Happy memories of Barnett’s farm
“MY MUM and dad and his brothers all used to work on Barnett’s farm.”
Richard Bradley-Stevenson, 75, from Flaxland Crescent in Sileby said that his mum Sarah Annie BradleyStevenson, dad, George William Bradley-Stevenson, and his brothers Arthur and Wilf all worked on Barnett’s farm in Thorpe Acre, and that his dad worked on the farm for 32 years.
His dad was the stock man on the farm and would look after all the ani- mals, and his two brothers used to work the horses, before they had machines.
Richard himself had many memories of the farm including helping his mum on the milk round from the farm into Knightthorpe and the surrounding streets including Carrington Street, Dean Street and Albany Street.
Richard was brought up in The Old Farm House, at 19 Thorpe-Acre, and he said that the house was orignally the first farm house in the village.
He said that when Wilfred Barnett - who used to run the farm - went on holiday with his family to their caravan in Anderby Creek, Lincolnshire that himself and his mum and dad would live in the farm house and would look after the farm.
He said: “I remember pumping the lever in the little out-house to fill the boiler up so that the house had heating.
“It was fantastic I used to love it when I lived in Thorpe Acre.
“I used to love that old farm house, it was brilliant and I had some wonderful times there.
“I remember that at the old house we used to have swallows that would nest just outside of my bedroom every year.
“One year the swallows got into my bedroom because I had left my window open, so they just nested in there for two weeks, and then when the weather got a bit warmer I woke up one morning and shouted to my mum - ‘Mum the swallows have gone’ and I was just so relieved because they had left.”
• Do you remember Barnett’s farm? Or do you know any of the BradleyStevenson’s?
Maybe you used to live in ThorpeAcre and knew them all?
If so please contact Liam Coleman on 01509 635806 or email liam.coleman@trinitymirror.com