Our Fenland Memories

Step back in time to the 1930s and 40s, where life was vastly different for a family growing up on a Fenland farm in the middle of nowhere. The hard work of farming was a way of life, with no fancy machines to ease the back-breaking labour. Every family member and friend had a role to play, from picking potatoes by baskets to chop hoeing sugar beets. And when harvest time came around, it was dirty work for the adults but great fun for the children - who were happy to help, especially if there was extra pocket money on offer. In those distinct seasons of yesteryear, winter brought frost that created magical ice crystals on the inside of windows. We learned to take comfort in stone hot water bottles at night, and became experts at dressing and undressing quickly in unheated bedrooms. But would we be able to cope today without electricity or indoor plumbing? Perhaps, but we’d rather not find out. These personal memories of social history are a treasured part of our heritage, a snapshot of life in a bygone era that needs to be preserved with pride for future generations. In this fast-moving, ever-changing world, it’s important that we don’t forget our Fenland roots. Join us on a journey through time as we reminisce about the joys and challenges of life on a rural farm in a simpler, more humble era.