These days we are fed information daily, hourly, minute-by-minute, according to your settings and self control. News can flash around the world almost before it has happened. X, Fb, TikTok, YouTube, Rumble, Quora, Snapchat, Instagram, Telegram and WhatsApp can broadcast events with frightening speed and coverage.
Before all this modern hocus pocus, other methods were used to inform a community of forthcoming events. You could engage the village bellman - the rural equivalent of a town crier, for a small fee.
Say you wanted to announce a whist drive, jumble sale, summer fair, or even a pig sale. Well, for just a couple of shillings a village bellman would go to certain stations/places around the village where he would ring his bell and call out the announcement for you.
In a medium-sized village there could be anything up to twenty of these 'stations'. A message may have had up to a hundred words, so it could take quite a while to complete the circuit. Back in 1963, a Lincolnshire bellman charged 2/6 (12.5p), which wasn't a great deal, even in those days.
The bellman I have been reading about was also worked as a road sweeper. He thoroughly enjoyed both jobs and only retired due to advancing years and ill health. While he happily handed back his shovel and broom, he was rather more anxious to hang on to the top hat he wore when making the announcements.
The bellman tried hard to find someone to take his place but no one was interested.
He put it down to the fact that young people could make more in an hour than he could in a week as a bellman.
Everywhere is coming to life in Owl Wood, so we have been working hard to complete our work. I reckon we need to do another couple of days work out there, then all will be as it should be and the cow parsley and wild flowers will take over.
Some of the tracks have had fresh chippings applied, a few are still waiting.
Some are grassy, so they will be left to do their own thing.
I hear you! And I can see why it is a labour of love. How wonderful to wander those paths amongst the wild garlic, hearing the ruffle of owl wings in their little tree house, watching snuffling hedge hogs, hearing Toad as he ventures through woodland trails to visit Mole.
ReplyDeleteYou've done a magnificent job
As I type this, Linda, I can hear the owls calling to one another in the darkness of the night. It is good to know they are around and about even though they haven't taken up residence in our beautiful new owl box. When the grandchildren were little we used to tell stories about all the wonderful creatures who lived out there with the fairies. Best of all, they loved to hear about the wolves and bears who roamed around...children do like a good scary story, don't they!
DeleteBeautiful place like straight out of a fairy tale! I really liked the text too🌳🍃!!
ReplyDeleteHello Katerina, We used to entertain the grandchildren with many tales of the fairies and animals who lived in the wood. We would take special picnics out there, play hide and seek and get chased by bears and wolves. It has been a big part of their childhoods.
DeleteI had heard of the Town Cryer but not the Bellman, interesting. Really enjoyed the photos of Owl Wood, a labour of love. It is lovely looking at your spring photos as we are winding down in autumn.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of a Bellman, either, Susan. The next few weeks will see the place looking really lovely, then in June it starts to look dried out and rather a mess, until autumn kicks in. Still love the place, though.
DeleteHow lucky you are to have such a place as Owl wood to roam. Beaches are lovely, but woodland captures my heart. x
ReplyDeleteIt is remarkable how such a small patch of woodland provides shelter to so much wildlife. Truly wonderful. x
DeleteI've met a town crier over in Newbury but never heard of a bellman till now.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely wouldn't need one in this tiny village, Billy!
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