NextBackThe neighbouring farm which backed on to Harpers, was run by Norman English and his wife Mary. The farmhouse with several cowsheds was situated around a rough cobbled yard. The farmhouse still exists albeit having survived several improvements and modernisations, and at least one of the buildings cow sheds has survived having suffered a modern Barn Conversion.
Access to the farm was via a rutted track off Green lane past a huge oak tree which he told us kids was used by Robin Hood. To the left at the entrance to the farm was the Duck Pond, covered in green pond weed and the home of a motley flock of smelly ducks. Farm cider was always made using this pond water as it gave the cider body, a piece of meat was usually also added to aid the fermentation in the case of a dead rat not having fallen in and drowned! Mary used to drive the blue Hillman van on her egg round, making deliveries around the locality. She was friendly with my mother. One of her sons, David, went to Oswestry School as a boarder, as did my older brother. Norman milked a herd of Friesian cows, being black and white as opposed to Raymond's brown and white Ayrshire milkers.
