10 / 24
10
VILLAGE NEWS
‘Old Man Violet’
Violet is not a name one associates with the male gender but this was a
moniker bequeathed by village youngsters. ‘Old Man Violet’ lived with Flo
at Number 1, The Green and when not at work could be found sharing the
couch with Flo’s rag-rug dog.
The confusion was borne of Violet’s line of work and associated clothing.
Violet was a farmhand at Jim Park’s farm on Mill Road, with particular re-
sponsibility for looking after the horses. There were shire horses at the
farm well into the 60’s, with names like Beauty, Blossom and Boxer. Violet
dressed the part –working-boots, dark trousers or dungarees and a man’s
jacket, generally secured with a length of binder-twine. Her trade-mark be-
ret was mostly pulled over her roughly cropped hair. Femininity eluded Vio-
let. She considered herself one of the fellas, lugging straw and hay bales, taking a comfort stop behind the hay-
stack and employing some colourful language.
Jim was the tenant at Low Farm. The associated acres and farmhouse
were the property of The Lintons of Stirtloe House. As a consequence,
there were times when Violet was called upon to assist with the 7 acres
of lawns, flower beds, greenhouses and kitchen gardens. She took to
this work with enthusiasm but her energetic approach mucked up the
quiet ebb and flow of the regular gardeners’ normal routines and they
were not inclined to embrace this good-heartedly.
When Flo took her annual holiday, visiting her sister in Sharnbrook, Vio-
let was left in charge of the shop. She had little tolerance for indecision
and found youngsters particularly trying! They were inclined to turn up in
a gang, following a raid on their Mums’ pantries. The empty spring-top bottles (from Corona and Tizer
and the like) were worth 1d each on return and could thus be converted to sweet
treats! With Violet at the helm the sweets were perfunctorily grabbed and bagged.
Violet’s hands were no better than Flo’s. If anything, they were several shades worse!
On retiring she lived out her final years in the quiet sanctuary of the South’s Alms-
houses. It was not until her later years that the village witnessed Violet in a skirt! She
would sit on the old wooden curtilage seat, with its overhead shelter, and watch the
world go by. From this vantage point she could engage in a quick exchange of news
and views with passers-by, while reserving a string of sparkling expletives, for those
she felt less warm towards!
She died in 1972, and is buried in an unmarked grave in the cemetery. Here nature
kindly compensates for the lack of a memorial tablet. The overhead boughs scatter
petals in spring, white in colour like Beauty and Blossom. In the autumn, spikey cases
tumble down and burst open, revealing glossy chestnuts, the colour of Boxer.
AMB
Second in a series of articles—products of shared content with contributions from Bob
Baxter, Shirley Brown, Belle Burke, Betty Gale, Jane Page, Joan Parren, Tommy Rich-
ardson and Brian Riseley
Violet with Beauty & Blossom
Violet at work
Violet at Hunts End, looking
towards Bakers Lane
Stay well this winter
In the past year as many of one in four residents in Cambridgeshire visited A&E when they could have used an
alternative service or looked after themselves at home.
Each visit to A&E costs the local NHS £87, and that’s before any treatment is given. When you look at the figures,
this costs the local NHS over £4million a year. In turn this is the equivalent cost of 677 hip replacements, or 287
liver transplants or 115 more dementia nurses. Using A&E when you don’t need to can also have a knock-on ef-
fect to the rest of the hospital, as busy A&E departments resulted in 500 cancelled operations and procedures
because a bed was no longer available, and longer waiting and referral times.
But you can help
Stay healthy – get a flu vaccination if you are eligible
Look after others – check on elderly friends, relatives and neighbours especially in spells of cold weather,
help them to keep warm and have the medication they might need
Be prepared – get your prescriptions in early before the holidays and see your pharmacist or GP for any
issues you might be putting off
Choose the right service – your local pharmacy can provide confidential, expert advice and treatment for a
range of common illnesses and complaints, without having to wait for a GP appointment.
For help with finding local NHS services visit http://www.cambsandpeterboroughchoosewell.co.uk/