you were completely cut off?
Mr Morton: Absolutely. And every little outing to Hinckley used to be a red letter day, and it’s only three miles. There weren’t any such things as motor cars, or anything like, er, wireless, television, telephone, and electric light – no such things. We all had lamps, oil lamps.
Interviewer: So the village was completely self contained?
Mr Morton: Yes, well, not entirely because most of the men worked at the quarries in Stoney Stanton and Sapcote.
Interviewer: How would they get there?
Mr Morton: They had to walk. A distance of about two, two and half miles.
Interviewer: What was the population of the village?
Mr Morton: Well at that time it was roughly, as near as I can say, about 480 persons.
Interviewer: Can you tell me what the roads were like?
Mr Morton: Awful. All water bound roads with no tarmac at all. No transport at all, only a carrier’s cart, that’s all there was.
Interviewer: So you were completely cut off?
Mr Morton: Absolutely. And every little outing to Hinckley used to be a red letter day, and it’s only three miles. There weren’t any such things as motor cars, or anything like, er, wireless, television, telephone, and electric light – no such things. We all had lamps, oil lamps.
Interviewer: So the village was completely self contained?
Mr Morton: Yes, well, not entirely because most of the men worked at the quarries in Stoney Stanton and Sapcote.
Interviewer: How would they get there?
Mr Morton: They had to walk. A distance of about two, two and half miles.
Interviewer
P. Bramley
Interviewee
Arthur John Morton
Location
Sharnford
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