The butcher had a horse and cart for his deliveries. One day when a group of us children were watching, the old horse dropped dead in his traces. It was horrible really but it made the day for us kids. What a thing to see.
Every Friday, the butcher Mr Fryer, would drive one of his steers from his field, which is where the Glen is now, down to his slaughter house down the lane behind the Pinings. That was fun to watch! Eileen Smith nee Lansdowne b 1921
Mills yard where slaughterhouse and bakehouse were located Photo. M. Scott
Sid Kelleway had his slaughterhouse up the back of Mills. I went once to watch him cut the pigs’ throats but it was a bit too much. He kept chickens in his garden there too. One day one of his chickens had flown over the wall. He was chasing it up the High Street and when he caught it, he said ‘That bloody thing wont go nowhere’, and got it and wrung its neck.
Brian Pomroy b 1937
Sid was a real old rascal. My granddad and him were old contemporaries. Grandad used to be out with his poaching a bit, so he used to take stuff in and of course Sid used to filter them into the main stream. Sid used to say, there you are Jim.
When he was preparing pigeons for people he used to take one breast out. Of course selling them to the visitors, I don’t suppose they knew anyway. They had one breast and wrapped it up that way round. Alec Cokes b 1945