'I was born Hilda Bennett, at Barton, Headington, in July 1897,
at Quelch's Farm, which was a market-garden. My schooldays were not spent in
Cumnor. I remember working with the threshing team at various farms in the area
of my home. I did all the jobs except taking the sacks of corn off the threshing
machine, which was too heavy for a woman - they weighed two and a half cwt if
they were beans, or 2 cwt.
During the First World War I caught a train at 7 am from Oxford, having cycled
from Cumnor. I worked on munitions at Didcot. I was among the last 20 women who
were still working there at the end of the war. I lent my melodian to German
prisoners at Upper Whitley Farm for them to amuse themselves in the evenings.
Shortly after the war I married Harry Webb, he'd served in the war, and we lived
in a cottage at Farmoor. Later we moved to Denman's Farm. When my son was born
it was customary for the District Nurse or midwife to keep a room ready for
confinements at the nurse's home in Chawley Villas.
Harry and me both had bicycles, but when I lived at Farmoor I used to walk to
Oxford and back with the pram, to do the shopping. Mrs Saunders sold bacon at
Workhouse Corner. The blacksmith was Griffiths by the Vine. Bessie Pike sold
sweets at a cottage by the post office, along a passage. Mr Slatter delivered
oil once a week. Mr Hicks delivered bread from Appleton. The Oxford Co-operative
Society sold bread and meat. The shoemaker was Bennett in Leys Road. There was
also a blacksmith's shop at Burnt House Farm.
My father was a bell-ringer in Cumnor for many years. They used to have a supper
of bread and cheese in Cumnor High Street.
The knot-garden at Burnt House Farm was created by the great-grandfather of
Henry, Jim and Mary Webb. This type of garden is likely to have been in the
'pleasure garden' at Cumnor Place, if it dated from the 16th century, when
Anthony Forster lived there. Our garden must be nearly 200 years old. The
present Burnt House Farm is not the original farm because that one was burnt
down. The old foundations were found in adjoining fields at one time.
My grandfather was Griffiths, the blacksmith, who had a number of other trades.
He was a clock and watch-maker, a wheelwright and the village undertaker.
Recorded by Iris Wastie 1980, when Hilda was living at Burnt Farm.