Many people these days will NOT know the name Jack Hargreaves, but when I was a wee Whipper-Snapper he was one of my great heroes.
He had a TV programme called 'Out of Town', where he sat in a garden shed, and talked about all things bucolic. It was one of those very relaxed programmes that taught you so much, without really trying.
He didn't dress-up, he sucked on an old pipe, spoke with a country drawl, and he fiddled with bits of string. He was the epitome of an easy-going countryman. Here he is driving his Horse and Trap; not unlike the one we had as children in my native Surrey village of Lingfield.
Many years later, here I am (in about 1975) outside my original Farmhouse in S W France (below), driving a very similar Horse and Trap.
The Trap was mine, but the Horse (Joe) belonged to some friends who were visiting in an old Gypsy Caravan. They were travelling from the North to the South of France; an eco-trip.
When our friends reached the South Coast of France, after SIX months on the road, they sold both Horse and Caravan. If I'd known they were going to sell, I would have made an offer.
The Caravan had been bought in Ireland, and was of the type knows as 'An Open Lot', the Horse came from London, and had been working as a Rag-n-Bone-Man's Horse. He was a Welsh Cob, and behaved perfectly.
This below is the Caravan that Joe pulled, with me and our first two small children. Jack Hargreaves would have approved!
5 comments:
The pictures above remind me of scenes from the series Little House on the Prairie, which was so popular here when my children were little.
I remember it. There was always a good moral point to every story.
A lovely picture of slow rural life. Once upon a time.......
Oh yes, that's a blast from the past. We used to watch him on our ancient black and white TV set. It was very cosy and comforting.
Didn't he used to be on the childrens programme " How" ? I loved that. Very interesting.
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