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CORDUROYS AND AMERICANS
Alice Neale

She recalled that Hydes, St. Ebbes,Oxford, in the early 1900s used to send corduroys to Cumnor housewives for the purpose of sewing on buttons, etc. Smocking was also distributed. There was a Mrs Coombs who lived in the cottage at the junction of Hurst Lane with Cumnor Hill and did a lot of this work.

American tourists came to Cumnor before the First World War to see the site of Cumnor Place. As a school child at Cumnor she used to take them out to the site and was often given money.

Among her other memories were taking milk and eggs to the sick who no means of sustenance, the younf men of Cumnor leaving for the Great War, celebrations for the coronation of Edward VII in the field behind New Cumnor Place, and Mr. Cooper of Hurst Lane, who was the burner at Chawley Brickworks; he worked days one week and nights the next.

Alice Neale, sister of Hilda, spoke to Frank Cheeseman in 1965.
 

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