War and Peace

Ok..ok.. you have convinced me to start on Anna Karenina. So, as the story I started a day or two was not very good I made a start this morning.
Whats an opener !
Man, husband, master of his house has it off me his childrens governess and of course he gets found out and theres a blazing row...and then he wonders why !!

Could be a good start to an epic tale.
robert

 

This is the next part of my short story based on my vision of my ancestors, the location and lifestyle at the time.

They also talked about the latest friends they knew who had decided to
immigrate to US western states and Canada. Gold and Silver had been discovered
and there were great fortunes to be made for the brave enough to take on the
challenge of the journey.
Charles and the ploughman were also aware that since the 1840 a lot of the
local girls spent several years in service in London, travelling to and fro by the
new trains, and some of them raising high in the domestic hierarchy, on coming
home would marry the local farmers and labourers.
One item under discussion today was good news. It was the increased
production and delivery of fresh milk to the towns, This was once again made
possible by the railways.
Earlier in the century town dairies had assumed considerable importance.
The cows were kept in sheds in back street yards and food for them was
transported in from just beyond the suburbs. Some cows were milked in the
street. By 1850s a number of city diaries assumed massive proportions and were
highly organized. One of the outstanding examples was William Horleys of
Glasgow, which at its peak housed 1,700 cattle, 1000 of them producing milk at
any one time. They were milked three time a day by an army of milkmaids and
gave approximately 1,5000 Gallons a day. Visitors would pay a shilling a visit to
the viewing gallery to see the operation.
It was badly hit by rinderpest in 1860, and the loss of production paved the way
for rural farmers with their increased stock and with the faster railways could
now supply fresh milk to the town areas daily.
The Gipsons and brancehes
143
All these and other issues concerned Charlie and the ploughman, indeed the
whole village was at this time tightening its belt and several families had already
moved on to more prosperous occupations. It was this day during this
conversation that Charles Daubney decided the time was right for him to move
on with his family to London where there was plenty of well paid work to be
had.
Although he did not know it at this time that Charles Daubney had made the
right decision which was to shape the future for the Daubneys and all the
offspring over the generations that would follow to this day.
It was to be in 1875 that the flood of grain started from the American
prairies, grain grown by our own countryman who immigrated to the States.
With the invention of refrigeration this further opened the flood gates of meat
from Australia and New Zealand. The doom of English agriculture was
inevitable.
It so happened that the beginning of the Nemesis coincided with a series of
unfavorable harvest years in Britain. From 1876 to 1879 the summers were dull
and rainy. Consequently yields were low and disease rife among cattle and sheep.
In the past farmers could expect some sort of compensation, in the shape of
raising prices for this state of affairs. So long as the nation depended largely on
its home grown food supplies, the law of supply and demand ensured this.
Now the main sources of supply were beyond the reach of the English weather.
Far from prices raising to match the bad harvest, they fell, for the only effects of
local shortages was to attract more imports.
So the prices of wheat, barley and oats fell by almost a half. It was to
continue until about 1883, British agriculture founded in its depression. With
average prices reduced. 24 percent of the work force would leave the land.
Rents fell by more than 20 percent, farmland turned to dereliction and even the
Royal commission emphasized the facts, but did little to alleviate the problem.
Vast areas of farm land decayed, to be replaced by unprofitable millions of
rabbits. Land came to be known as just another outside space.
Our young Arthur, overhearing all this conversation had come to his own
conclusion that it seemed they where moving on, apprehensive, Arthur was now
looking forward to new adventures beyond the village which is the only life
experiance he has known in his ten short years.
You may be interested in a few facts and figures before we once again join our
Arther.

To be continued.......

 

My story.......the final part..

The returns from the 1871 census shows us that:
There was 962,348 agricultural workers of all classes
A total of 32,590,397 acres of farmland in England.
Value of imports (Meat, livestock, fruit and cereals) £77,069,431
60,022 acres of hops !
733,257 horses
2,078,504 pigs
11,144,527 sheep
Average wage for agricultural worker in 1871 in Gloucestershire were
10Shillings 6 pence 10s 6d (52p) This was a basic wage and does not include
payments for piece or task work, the occupation of cottages, with or without
gardens, free or at rents below the letting value, harvest earnings, overtime
money or any extra allowances in kind or cash. Payments in kind could include
milk, potatoes, cottages, board and lodging, where these are provided by the
employer. Working hours would be, 48 hours winter, 50 hours summer.
With the days work done father and son made their way to the cottage, in the
distance they saw Elizabeth. Young Liz had befriended Arthur since a very early
age. They talked about what Liz had done today at school and with helping out
at her family home and they discussed that her family was on hard times and
was thinking of moving to the big city where it is claimed there is work for a
multitude of talents.
Father walked on, " Dont linger Athur, dinner will be ready, and the water
will be hot for the bath". Athur and Liz slowly made their way home chatting
and picking a few berries from the hedgerow to supplement their diet.
"What does immi- immi -immigration mean?" says Liz. Trying to remember the
way her father had pronounced the word. Arthur was not sure, but
remembering the conversation his father and the ploughman had at midday he
was certain it was something connected to the process of moving to the so called
new countries. "My mother and father were talking about it last night" Say Liz.
" I was lying in my bed and could not help but overhear their words, mother was
quite alarmed and appeared angry towards the end of the conversation, I was so
tired I fell asleep and missed the end"!
By the time Arthur and Liz arrived at the place they had to go their separate
ways, he had no berries left. He was hungry after the days work in the field.
Mother had prepared bacon and potatoes for the meal. The smell drifted
across the lane as he approached the cottage. He was to have a quick wash of
face and hands before the family meal and then a bath. After father of course.
It was to be this night that the decision was going to be made that the family
The Gipsons and brancehes was going to make the move to the city and find new work.
During this night of the full moon, Charles spent some time in the evening
sitting and relaxing in the front of the cottage. The air was fresh and crisp and
heralded the start of yet another winter. Later, after the air was chilled they sat
comfy around the fire with the candles smoking as they always did and just one
oil lamp set by the window to welcome any guests. The conversation was
subdued. Brothers James and Walter had attended school as usual today and full
of anticipation as to what the future holds for them, they had heard so much of
the big city and the wonderful sites to see. Young Sarah at just two years old was
already asleep. With each deep in their own thoughts of what the future will
bring and the happy and not so happy times they had shared in Aston Blank.
The friends and Neighbours that helped them out over the years. With our
Arthur now tucked up in his bed we see the end of this day for the Daubneys in
Aston Blank.
Through the marvel of historical time travel we can now jump forward
twenty years to 1891. We find our Arthur now residing in York Road, East
Barnet. He is now married to Harriet, they have been busy over the years
producing more Daubneys to add to the tribe. It seems that indeed the Daubneys
achieved a lot in twenty years with improved income, with social and domestic
situations also on the increase they now were producing offspring..
Young Florence at 7 was born in the family house in East Barnet 1884. A
year later we see Miriam as the next member of the Daubney family. There was
then a two year gap before Margaret came along in 1887, followed swiftly by
another Arthur Daubney in 1889. Finally Evaline arrives in 1890. On the night
of the census in 1891 there were two more visiting Daubneys in the household,
John and Sarah. A grand total of nine Daubneys on that census night.
Investigations have also revealed that living next door, and as head of house is a
Albert Edwards with his wife Mary, and Tom A Daubney listed as a border.
We seem to have stumbled on a nest of Daubneys, and, would you believe that
living in the house on the other side is Walter Daubney with his wife Annie E.
Thats thirteen Daubneys in three houses!
Now to complete this tale of just a small proportion of our ever growing
tribe.
It was Walter Daubney mentioned above, married to Annie E who had a child
called Edith May. My Grandmother, born in 1894. Her first marriage was to
John Lee, From this union was born Annie Helen Lee. Annie was to marry
Stephen Iggleden Gipson and to produce the Gipsons as we know them today.
136 years have now passed since the beginning of our story with our Arthur
The Gipsons and branches plowing his field in Aston blank..

 

Sorry guys....I have to admit to giving up with Anna Karenina.
I give it my best shot but for some reason I just could not get into it.
After reading War and Peace I dont really understand way.
Mayby later on when my frame of mind is different.

I have picked up a more lighter story by Georgs Allen England called The Flying Legion
To early to appraise this story but so far it looks like I may reach the end...

 

The Flying Legion now finished and and what a swash buckling tale of daring do it was to.
It would make a great action movie but the content I think may upset some of our Muslim friends so I can imagine that would never happen.

Next read is a C.S. Forester book called The Gun This auther is new to me so I am in for a new experiance.

 

I enjoyed "ATown like Alice". Neville Shutes books must be out of print now,I read them forty years ago.

 

Morning Sparky
Suprisingly you can still buy new copies from a well know internet seller beginning with A.

 

I read a Town called Alice whena teenager and liked it. Never read CSForester though. Just finished Milligans War by Spike Milligan-quite a poignant book really considering the author, I sort of expected someting else, so I enjoyed having my prejudices challenged. I am about to have another read of Wuthering Heights. It's probably the finest book I have ever read, I will have it done by the end of the weekend.

 

Spike Milligan and his Milligans war..yes, I have that on audio book read by himself..
Really really good listen. I can recommend that.

 

"The Gun" now finished and now started on another C.S. Forester book called "The Ship"
Not a very imaginative title but would you believe its about a war ship and more importantly the guys an board during WWII in the Med doing battle with Italians to protect the convoys heading to Malta.
So far I can see myself reading to the end..

"The Ship" now finished.. One for the boys if you want to know how difficult it is to fire a 6" shell at an enemy 9 miles away and on a different heading and speed you are on with your ship bobbing up and down with the sea. All this and your enemy has bigger 15" guns !
Not as easy as you think.

Another Forester book called "Run silent run deep" is my next read. This was also turned into a movie starring Gable and Burt Lancaster

 

"Run Silent Run deep" What a story. One for the boys and highly recommended.

I am now deep into a book by Preston B. Nichols called "The Montauk Project"
This book chronicles the most amazing and secretive research projects in recorded history. Starting with the Philadelphia Experiment of 1943. Its a bit deep and really challages the grey matter.

 

For a real challenge to the grey matter, how about Steven Hawkins A Brief History of Time?
Just finished it and I am a little bit wiser in the knowledge of the universe and what it all about..and rules that govern quantum mechanics..
Plese dont ask me any questions!

 

I have just finished another Wilbur, When a Sparrow Falls a bit Mills and Boonish in parts but otherwise a standard WS book.

Not sure about Hawkins, A brief History, my head might explode trying to understand it.:cnfs:

 

I have it but never read it.
I put it under the shorter leg of my dangling table...
A friend of mine used to put it under his back (when he was sitting) since he was too short to "reach" the table...
Sorry, pardon me, just kidding .
Why Tolstoy ? Are you interested in russian litterature ?
Sure enough, when we say Tolstoy, along with other russian writers like Pushkin, Dostoevsky, etc. we are talking about famous russian writers...

 

Not been keeping up with thread as much as I would like-busy at the moment.

I read Brief History of Time, all I can say about it is that I only understood about 10 % of it lol.