A new series in your Parish magazine: memories of growing up locally from senior residents
What date and where were you born? I was born in Stamford Hospital on the 12th June 1946

What close family did you have growing up?

My Father &Mother were Fred & Mary Crowson and I have one older brother Allan, who now lives in West Deeping.

What are your earliest childhood memories in Barnack?

My mother and father moved to Barnack in 1943 and I grew up in Rock Cottage where Allan and I lived until I got married in 1968 and Allan in 1972. Some of my earliest memories are of starting school at what is now the village hall. I clearly remember the day that we all walked in line to the new school when I was 5 years old. This was very exciting and convenient for me because I could just climb over our garden wall to get to school from then onwards.

We enjoyed a happy family life in Rock Cottage, which was only three rooms downstairs and two up in those days. We effectively lived in one family room with a table and chairs, sofa, piano and an open cooking range.

We would have to use a tin bath in front of the range, which is now difficult to imagine in such a small room. We had to walk down the garden to the outside toilet, which would be emptied once a week by Mr Gutteridge and what was known as the lavender cart, which was pulled by his pony.

We had no electricity other than a supply of what were called accumulators (batteries), which would be exchanged each week by Mr Ingram from Curry’s of Stamford. These would power the radio, as we didn’t have a television for many more years to come.

What were your favourite places to go/hobbies as a child in Barnack?

Most of us would meet up to play at the school field, youth club, or the Hills and Holes. This was completely open to us with no restrictions that we have now. The grass got quite long in summer and it was great for sliding down the hills on cardboard like toboggans. We would also fly kites and play hide and seek.

We used to play hide and seek in Kingsley House when it was abandoned for many years although we were a bit scared as it was supposed to be haunted by someone known as Button Cap. The garden still had some Nissen Huts in the grounds that were lived in by families until they were moved to new council houses built on Uffington Road.

The cricket pitch and pavilion were also just north of the Rectory. We used to look forward to the flower show at the school followed by a dance with a band. Garden Fetes particularly in Close House garden were always nice. We were a church going family as many families used to be and I was in the choir for a while until I was offered the job of pumping the bellows of the church organ for which I was paid! However I was made redundant with the installation of an electrical motor, no doubt more consistent than me.

Where did your family get their food supplies?

We kept pigs and periodically the slaughter man would come round to kill one for ourselves and the other pigs would be sold at Stamford market. I used to go out on that day as it wasn’t very nice but we had a lesson in where our food comes from. The pig would be butchered and put in a salting trough this would last for many months. Mother would also make large pork pies, braun and sausages. Mrs Tipping next door would also make black pudding, which certainly didn’t appeal to me.

We grew our own vegetables, kept chickens and had many deliveries to our door:
the cake man, the Corona man (who certainly wouldn’t be welcome now!) and Harrison & Dunn, the milk man, fish man (on Fridays) and a fish & chips van would stop at our door.

There were 4 Shops including Hammonds in the Square, Wrights post office and Mannings & Reedman’s in Main St. I also remember the butchers, the bakers, the farrier, the glazier, the carpenter, stonemason, the blacksmith, the petrol station and three farms.

Which pubs can you remember in Barnack?

The Pubs were the New Inn, the Red Lion (where I had my first pint), the Fox and the Millstone, which was the largest and was very popular for parties in the attic bar.

Memories as a teenager

My most distinct memory is from early one winter evening when I was 16, in 1962, and on my little BSA Bantam motorcycle. I was getting some petrol from our petrol station, which was nearly opposite to where I now live and while I was trying to pay Mr Colson for the petrol, we couldn’t hear each other because of the thunderous noise from an airplane and then there was silence before a massive explosion. I looked very apprehensively round the corner of the house and into the paddock opposite to my house and realised that this massive Victor Bomber had crashed right next to us. It’s remarkable to think that the plane didn’t take us out and unbelievable to see how it could fit into that small paddock. Sadly six brave airmen lost their lives in the inferno in front of me. One airman had managed to parachute out over the hills and holes but died some years later as a result of his injuries. I particularly remember seeing sheep on fire and feeling helpless to assist.

Where was your first job? Our options in those days were working outside or inside which meant farm/ building or factory. Ironically I chose factory and my first job straight out of school was an apprenticeship at Blackstone Engineering. I would bike to work and my wages came to the princely sum of £2. 6 and a penny a week but at least we could all get a job.

How did your life develop from there?

After about a year I was fortunate to be introduced to Ewan Brown who asked me if I would work with him at his brother Neal’s building business, based in Spalding. I was pleased to accept the offer as I had decided that I didn’t much like working inside and working outside with a friend for £5 per week sounded a much better option. I worked with Ewan for 4 years. During this time I had the good fortune to meet Marion who was helping her uncle behind the bar of his pub in West Deeping called the George & Dragon. We were only 17 then and never looked back.

We got married in Barnack Church 5 years later and spent our first year together in Southorpe. One year on in 1969 we managed to buy Cherry Tree Cottage in Barnack, which I was working on as my first project as a self employed builder. I bought it for £1,750 it seemed over-priced by £50 but I did the deal! We spent 10 very happy years there and started our family with Nicholas now 47 and Julia now 44. I continued building many houses and industrial buildings in the area for the next 30 years.

One of my building projects was the development of Station Farm where I built three houses out of reclaimed stone in 1978. We sold two and I moved into the one called Manor Stone House because I used the stone from the remainder of the old Manor House behind the church.

I also set up a stone masonry business and quarrying with a partner about 25 years ago and is called Stamford Stone Company. We went on to produce the vast majority of the building stone in this area including most of the new natural stone houses in Barnack. While I have retired from this company, we are still involved in quarrying and some property development so I don’t ever imagine I will really retire or want to.

What are your favourite things about Barnack?

I have very much enjoyed my time in this lovely pretty village, which has lots to offer even though many of the businesses are now closed. Barnack being so conveniently close to Stamford is one of it’s many assets.

My favourite time is spent with my family, friends, walking and playing tennis.
I do consider myself very fortunate to have lived in Barnack all of these years and wouldn’t have wished to spend my time anywhere else