THE YEARS BETWEEN 1915 – 1936
The date June 11th 1915. The scene was the Golden Lion, Brigstock, when a baby girl was born to the innkeeper, George Hircock and his wife Mary Wright, born in
Yorkshire, ex Brigstock schoolteacher. The little girl was christened Margaret Elizabeth but from that day called Betty. She grew up to the sounds of marching feet of soldiers and was often held up to the window to watch the troops march by.
The Golden Dragon was only licensed to sell beer but the Green Dragon was licensed to sell spirits. The result was that the Golden Lion lost out to the many customers who required the short drinks. The Green Dragon was then kept by William Palmer and was so for many years.
To make ends meet George Hircock was also a sheep farmer and kept an allotment on the Benefield Road. The sheep grazed in his field which is now part of the by-pass.
He also had a horse called Hooper. He also had a horse called Jack who used to run away from time to time.
When Betty was about eighteen months old she was followed by Jean and after that a little boy who was named after his Herbert Waddilove. He hated his name, especially when he was called Waddy-love by a friendly vicar. At that time the vicar was Reverend Hooper. He had followed Reverend Sandlands. The headmaster of the school at the time was Mr Albert Morris.
As Mrs Hircock had been a qualified teacher she was allowed to teach the three children at home. Betty and Jean were quick readers, but the baby was a slow starter.
Mrs Hircock taught while attending to the customers so it was often left to Betty to work with the two younger ones. It is remembered that Waddy would learn a page by heart and, in so doing, getting caught out if he had been given another page. When Betty was nine years old Waddy was sent to Brigstock School in order to mix with the other boys and prepare for higher education. Jean was sent with him to keep him company. The headmaster then was Mr Tomlinson. They were also taught by Mrs Palmer, whose daughter Joyce still lives in Brigstock.
Betty was still taught at home by her mother and accompanying them in their studies were Betty Viccars and Jean Scott. Betty of course had to do her fair share of teaching the two extra pupils. Betty would dearly have loved to join the children at Brigstock School – sometimes she would go round to watch the children in the playground, and, if she was lucky, a kind assistant teacher would invite her in to join in the games. At Christmas time all the school would be invited up to the big house, Fermyn Woods Hall, to a wonderful party. Mrs Belville would always include Betty.
When Betty was thirteen she and Jean were sent to Kettering High School and Waddy to Laxton School in Oundle. Financially life was rather hard at the Golden Lion.
Fortunately school fees were paid for by an aunt in Yorkshire. At that time United Counties put on their first service for the schoolchildren going to Kettering. Waddy, on the other hand, had to cycle to Oundle. Luckily he was able to buy a second-hand bike from Tom Smith who had a garage at the junction of Back Lane and Benefield Road. The bike was what we would call today a “sit up and beg”. Waddy was so ashamed of it that he would cycle to Oundle, park the bike in a field, and walk the
remainder of the way. He would pick the bike up again on the way home from school.
Moving on now to 1928. This was a happy time to live in Brigstock, but, of course, there were family rows. As the Golden Lion was on Hall Hill, the three children witnessed many a brawl, but also had the opportunity to see from their bedroom window Brigstock Brass Band on Christmas Eve, conducted by Charles Herbert Swan (often known as “six foot” because of his small stature). They loved to hear “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night” to the tune of Lynham. At the same time, the Women’s Institute choir would be circling the village with their carols.
Often sung in three parts was “The Bells of Christmas and New Year”. The carollers would see us up at the window and call up, “Happy Christmas Betty, Jean and
Waddy”.
The Spencer brothers, Harry, Frank and Reg, would sing to Mrs Hircock “Her Name is Mary” – much to the displeasure of George Hircock – but the children loved it.
Christmas morning for the children was the usual stocking and presents about 6 a.m.
Always an egg for breakfast with a half crown under the eggcup. Then came church, which they all enjoyed, especially the smiles from the rosy-cheeked Fred Steward from Whitehall and Captain and Mrs Belville from Fermyn Woods Hall. Sitting behind them would Mrs Tom Beeby with Margaret and Mary. Mrs Cox from the Manor would be sitting on the front pew (now demolished).
By this time, 1931, the new vicar was Father Underwood. He came from
Irthlingborough and was very high church. He preached a very good sermon and he also helped Waddy with his Latin. Certain members of the church were very much against Father Underwood’s ways. Two churchwardens would shout after the
children who were entering the church for catechism training and others (quite mature ones) would stage a go slow in hymns which perhaps praised the Virgin Mary.
However, the church was full. The Spencer family were great choir men. It has been recalled that one day after the service, Frank and Harry came out of the church and stood gazing reverently at the family graves on the green opposite the porch. They gazed and meditated – then – “The pub should be open now,” said Frank and off they went with several others.
Brigstock in 1931 carried on the usual activities – a thriving W.I. choir which carried off many cups and certificates at Oundle and Peterborough music competitions. Their conductor was a lady called Mrs Kingford from Thrapston. Unfortunately she fell ill and her place was taken by Mrs Hircock. Choir practice was every Thursday. This gave Betty, Jean and Waddy the chance to slip out of the house and chase around the village getting back just before their mother returned from the W.I. Hall.
The United Reformed Church (then the Congregational Church) was also thriving at this time with the annual concert and prize-giving.
The day came for Betty, Jean and Waddy to be confirmed at Denford and tea to be taken afterwards at Brigstock vicarage. All the candidates were assembled in front of the Bishop of Peterborough. On seating themselves poor Betty went to sit on a chair
which someone had removed – she finished up on the floor, displaying to His Worship a fine array of petticoat and pants! She remembers it in horror to this day!
Since United Counties had taken over the bus routes from Smith and Roughton to Billy Pack, more and more people from Brigstock were able to enjoy the cinemas in Kettering – the Pavilion, The Odeon and the Regal. The earliest remembered films were Ben Hur, Frankenstein and Danny Boy.
These were the days of much homework. Betty would be working all hours, Jean would be tearing around on a bike and Waddy would be bird nesting with Douglas Scott and Mark Wills or in the winter sledging on the ground which is now the Country Park.
Many of the villagers played tennis behind Mr and Mrs Gladstone Gray’s house in Bridge Street. There were two tennis courts laid out and they belonged to Mr Freddie Steward of Whitehall. They remained there until 1931 when Mr Herbert Gray bought the land and the areas became part of his poultry farm. Cricket matches took place in a field behind Mr Steward’s house. This field was called the Slade. Football was played in the Meadow donated by Mr Horace Spencer.
A time came when a lump developed on Betty’s mother’s neck and she was operated on by Dr Pretty in Kettering General Hospital. Betty, Jean and Waddy found a new freedom and went off with the village girls swimming in the brook. This was heaven to the children as their mother had kept them away from such pursuits. It happened that they had no swimsuits so vests and pants had to make do. They enjoyed the water with Gladys and Connie Streather and the two Starsmore girls, Sarah and
Fanny. The Yorkshire auntie, who was babysitting while their mother was in hospital, was horrified at the state of their underwear but they never divulged the reason why.
On Sunday 22nd March 1931 the circus came to Brigstock. There were three monkeys and four horses amongst other animals. The venue was in the paddock at the bottom of Benefield Road.
On April 4th of that year was Mr Arthur Spencer’s funeral. He was the ex landlord of the New Inn. On April 16th Betty went with her mother to a Tory meeting which was attended by the Member of Parliament, Lord Burleigh. Betty got his autograph and she wrote in her diary:
“He is a nice fair-haired man and told me that his writing was like spider’s tracks.”
On April 23rd was the sale of Mr Collier’s furniture in the High Street. Mr Collier was a tailor. He used to sit in the window of his house. When he walked about the village he was noted for wearing a black cape. He always reminded me of Lloyd George. At this time Father Adey replaced Father underwood as vicar of St Andrew’s Church.
There was, at that time, a travelling theatre and Brigstock people were invited to take part in the productions. They way this happened was that, before a performance, the actors used to ask village people to be in the plays and take the minor roles. Usually these parts were a few lines or none at all, so they were easily learned by the
volunteers. One memorable play was “Maria Martin”. Another one was “The Red
Barn”. The children were amused as there was a Maria Martin living in the village.
The theatre company was also called the Gaffe.
On September 21st 1931 electricity came to Brigstock. Other things which happened that year were Betty went to the Central Hall in Kettering with her mother to hear Amy Johnson give a talk. Lord and Lady Burleigh visited Brigstock School on 13th October.
Drs Clapperton and Lascelles were the doctors for the village.
Betty, Jean and Waddy continued at their schools until 1933, then Mrs Hircock visited Mrs Janet Whyte, headmistress of Kettering High School (now the Council offices in Bowling Green Road) and Miss Bulcher, the deputy head, offered a post to Betty at her private school along Station Road. Mrs Hircock accepted on Betty’s behalf.
Betty was to teach for nothing, but Miss Bulcher would pay for her to take a
correspondence course with Clarks College in London, and to sit the exams at the end of the year at the High School. For the next few years she was thrown in at the deep end. The infant head, who was supposed to train Betty, in the Froebel method was taken ill and left and Betty, at eighteen, managed and taught about thirty children between the ages of five and nine. She was also to serve the children’s dinners and wash up afterwards, then take the children to town to pay the bills at the bank, shops etc. and then teach them all afternoon. Often she would miss the bus home to Brigstock and would then have to catch a Corby bus, get off at Stanion and walk the rest of the way home.
Jean applied to Northampton General Hospital and became a trainee nurse. Waddy left Laxton School and became a junior office boy at a firm of accountants in Oundle.
After two years he had a bout of fever and was given his notice (as he was just due for the higher rate of stamps). It seems that this happened to all the young boys who started there. By this time war was on the horizon and he easily got a job at Stewarts and Lloyds.
Sadly, in 1935, just as the Golden Lion was opening up for the evening trade, Betty’s mother said, “Can you call up to your father. He is in the loft with his carpentry.”
Betty, who had been playing the piano in the parlour, climbed the ladder to the loft and found her father, George Hircock, lying dead across his woodwork. He was only fifty-four years old and a heart attack was suspected. Dr Lascelles was called. Mr Mark Wills who lived in Windmill cottages, looked after the pub for Betty’s mother.
Betty contacted Jean at the hospital and Waddy in Oundle. All the usual duties had to be complied with – contact the solicitors, Hunnybun and Sykes at Thrapston, buy mourning clothes for Mrs Hircock from Kettering and a black hat for Betty. George’s sister from Uxbridge came to stay. Later in the year the pub, the last freehold in the village, was passed over to new tenants, Mr and Mrs Fox.
The sale of the furniture and so on was held in the pub yard. Betty, Jean and Waddy were so sad to watch part of their childhood being handled by all the crowd – but it had to be. In the melee a jug of milk put out for drinks was accidentally auctioned by Mr Brown of Thrapston. The pub was bought by the Praeds Brewery from
Elworthy’s brewery in Kettering.
So we move on to 1936. The United Counties had a long bus strike. Mr Tom Smith came to the rescue by giving us lifts into Kettering in his rather large car. In the front were Margaret and Mary Beeby, Pansy Sharpe, Jean Scott, Gerald Allen and myself, and in the back were John Braybrook, Bobby Travel and Trevor Smith.
On Monday 20th January King George V Died just after midnight. It was announced on the radio, “The King’s life is drawing peacefully to a close.” Edwards VIII was proclaimed king. Most people wore some black as a mark of love and respect. The funeral was on January 28th.
The times were changing and the shadows of the future were looming.
Betty Kunc February 1995
