Taking Fruit

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Record Number: 12.100

Record Type: Audio

Caption:

This aerial photograph of the hospital (c1920s) shows the gardens and orchard on the south side of the institution (Ref No. 12.15a)

Summary:

Residents Taking Fruit

Recorded at a Lancaster College of Adult Education reminiscence group on March 25th 1988 Frank Cochrane (with James Leach) describes how he and other residents took advantage of the fruits of the hospital orchard.

Frank: Where the gym is now it used to be a big orchard. There was apples, pears, plums. And we give ‘em plums all right!
James: Aye we did.
Frank: We’ve been copped a few times.
NI: What used to happen? What used to happen Frank when you got caught?
Frank: Oh we got a belting… Pillow cases, we used to fill pillow cases.
NI: Did you?
Frank: Oh aye, enough to last us.
NI: So how did you hide them Frank? … A pillow case full of fruit is a bit difficult to hide. Where did you hide the fruit?
Frank: Oh all over. Sometimes Winmarleigh bushes… Oh we’ve been beggars you know.
James: Aye we have.
NI: When we went to Winmarleigh you talked about having mushrooms up there as well didn’t you?
Frank: Aye used to grow mushrooms at back of the garage there. Know where garage is? There’s a bit of a garage there at back
James: Where they keep van.
Frank: Where they keep van and that, fire carts.
James: Fire carts – they keep fire carts in there. Near the steps isn’t it?
NI: … This fruit that you’d taken did, did you share that with other people or –
Frank: Share it round – wards. Go round w --- (laughs)
NI: Did you used to go round wards with it?!…… Was it given away or sold?
Frank: Tuppence an apple. A penny a pear! (Laughs)

Notes:

Keywords:

Orchards            Food            Making Money             Male            1940s 

Aerial Photograph