History of Farming in Norton

[jbmsc]

The Norton Ploughing Association have an event on Saturday, September 17th at the Norton House Country Club. This will include an exhibition by the Norton History Group "History of Farming in Norton". If anyone has any information of material (particulary photographs) to contribute we would be glad to see it. Or come along and share your memories of the many farms in the ancient parish of Norton.

 

Phil Shaddock

philshaddock@tiscali.co.uk

[SHSheffield]

It's probably not strictly-speaking Norton, but Enid Bailey's book Not Pretty, But Pleasant was a great read about her family farm on City Road before the war:

 

With credit to Amazon,

"So vivid was my mother's story-telling that, in my imagination, I became the child who ran daily from the dairy to the farmhouse. I was the one lifted onto the enormous Shirehorse. When, during my childhood the high farm gates were locked and the farmyard hidden from view the scenes my mother described continued inside my head. Surely, in the dusty cowshed the cows still stood patiently and Grandad was milking.

 

If I could tiptoe in, no matter how quietly, a jet of milk would catch me in the eye and I would hear him chuckle. Even today, far from Deep Pits, I still follow in her footsteps, smelling the shoe leather in the workshop, hearing the pigs crunching coal or helping with the haymaking. In my mind's eye a little girl still runs to school, clattering her battledore against the railings. But it is not only my mother's story. It is the story of the Sheffield people, of their courage and humour as they endured two World Wars. And yes! The dairy still stands. Sadly the shining churns and the home made ice cream have vanished. Deep Pits Dairy is a shop now."

 

I had the pleasure of hearing Enid read excerpts from her book at a Friends of Manor Lodge meeting in April.