From Milford Jeeps

In 1921 my family and I move to Berry Cottage, exchanging homes with Gordon Spackman's family. My father was a painter and decorator, and a water engineer, running the water pumping in Station Rd and the Fen drainage in Earith Rd and we needed larger...

In 1921 my family and I move to Berry Cottage, exchanging homes with Gordon Spackman's family. My father was a painter and decorator, and a water engineer, running the water pumping in Station Rd and the Fen drainage in Earith Rd and we needed larger premises.
The lean-to on the side of the house was a dairy used by Mr. William Norman who moved to the Acacias in Long Lane. The building on the right was built appox 1924 as a shop. The front railings were requisitioned in 1940 for the war effort. Many villages lost their railings but many were never used as they were made of the wrong metal.
The car, previously owned by Sir Frederick Hyam, was a 12HP Humber. One luxury it had was a screen for the rear seat. One of the downsides was that it had no driver's door, the reason being that the petrol can and spare wheel were attached to the running board. The vehicle had no self-starter (it had to be hand cranked) and the screen wiper was hand operated. It was the first car in the village to tow a trailer. In 1932 the car was sold to Alan Bloom of Oakington, later of Bressignham Steam Museum. Note that, at that time, there were no curbs or footpaths.

Posted by Old Will on Sun 07 Oct 2012 08:11:24 UTC

Berrycroft. Milford and Roland Jeeps outside the house where they lived ~ taken approximately 1930

Posted by evening_meeting on Sat 12 Mar 2005 21:46:31 UTC

Viewed the right way round this is clearly, as I suggested Berry Cottage (the name is on the stone in the middle of the front wall) with the original Berrycroft Stores shop to the right. The lean to against the side of the house was later extended...

Viewed the right way round this is clearly, as I suggested Berry Cottage (the name is on the stone in the middle of the front wall) with the original Berrycroft Stores shop to the right. The lean to against the side of the house was later extended forward and joined to the back of the shop with a connecting door. When the new shop was opened on the other side of the yard it became the workshop.

Posted by Christopher Rule on Sun 16 Jan 2005 22:44:38 UTC