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| Memories of Upchurch. |
My father collected the local pickers from The Street in his green lorry and transported them into one of four orchards that we owned at Ham Green. Wooden boxes and ladders were ready for use in the orchard as the pickers began their day. In those days fruit trees were taller requiring long ladders and the pickers used wicker picking baskets with a hook attached. The season began with Early River plums and ended with Comice pears but everyone eagerly looked forward to damson picking because filling up a basket took longer with less walking to empty. Pear picking in the tallest trees during strong winds became hazardous with both tree and ladder swaying precariously. Accidents rarely occurred but Mrs Duncalf from Oak Lane once had a nasty fall when her ladder tipped over and Cliff Wanstall from Chaffes Lane also went sprawling when his ladder snapped.
Local pickers included Lily Wanstall from Horsham Lane and Dora Mountford from Oak Lane, regulars for many years. Mr Jarman from Ham Green, although more than eighty years old, could jump a high fence wearing wellington boots while Elsie Waters from Oak Lane strapped a hot water bottle to her body in chilly weather to keep warm. Ellen Boast from The Street regularly had other pickers in fits of laughter with lively and amusing conversation while Derek Wraight from The Street became an efficient and long serving packer. The pickers, whose faces were sometimes burnt red by the sun at the end of a roasting hot working day, picked in all conditions with the exception of heavy rain and rarely complained. Many had picked fruit on local farms all their lives and were accustomed to working in orchards.
Gigantic farmer Harry Witherden sometimes peered over the fence of Sharp’s orchard in Poot Lane to have a chat. As we passed along the rough track to Bayford Field, Charles Barling and his son Philip often waved from a nearby field while resident dogs Bruce and Laddie chased us along the track barking.
In Four Acres Field, a little farther along the road, the pickers occasionally threw damaged fruit to our flock of geese that wandered around the orchard or peeked at owl chicks in the hollow trunk of an apple tree while at break time everyone sat on half bushel boxes and drank tea from flasks under the shade of the big old fruit trees.
Finally, the end of the day was signalled by Chatham Dockyard’s whistle which sounded at 4 p.m. then after a rush to finish the packing of fruit and gathering up of equipment, the pickers were transported back to the village in the old green lorry and sat under a tarpaulin to keep dry in rain. Meanwhile, Ernie Nicholls and his father usually arrived in their red lorry from Rainham to load and transport the fruit to Covent Garden market in London. With the passing of more than half a century those days seem far off as the whole nature of local fruit production and the village characters involved have disappeared for ever.
About the author:
David Wood was born and raised in Upchurch and is able to write from personal experience about many people and aspects of the village and of changes that have taken place over the years making ‘Memories of Upchurch’ a very readable book and a detailed historical study of the village. David's book ‘Memories of Upchurch’ is available direct from David on: david3702001@yahoo.co.uk price £12 + p+p £2.
David Wood was born and raised in Upchurch and is able to write from personal experience about many people and aspects of the village and of changes that have taken place over the years making ‘Memories of Upchurch’ a very readable book and a detailed historical study of the village. David's book ‘Memories of Upchurch’ is available direct from David on: david3702001@yahoo.co.uk price £12 + p+p £2.
David Wood
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