Information taken from HARGRAVE - A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE.
May 2004

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Mr. and Mrs. Frank Morley were both born in Hargrave and having always lived in the village, are our longest residents. Mrs. Morley has lived most of her life in what is now the Old Post Office. She vividly remembers laying in bed and the house moving in the wind, and those dark evenings when mother insisted that two children were to go together to the outside toilet so that one held the candle out side trying to ensure it did not go out, and imploring the sibling inside to hurry up! A more cosy story is of the house brick warmed in the black leaded kitchen range, and wrapped in newspaper to take to bed, although if mother had been baking the brick would be so hot it would scorch the newspaper and sometimes the sheets! A favourite reminiscence is of the hand knitted vests, knickers and petticoats with crochet hems. Very pretty but how they did itch, recalls Mrs. Morley squirming at the thought, which she did also at the time, even though if she continued to fidget and scratch, she was put in the cupboard!

Mr Morley was born at Hall Farm where much of his time was spent looking after the cows on Bridge Green. He remembers an instance when distracted by playing with the ‘Hooper boys’ (sons of the rector) he allowed the cows to wander down to The Wash . When he eventually found them one had lost the tottle off its foot. This was of great concern and the vet had to be called and the cow was eventually destroyed, but to the wonder of the schoolboy there were no personal repercussions! Although Mr. Morley described his father as authoritarian, he maintained that there was only one occasion when he as physically punished. when he was five. He was sent to Jarmans Meadow , (in Church Lane owned by ‘The Poor of Depden’, as referred to on the plaque in the Church) to fetch the cows for milking. He dawdled and played with ‘The Hooper Boys, then realizing how late it was getting, he used a hide whip to run them home hard, back to Hall Farm. Elder brother Henry warned him to hide the whip but one look at the cows losing their milk and Farmer Morley was aware of the cause, and the miscreant was taken into the sitting room, bent over a chair and soundly spanked.

Life was not all work however. Mrs. Morley remembers playing with kites made by her father on Bank Holiday, and Moonlight skating on Green Farm Pond. Please note that this was after it had been tested by her father Mr. Pask who was rather a rotund gentleman! There were games of Tiddlywinks and Pounce - a very noisy form of Sevens it seems, Knitting, and French knitting utilizing a wooden cotton reel. Cards and sewing pastimes, never allowed on Sundays, which was strictly kept as a quiet day for self improvement. Mr. Morley remembers being stopped from reading the Free Press by his father who assured him he had something better than that, and presented him with the ‘Works of William Shakespeare.’ It was expected that they would go to church Morning and evening as well as Sunday School. Mr. Morley remembers when his brother John was in the garden and was asked by his father,
“Are you going to chapel John?”
“I hadn’t thought about that dad”.
“Don’t think, come.”

Thrifty ways were encouraged. Whilst still attending Hargrave School Mrs. Morley earned two pence a week pocket money, collecting meat orders and recording them in a little book,. these were delivered by her father who was a carrier as well as running the shop. On a particular occasion. there were some fancies in the shop which had been bought in by her father. Mrs. Morley really ‘fancied ‘ one and was eagerly looking forward to spending her pocket money on one of them at the end of the week, but this was not allowed. Her father insisted that only one penny was to be spent and the other saved! While Mr. Morley attended the county school,  the boys were given eight pence each every Wednesday, for fish and chips. One particular Wednesday, Frank had two shillings and sixpence and bought fish and chips for himself. That evening his mother asked  to whom she owed money. Benjamin claimed his eight pence but Frank claimed two-and-six. An argument ensued and eventually Frank admitted claiming more than his due to which Mr. Morley senior observed,
“That won’t do for Benjamin”!

There were many celebrations of special occasions such as the Jubilee of King George v when there were sports and tea in the Village Hall. later on the Jubilee of Elizabeth 11  there was a barbecue, red, white and blue road markings! and an Old Time Music Hall , including Mr. Morley’s rendition of  the ‘Man who broke the Bank at Monte Carlo’. There has been a tradition of Children’s Christmas parties with tree and presents and even a reindeer looking rather like a cow with antlers. A quoits team used to play in front of the Village Hall, Men’s Club, Girl Guides, Whist Drives, Dances and Discos, Fetes, Concerts, Gymkhanas. The Village Hall was started from contributions of a penny a week, and has been through modernising  beyond the stage when thirty years ago, it had a coal fire, the tap was the opposite side of the kitchen from the sink, and outside toilets with the refinement of a rope to hold onto instead of a lock!

They remember black leading the fireplace, carting water from the pond for washing, and bathing in front of the fire in a tin bath.. A rueful observation about the advent of electricity was that the warmth from the oil lamps was much missed, but there is no doubt that the most appreciated modern luxury is the all embracing warmth of central heating.

Mr. and Mrs. Morley summed up their feelings in there own way-;
“We would like to say that we have been very happy living all our lives in Hargrave and  thank all those who had supported us during our time in the Post Office and General Stores, also those who have been so kind to us during our eighteen years of retirement”.
 
Mrs Nene Morley sadly died on 11th November 2006 aged 87.