Friends and neighbours - Tom Kingscote-Davies

"When we were children the seasons seemed to know their proper place in the order of things; summers were hot and dry and winters brought hard frosts and snow."For Tom Kingscote-Davies, growing up on a farm in Monmouthshire between the wars meant that life was always busy. Farm chores, such as mucking out the stables, had to be done before he and his brother walked to school. Life revolved around the seasons: haytime and harvest, cheese and cider making. In those days farmers helped each other out and there was a real sense of community. Holidays were usually spent on his grandparents' farm; a trip to the seaside was a major event, and as for a visit to Wookey Hole in Somerset, or going through the Severn Tunnel for the first time, that was unbelievably exciting. Generally, for Tom's family pleasures were simple and amusements were home made.