Edgar Hawkins' Story
EDGAR HAWKINS’ STORY
From a conversation between Ry Coffman and Edgar Hawkins on 17 November 2009. Edgar lives in Seavington St Mary
Edgar Hawkins was born on 12 February 1913 in Whitelackington. His father was labourer on Upton Lane Farm (for Mr Eames). He was one of a family of 7, he had 3 sisters and 3 brothers, the two brothers older than him were killed in WWII - Edgar was the youngest boy.
He went to school in Seavington – nearly 100 children were at the school at the time, people had big families in those days. He liked geography best at school. He went to school in the morning and then went back home for lunch and then back to school for the afternoon. Edgar said that they used to ‘Go to High School’ because you had to go up the steps to school! When Edgar was at school Mr Naish was the Pastor and Miss Kiddle and Miss Skentfield were the teachers. Edgar particularly thought Miss Kiddle was a good teacher. He remembers doing egg shackling at the school. The children each brought an egg to school and all the eggs were put in together in a big garden sieve and shaken backwards and forwards - last egg left whole was the winner. Edgar used to go on charabanc school outings to Crewkerne pictures, Ilminster and the seaside and when he was about age 9 to Lyme Regis.
He left school at 14 and started work at Upton Lane Farm working in the garden growing vegetables and flowers. He grew potatoes and cabbages and peas. He did this for 2 years then worked in Martock making deckchairs and then finally worked at Minster Stone in Ilminster. He was a caster at Minster Stone which only closed down recently. There is a housing estate built there now. He retired at 65.
In the war he was in the Army in the Tank Corp in the Western Desert the Battle of Alemain, Egypt and in Italy for 5 and half years.
When he left the Army and came back from the war, he married Annie Drayton at Chard Registry Office in 1952. He met Annie at school. She lived in Church Lane in a house that has been pulled down now. Edgar and Annie did not have any children. Annie worked as a machinist in Ilminster, she died in 1996.
Edgar sang in the choir of both churches. Edgar was a bell ringer when Rev Woods was the Vicar.
Asked about trades in the village he says that here used to be a shirt factory where Bob Ash lives. He remembers Swan Thatch as the Post Office and next door was the groceries shop.
Edgar got his first car when he was 60 it was a Ford. He went to work in Ilminster by bike.
At 98 Edgar says he is the oldest man in Seavington!
Ry Coffman 01.04.2011
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