大象传媒

This story has been submitted to the 大象传媒 People鈥檚 War by a volunteer from Lincoln CSV Action Desk on behalf of Violet Parnham and added to the website with her permission. Mrs Parnham fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

My name is Violet Parnham. I was born and lived in Stockton on Tees until joining the Land Army.

When we were young we used to save up and visit the cinema whenever we could. One evening I watched with interest adverts about joining the Land Army. There and then I decided to apply. Things moved very quickly in those days. I applied and in less than a week I had an interview and was accepted.

After a few days at a holding near to Stockton I was detailed to work at Collingham in Nottinghamshire. I had to make my way to Darlington station where I was more than surprised to see several other girls all from my area, all waiting for the same train. Nine of us were going to Collingham and to the same hostel.

We all became firm friends and shared many experiences. None of us knew the first thing about farm life and the countryside. It鈥檚 a wonder I wasn鈥檛 sent home after the first mistake, the second day of being there. I was told to go along a lane and go into the third gate and let the chickens out. It wasn鈥檛 until the next day when the farmer sent for me. It was very clear then that I had let someone else鈥檚 chickens out whose owner didn鈥檛 want them let out. My farmer鈥檚 were left shut up all day and night without food and water. I think we had a few casualties. I was forgiven after a while. The thing was food was so short you couldn鈥檛 afford to waste even an egg.

I was never very keen on the animals. I suppose I was always scared of them in a way but the jobs were very varied. The farmer and his wife were very good to us girls and always sent a food parcel home with us when we visited our families.

I made many friends in the area. I married a local man and stayed here.

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