Charismatic cows and beefcake bulls - Sonia Kurta

In this lively and humorous account of a farming life that starts in the late 1930s and ends in the early '50s, Sonia shows that she has the knack of writing anecdotes which bring to life the varied - and sometimes weird - characters with whom she worked; both people and animals. At various points, a cow in a clothes shop, a mischievous mare and even a slightly puzzled pigeon have crossed her path, not to mention the eccentric farmers who tried to keep order on their farms. If they went too far, they were soon put in their place by Sonia's stubborn temper. Sonia milked numerous cows (mostly by hand), undertook all sorts of other farm work and achieved her tractor-driving ambition. The bulk of her experience was in the St Austell area of Cornwall, though she also had spells of farm work in Surrey and Gloucestershire. The farms ranged in size from one-horse establishments to the great Caerhays estate. With such variety, Sonia has been able to give a detailed view of what life was like for a farm worker in the last days of the horse. She provides interesting insights into how things were done and some of the fun that was to be had.