The Life and Times of a Former Bartonian!

Patrick Harrison.

I lived in Barton on the Heath on three separate occasions, spanning a period of 47 years.  The first time we moved there was 1951, the second time was 1959 and the third time was 1961 and I remained there then for 37years.

I was 12 years old when I first moved to Barton, my father was a gardener and worked for Doctor Cathie at Barton house. We were a large family; I then had 3 brothers and 3 sisters.

At first we went to school at Great Wolford but after a time we were transferred to Long Compton school, both were village schools as Shipston School had not yet been built.

I left school at Easter in 1964 and started working on the farm for doctor Cathie and then, when Ankerdines started laying the water mains, I went to work for them as a tea boy earning more money.

 We then moved away to Abergavenny and 2 years later we moved back to Barton, after Mrs. Cathie wrote to my father asking him to go back.

I started working for Bob Gayden at Shirley farm and worked there for 3 years, and then we moved away again.

 I joined the Army but unfortunately damaged my knee and had a medical discharge.

 I then went to live with my brother at Bourton on the Hill.

 One day I saw two men from Barton who I had known previously. They were Harry Westbury and Bill Crook, they told me that Berkley Hicks has taken over Alf Randles land and might want a farm worker.

 I biked over to Barton on a Friday afternoon and saw Berkley in his car along the Barton road, he said I if would visit him the following day he would discuss employing me. I went the next day and he said if I would like the job I could live in, and start working for him. That was the start of 37 years in his employment and later for his son Edward.

 As I said, I lived in at first, three years to be exact.

 Then I met my wife and moved into a caravan in the orchard.

The estate built a house for us down Little Compton lane, we moved in and had our family of 5 girls and a boy.

 We joined in the village life helping at fetes etc.

 My speciality was something called the human juke box, this was a large cardboard box (later made of ply wood) in which I would sit and sing selected songs. People even now remember me doing it.

 I served on the Parish Council for quite a number of years, also the Old School room committee and was the representative of Barton on the Board of Governors at Long Compton School.

 Unfortunately my working years were cut short at the age of 58 because of recurring back problems and we had to move to Long Compton.

There have been many changes in Barton since I first lived there.

The then Council houses had just been started and there were no new houses until our house was built in 1964.

 Now most of Doctor Cathie’s workman cottages have been turned into mini mansions, also Leys farm house and Mrs Smith’s old cottage.

 There were 6 working farms when I first came and when I left there were only 2, they were Mr Gayden’s, Alf Randle’s the Whitfield’s, Les Hawes, Doctor Cathie’s and Berkley Hicks, only the last two remain.

There used to be a Post Office and a village shop, but not anymore.

 All in all I enjoyed most of my life in Barton and still have many fond memories of it.