Dry Drayton History - Fragments of Time: Dry Drayton in the 1900s
Life in Dry Drayton in the 1900s was very different to the life we know now. Alec Hawkes has produced a series of short videos about that era using interviews he made some time ago with several long-time residents of the village.
Hear about memorable Dry Drayton characters and snapshots of their lives. Among those, a three bedroom house with an acre of land for £350; a perilous pony and trap ride from Madingley; stories about the former pubs, post offices and shops in the village; beekeeping; the village in the war years; leaving school at 14; working on local farms; the digging of village wells; electricity and mains water arriving in the village and many other anecdotes from the past.
The recollections are illustrated and brought to life in the videos with photographs and information, much of which can be found in the Local History and Family History pages on the village website. The videos are each approximately 8-10 minutes long. Episode 1 was released in February. The YouTube link is: https://youtu.be/0PJVfP-S5GQ - You can also find it at YouTube by typing: Fragments of Time Episode 1
In Episode 1 we meet John Hacker. John was one of four brothers with parents and grandparents who called Dry Drayton home for much of their lives. One brother and his family still live here. John was on the Parish Council for over 50 years and has wonderful but poignant recollections of village life.
In Episode 2 we meet Sid Martin whose parents moved to Dry Drayton when he was just 2. Sid was one of 5 siblings who grew up in the village in the early years of the 1900s. Sid became a Bee Disease Officer for much of East Anglia but kept his roots in Dry Drayton. Members of his family are still here. The Youtube link is: https://youtu.be/zA5S4iWW0MM
In Episode 3 we meet Joy Dunn and Violet Hawkes. Joy first came to the village in the war years. She produced Nativity plays in the church from the 1940s to the early 1960s. She was active with her family in the church and school and stayed connected with Dry Drayton for many years. Violet arrived at age 12 when her father became Rector of the Parish. Violet remained in the village for the rest of her 98 years. She was active in many aspects of village life and founded and ran the Country Cattery. Many of her family are still here. The Youtube link is: https://youtu.be/lTOXQxHYuTQ
Episode 4 is the second part of an interview with long time resident John Hacker. In this episode John recalls several characters from the past. The Youtubbe link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riPKoV2t7y0
Episode 5 is the second part of an interview with long time resident Sid Martin. In this episode Sid discusses life as a young man and social life in the village. Follow this link: https://youtu.be/qv7OavivUfE or type in to YouTube: Fragments of Time Episode 5.
Episode 6 is the second part of an interview with long-time residents Joy Dunn and Violet Hawkes. In this episode they recall life in the Rectory, the War Years and various characters. Follow this link: https://youtu.be/Qo7veTYa_ac or type in to YouTube: Fragments of Time Episode 6.
Episode 7 has now been uploaded to YouTube. Follow this link: https://youtu.be/A1PPuPV1VRQ or type in to YouTube: Fragments of Time Episode 7. This episode is the final part of an interview with long-time resident John Hacker in which he remembers the days of pubs and poaching and when there were many farms.
In most of the episodes we also meet another long-time resident, Bob Martin. As interviewer, Bob keeps the stories flowing and often has John and Sid chuckling.
More episodes will follow in the next few months. YouTube links for these will appear in the e news (DryDrayton.net) and on the Dry Drayton People Facebook page.