THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — these Findon Chronicles are created by Valerie Martin and contain scenes from her home village of Findon,
West Sussex, U.K.    Everyday stories about real people.

MORE ON SHEP AND JOHNNIE

During the past years I have often thought to myself that I must have got to the end of Findon's history.   Then quite unexpectedly something like Maurice's email arrives on my computer screen.  My imagination runs riot and I clearly see Findon of yesteryear..... and I sit up and pay attention and learn a great deal more of the village and its past..

 

SHEPHERDS OF FINDON

My name is Maurice Larsen. Shep Norgate was my Grandfather. My mother , being the youngest of his 12 children."

I spent most of my school holidays with my Grand parents, most of the time with Grandad on the farm.

I can remember the first day that Johnnie showed what he could do. It was on the Gallops. Grandad hadn't had the dog long,he gave him his command and he was gone. The Gallops was a big area. I think Grandad was a bit worried for a few minutes as he couldn't see Johnnie, but he soon saw the dog driving the sheep towards him. The dogs real name was Rover.I don't know why he was called Johnnie but Grandad said he was the best dog he had ever had.

Johnnie had a "thing" about guns, if Grandad was using one, it was ok,but if anyone else was using one, he would run a mile.I was quite proud of the fact that after Grandad had a stroke, he trusted me to take Johnnie for a walk without a lead, something he wouldn't let anyone else do.

Before Gran & Grandad lived at Rogers Farm, they lived at North End, but I'm afraid I don't remember much about that time.

I spent many happy hours with Grandad on the farm. Moving sheep in those days was done mostly by driving them. The farm rented some land at the edge of Findon Valley. We had to move the sheep to High Salvington, which meant driving them through a housing estate & for quite a distance, up the start of the Findon bypass. Grandad, myself & one other person with Johnnie managed it successfully. Can you imagine doing that today.

When Gran & Grandad moved into the Wattle House there was no electricity & so we used oil lamps. (Electricity was laid on while they lived there). I can't remember how Gran did the cooking.

Their neighbours at the Wattle House were Mr & Mrs Wakham,who moved to Homewood & continued to live next door to Gran & Grandad when they moved there later.

Gran & Grandad also lived at the Kennels for a short time.

Lambing time didn't coinside with school holidays very often,but during the summer school holidays I spent many happy hours with Grandad on the Downs around Findon. Grandad would often leave the house at 5am returning home in the early evening.

Derek Bushrod mentions lambs tails. In those days they didn't have rubber rings to make the lambs tails fall off. Hot irons, which were basically a flat piece of metal with a handle which were put in a fire until they were red hot. It was my job to keep the fire going so they had a constant supply of hot irons. The male lambs were casterated at the same time. Grandad would take some of the plump tails home so that Gran could make lambs tail pie.

Findon Sheep Fair was the highlight of the year. When Gran & Grandad lived at the Wattle House, they had an outside toilet. They put a jar with a penny in it outside the door and were amazed when people used the toilet they put a penny in the jar.

Grandad couldn't drive, but when it came to hay or straw cart, he sat in the driving seat and the tractor was put into its lowest gear and Grandad steered it to the stacks of hay or straw. The other men on the farm loaded the tractor with pitch forks.

There were lots of rabbits around in those days, and Johnnie was quite a dab hand at catching them. Rabbit pie was often on the menu.

You mention Tom Humphreys, he was a good friend of Grandads. When they moved to Homewood, their back gardens met. They would often go on walks together.

When they lived in the Wattle House, they had no garden, so Grandad rented an allotment about half a mile away. He & Gran won many prizes at the flower show each year, and held in the village hall.When they moved to Homewood, the allotment was to far to go, he rented another one by the village hall. Sadly he had a number of strokes and couldn't get about very well.

The farm was well staffed in those days. Mr Wills was the manager. The farm was owned by a Mr Langmead of Chichester.

Harley, Mr Wills son, worked on the farm as did my cousin Jack. There was also Ted Budd & I think , his Father. Tom Prior was sadly killed in an accident while ploughing on Black Patch. I remember Derek Bushrod, although I doubt he remembers me.

Gran & Grandad had a son who sadly died when he was only 6 years old. His name was Maurice,I was named after him.He is laid to rest in the old church yard by the back wall.

Gran & Grandad are buried in the cemetery by the bypass."

 

I thanked Maurice for the reminiscences and supposed it was too much to hope that he had any photographs of his grandfather .... or of the famous Johnnie — to illustrate this page?

Continue if you would like to see the  Norgate Family Photographs

 

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THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.

 

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Do let me know of anything you hear about Findon - not too controversial.   Please note that opinions expressed in the Findon Chronicles are not necessarily reflective of my own thoughts.... but sometimes they are!