One of our early Watercress bunchers Early one Saturday morning we bumped into Pat at St James’ church, Shere, where she is often found flower arranging, a great passion of hers, having competed at both Hampton Court and Chelsea Flower Shows acheiving gold medals. However Pat seemed more excited that we were from Kingfisher. “Oh, I used to bunch watercress!!!” she exclaimed with real joy. So to our delight, Pat agreed to share her story. Pat and her great friend Janet were 16 year old pupils at Guildford High School. Their goal was to earn enough money to go on a school trip. They had two years to earn £60 for their amazing experience, a 20 day Educational Cruise with British India leaving South Hampton dock to visit Egypt, Morocco, Greece and Portugal. Easter school holidays 1964, Pat and Janet’s first culture shock was standing in a cold bunching shed (the old barn style building you drive past at our entrance), swamped in black oilskin aprons bunching watercress next to Mrs Rawlings (our butcher’s grandmother), rubber bands cutting their hands and Mr Tom Claydon rejecting some of their bunches for size!!!! She was paid halfpence for every 24 bunches, which was chalked up on a board. “It was great fun” working outside in the summer months, raking down the watercress beds, cleaning them in preparation for resowing. Or was the fun bit attracting the attention of the many army lorries that use to drive through the village. The two girls would wave madly to draw their attention so that they would receive a toot from the army lorries!!! They would sometimes cycle to the watercress beds at Ford, Albury or be given a lift in the back of the work pick up to spend an afternoon working at Post Ford. For Pat it seemed a great way to acquire a healthy tan and keep fit! When there was not work to be done on the watercress beds, Charlie Bone and Roy Godfrey had the girls pricking out plants in the greenhouses at Abinger, acquiring more horticultural knowledge. ”Did you eat watercress?” Pat enthused “Oh yes, Mum would either make a salad with watercress or we had watercress sandwiches”. Pat took a walk round the small area of watercress we grow today. Her memories are of the whole site being watercress beds. We discussed the completion watercress has for the salad plate and why watercress isn’t always at the top of everyones shopping list. But we can’t argue with Pat….. “ahh, but Watercress is still the best!” Thank you Pat for wandering down memory lane with Barrie and Marion.
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