"I was born in Bristol and went to Somerset before coming here.
I worked as a young man at Chawley Works (c 1923) and I lodged first in Chawley
Lane and then in the village at the 'Gardens' with George Bateman. I worked
indoors most of the time, sharpening circular saws and so on, but I went on some
outside jobs with Charles Neale - he was foreman of the timber works. Charles
Neale lived in a semi-detached brick house on the works site, opposite Chawley
Lane. Henry Hoare lived in the other half - the stable man. His horses were kept
at the farm, a dozen big cart horses, beauties, used to fetch timber.
I remember there was a big stack of tile battens, higher than this ceiling, for
sale, and I went out with Charles Neale to measure them up. There was a tramp on
the other side of the hedge, counting coppers he had laid out on his arms up to
his elbow. He looked up at the sign and he said "Ah, Chawley Works. But Tommy
don't."
There was a Johnson in the sawmill. He lived up past the Vine in the old
cottage, with the altered roof now. There was 'Happy' Allsworth who worked the
cross-cut saw. His son worked for Wiblin's, the butcher in Oxford. He came when
you wanted to slaughter and cure your pig. Charles Neale had a brother who lived
down Chawley Lane. There was a nursery down there. Mortimer had a nursery from
Dean Court to Cumnor Hill.
In the village the post office was in the white cottage in the Oxford Road. Hale
ran it. He was also the local undertaker. He came to do odd jobs at the works. I
was at Chawley Works just under a year. They cut the hours - one hour off a day,
then Saturday. Couldn't afford to live, so I left.’
Recorded by John Hanson 12 April 1991