Pauline reflects on a fascinating Story Cafe, inspired by Dorothy’s family history….
Wendy welcomed everyone to this Story Cafe which was led by Dorothy who opened the session by explaining that her husband’s mother had been a Land Girl and this had sparked her interest in the Scottish Women’s Land Army (SWLA). First founded during the World War 1 and reformed in 1939, it was not disbanded until 1952.
Catherine Biddulph, her husband’s mother, was only 15 when she joined the WLA in 1946 and her first placement was not a good experience but her second farm near Elgin was much better and she kept in touch with that family. She told her daughters many stories of her time in the SWLA including trying to milk the bull and having to tie string around the bottom of her trousers to stop rats running up her legs! Catherine’s first husband died young but her second marriage was long and happy with 11 children. She died two years ago.
Our extracts today were both from Scotland’s Land Girls: breeches, bombers and backaches, edited by Elaine M Edwards. Dorothy read from the story of Margaret Watson, who joined in 1948 and worked on a farm at Crawfordjohn. She was treated as one of the family but it took her a while to get used to paraffin lamps!
In the break we spoke about how, despite the hard work, it must have been liberating for young women experiencing such a different lifestyle from their often sheltered upbringing. We talked of all the jobs they would be expected to undertake and the skills they had to learn, including driving tractors, field work and milking cows. Suneetha told us that her mother-in-law had two cows that she learned to milk. First she had to apply oil to her hands, crouch and start milking. She found it a good learning experience.
Wendy then read Elizabeth C Lowe’s story. Betty came from a farming background and in 1939, eager to go back to it, joined up going to a large dairy farm near Perth. In 1940 she was one of four land girls chosen to represent Scotland at a rally in London where they were to meet the Queen. Her letter to her mother shows what an experience this was to a young woman who had never been out of Scotland!
We finished with two poems, No Medals Will be Won by Hilda Gibson, which Hilda wrote to mark when the Women’s Land Army and the Women’s Timber Corps were recognised by the presentation of a special badge in 2007, and The Land Girl’s Day by Dorothy Allen. A memorial to the Timber Corps was installed at Queen Elizabeth Forest Park in Aberfoyle in 2007 and a memorial to the SWLA by sculptor Peter Naylor was unveiled by Prince Charles in 2012.
Our learner Catherine-Anne was inspired to write this beautiful poem about the Women’s Land Army…
The Land Girls Poem by Catherine-Anne Healy
They had hoped to become independent,
While getting straight into working on the farm.
Farms across the UK called out for help.
And help came.
They were always bubbly, cracking jokes and smiling,
Somewhat smart.
They were good grafters and after a hard day’s labour,
Some drew and some wrote for newspapers.
The farm owners called the ladies….
The Land Girls.
They stayed for various amounts of time.
Some getting numerous awards for their dedication.
Some got on well with the farm owners,
And they continued to work on the farms after the war.
With a new life.
Scotland’s Land Girls: breeches, bombers and backaches edited by Elaine M Edwards and A Land Girl’s Tale by Mona MacLeod are both in stock at GWL
Our next Story Cafe is on the 27th June, when we’ll be travelling the world by train, through the pages of Monisha Rajesh’s adventurous book. Come and join us!
