Friday
Fog this morning. Drove Robin in, then went to Ipswich with Frank Warren and Beaumont, the vet, to buy horses for the Committee. It was more or less a holiday so far as I was concerned, because there was nothing I could do of any use. It was an authorised Suffolk Sale, quite good, but people said it was not so good as the last. Prices were high as usual. Frank Warren had a mare and horse foal there. He asked Beaumont
Frank Warren bought nothing for the Committee, although he went carefully over every horse in the place. I was rather disappointed, as I had hoped we should get a couple. About 2, I went away, had a lunch, and looked round the Docks. There is no sign of any raid damage that I could see, although hundreds of bombs have fallen. All the ancient houses which I know so well are still safe.
After lunch, for the sake of a spree, I went to the Odeon Cinema, where I often went before the war, and saw two ridiculous films which at any rate made me laugh.
Then I caught a Manningtree bus, and had a glorious ride out past the “Ostrich”. I remember being driven there by poor Aunt Julia one day about 1919 or 1920, in a little tub trap she borrowed from a friend, and I have never been along that road since.
It was very pretty going along by the riverside. Several barges coming up. Went through Holbrook. The great naval college still stands unharmed. And so through Cattawade to Manningtree Station, where I got out and walked across the Park home.
A little tired, but not much.
6 comments:
" ...Holbrook. The great naval college still stands unharmed." Is EJR referring to the Royal Hospital School? I was surprised to find from Wikipedia that the school had moved from Greenwich to Holbrook only about 10 years earlier, in 1933.
Catherine
As with previous entries I was curious to the current value of the mare sold for 137 guineas.
As the first calculator I tried gave me a surprise I have used various ones - the average between them is £4234.
Showing once again the importance of horses at the time, I wonder what the budget of the council was for such purchases?
Mike Dennis
Thanks Robin, Yes, EJR is referring to the Royal Hospital School at Holbrook. Like you, I imagined it had been established at Holbrook much longer than 1933. I've added a link to the School's website now so that readers can view it from the blog. Best wishes, CP
Many thanks Mike, I wondered how these sale prices for horses would compare with today's prices.
Unfortunately, I don't have any details on the budget allowances of the War Agricultural Committees. District Committee purchases had to be approved by the Executive War Agricultural Committee at Writtle and as the money was provided by central Government the resources would have been significantly better than those available to the average farmer. The introduction of tractors and early combine harvesters by the War Agricultural Committees demonstrates that they had the budgets available to make such purchases. Best wishes, CP
Catherine
It would be interesting to know, and why there were not investing in tractors! (By the way, I didn't expect you know I was just thinking out loud!)
Regards
Mike Denni
Thanks Mike - I'd like to know more too so if anyone has any information on the budgets available to War Agricultural Committees in the Second World War, please get in touch. Thanks, CP
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