Sound Recordings, Wiltshire

Description

Ernest Packer, recorded in Ashton Keynes in July 1957; talks about his first job, driving a farm waggon at the age of ten; stable work harnessing horses; wages; thoughts on modern farming methods (ploughing); working hours; school; family and house; the vicar's role in the village; Bible meetings; summer outings with the Bible class to Portsmouth; [recording level drops]; children's games; whip and top season (Spring); Cirencester Mop Fair (October); [recording level increases]; cider making; thoughts on the olden days; cattle farming. [Tr. 3]


Unidentified male, recorded by Stanley Ellis and John Wright [location not given]; talks about foxes and badgers killing voles; mole catching - describes a mole trap; selling moleskins in 1914. [Tr. 4]


Herbert Watts, recorded in Steeple Ashton; talks about his first job on leaving school, at the Westbury Iron Works; thoughts on work and the village in the past; working with horses; buying a horse and checking its condition; carting (coal) from Radstock, using a four-wheeled waggon; reaping and mowing by hand; thoughts on modern farming; ploughing; carting and drawing manure; Blue Club spree (Whit Monday) - procession, church service and dinner; drinking and fighting; Gypsy Traveller communities; family; agricultural labourers' wages; women agricultural labourers; a fire in the village; anecdotes re. a local resident. [Tr. 5]


Unidentified male, recorded by Stanley Ellis and John Wright [location not given]; talks about drystone walling; family sizes. [Tr. 6]

Access and usage

Reproduction

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Notes on terminology and spellings

 

Please note that there may be differences in the terms used to describe the particular communities represented in this collection, many of which have changed over time and may continue to change.

 

At the time this catalogue was created there are many definitions that identify different cultural and ethnic groups with their varied histories, traditions and associations with a travelling life.

 

These can include but are not limited to  those that have been recognised in UK law as ethnic groups; English and Welsh (Romany) Gypsies, Irish and Scottish Travellers; and non-ethnic groups that consider themselves distinct even if these have not been recognised in UK law, e.g. New Travellers, Showmen and Bargees. Outside of the UK 'Gypsy' may also be considered offensive  and ‘Roma’ is often used instead as the universally preferred term although this term also represents a wide range of distinct groups, (e.g. Sinti, Manouche).

 

It is our intention to respectfully and (where possible) accurately refer to these different communities in the catalogue. For this reason we ask you to note the following with regards to the descriptions in this catalogue that have been based on these current definitions:

 

1)  As many of these definitions have only come into being since the collection was created/1st catalogued, please be aware that original descriptions may not accurately reflect the group to which it refers, (e.g. the word 'Gypsy,' may have been used to describe those now recognised as Irish Travellers/Roma).  Therefore it is worth searching under various terms, e.g. 'Romany' and 'Traveller,' to broaden the scope of search results as well as using the alternative historical spellings, 'Gipsy,' 'Gipsie,' or ‘Romani.’

2) Where no original description exists and it is not possible to properly identify a distinct group they will be described as "Gypsy Traveller" (within UK setting), "Roma" for those living/recently originating outside the UK or "Gypsy, Traveller, Roma " for origin/locations unknown. References to any non - ethnic groups will similarly be capitalised to respectfully acknowledge all groups.

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Physical and technical conditions

19cm/sec. Recordings affected by print-through [pre-echo audible].

Related material

Ernest Packer, of Ashton Keynes, is also recorded on tapes LAVC/SRE/A795r -797r. Herbert Watts, of Steeple Ashton, is also recorded on tape LAVC/SRE/A800r.

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