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Nine hundred years ago, Stony Stratford was a prime site for commercial development: it had been a convenient stop-over on the Romans’ ancient Watling Street for 700 years, and was still a major route through England. In 1194 however, the town was granted a County Market Charter – only the second in the country.
It’s always been tradition that all the market towns had a live market. Our cattle were walked to Stony Stratford to the auction and then the local butchers - probably four in Stony Stratford - bought them, and had to kill them in their outbuildings. (Richard Fountaine, LAMK 2014) Eileen Rafferty’s song, written for Worker By Name, vividly sketches what Stony life was like in the early 20th century: ‘Food from your allotment is always free…’ There were fruit trees, plum trees, outside the back door where you put the ashes, there was a bush that has the white pom-poms on, then a bit further along, where the cows used to come in, there was a big cherry tree in the corner, and all along there were apple trees. Where you go down the steps to the orchard with the chickens, it was all shrubbery place, all bushes. By the kitchen window towards the front there was all nut trees… and pear and apple trees in the orchard. (Joseph Willis, LAMK 1998) ‘Early in the morning at the break of day, There’s work to be done…’ I used to go ploughing with me Dad – start in the morning after breakfast, carry on till three, then put the horses away, give ‘em their food, have your dinner, then go out and finish. You’d have two abreast and one in front to lead. I’d ride that in my school holidays, walking up and down, miles. (Joseph Willis, LAMK 1998) ‘How the children like to lark and play…’ The fields were ours, within a two mile radius of Stony Stratford… You learnt swimming when you got thrown in, but they did have a pole with a rope and a leather belt to put your arms through and someone would hold you up through the water. We’d swim from the floodgates down by the Mill, down to the Calverton Road bathing place and back. (Audrey Lambert, LAMK 1994) We’d go bird-nesting, climbing trees – see how far you could go without coming down... I was allowed to play in the fields from about four years old. (Jack Stephenson, LAMK 1994) Images and interview extracts from LAMK archive. The song is featured in the Stony Stratford Suite on the Living Archive Band’s album All That’s Changed Vol 2 (LAMK) of 2009: Stony Stratford | The Living Archive Band (bandcamp.com); the track led by Brad Bradstock starts at 3m.58s. Download is from Worker By Name 1992 led by composer Eileen Rafferty. |
Stony Stratford High Street c1910 – ‘Watling Street’
Stony Stratford Market Square c1910 with cattle pens
The Fountaine children at Calverton Manor Farm
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