Ask yer Granny!

mardatha

Yes. The very top and the very bottom both called a spade a spade. The ones in the middle called it a garden implement and employed somebody to use one
The last village we lived in, we had a neighbour on one side who was a gamekeeper and one the other side was the local poacher. The poacher would leave his soaking wet trainers on his front doorstep just to let the gamie know that he's been out fishing during the night, it was so funny But the Lord who lived nearby would buy them both a pint in the pub.

oldtractor

I love that story Mardatha. I ould have loved to have met my grandad but he died before I was born, i did visit my nan fairly regulally but it was more a formal visit,she never taught me anything or showd me how to do anything,sadly. My grandparents on my fathers side were alive til I was about 20 but I never met them as my mum didnt like my dads family and wouldnt have anything to do with them. its all very sad when families dont get on.

meritaten

lmao mardatha! my granchers dad was a gamekeeper apparently - who wasnt above doing a bit of poaching himself! he drank too - I got the impression they came down to south wales as he lost his job - I thought it was the drink, but found out recently that around the time they came down, the mansion where he worked caught fire and burned down. wasnt rebuilt so that may be why they relocated.
and you are right - there was a strange sort of respect among poachers and gamekeepers, and the lords. it was all amicable as long as people didnt take the !!!!!!!

btw mardatha - was the salmon good?

mardatha

Well you soon get too much of a good thing

meritaten

not me - I could eat Poached Salmon for every meal and not get fed up!
a bit of rabbit and pheasant makes a nice change tho!

WeegieWumman

meritaten wrote: »

not me - I could eat Poached Salmon for every meal and not get fed up!
a bit of rabbit and pheasant makes a nice change tho!

All that takes me back a quite a bit. I also remember the 'poacher' coming home with the catch and having a dram or two of 'poteen'

westcoastscot

I think the classes get on so well in traditional rural communities because they have to - the rely on each other for so many things - employment, skills etc. Around here there are still communities that are mostly tied houses, earning agricultural wages - the money side is a modern decent amount but you still get a sheep each year and a salmon/christmas cake at christmas. Each appreciates the other for the time, skills and opportunities they bring to the table, each knowing they'd be pretty hard done too without the other.
Loving reading this thread, I know very little about my parents and grandparents - hoping my children and (hope to have some one day) grandchildren will feel differently about me
WCS