Farm life

There are at least fourteen farms along Simister Lane and Nutt Lane. Several are pig and poultry farms, others, such as Heyword Farm also have dairy herds.

This farm is managed by Winnie Hardy while her husband is busy helping on his parents farm a Bowlee, Winnie has to rise early to milk the cows and feed the greedy sows and piglets with the swill which smells revolting, but, which is readily slurped and slabbered over. When feeding is over they have to be mucked out for another day. Winnie has a farm lad to help, usually with the horses, but, she is busy most of the day. The farm has everything to delight the youngsters that sometimes visit in Spring when the baby ducklings are attempting to swim on the farmyard pond, see the newly hatched chicks or the calves with their mothers and the tiny piglets. Only the two geese and the ganders that patrol the yard are sometimes cause for concern.

Most farms have a milk float or horse and trap to deliver milk outside the village, i.e. Heaton Park and Prestwich. The large churn is chained to the inside of the milk float, milk is measured and delivered to the houses in pint or quart cans, where the housewife has her milk jug waiting on the trap.

When Mr Gaskell retired from his poultry farm at Mount Pleasant, a person who knew nothing about farming bought it. The villagers doubted and shook their heads! Lets hope they are wrong, only time will tell!

Village News 1935 – Campherated Dog Oil

Rumours of dogs being boiled to make dog oil have been proved true. The Arno Chemical Company is flourishing at Jones’s farm and adverts appear in the local press as follows:

Camphorated Dog Oil and Pure Dog Oil
For all chest complaints. Can be used as liniment for stiffness and muscular pain.

There is much discussion going on in the village. Where do the dogs come from??
Dog owners are keeping an eagle eye on their pet, after all, who would want their little Fido rubbed on someones chest!