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March 2024 March 2024
Estate farm, where I work along side some wonderful characters including Old
Bob, who I have mentioned before in articles. Old Bob, who told us that he had
been christened, Robert, Arthur, George. When asked about his names, he replied
Robert after my uncle, Arthur and after my father and George after Arthur. Of
course this was said in a typical accent of a farm worker, who had learnt very little
at school but had learnt a lot about the basic farming.
One day, while a considerable acreage of potatoes were to be planted, Bob
decided that there was far to many spuds to be sown on the farm, so he decided
there were more than enough for the job in hand, so there were enough for him to
take home. When he came to work the next day, he said “I puts the spuds on the
kitchen table and the Miissus said, “They aint no good.”,so I took ‘em out into the
garden and buried ‘em” .
Bob had a huge garden and spent all his time in that garden if he wasn’t eating or
sleeping. There is a huge number of stories about Old Bob, which I hope to tell in
later pieces along with other members of the farm and estate staff. Where ever he
was Bob had to smoke cigarettes practically all the time while he was working. He
rolled his own “fags” from his selected “bacca”, which to the shop keeper was “St.
Julian Tobacco”. He always wore a waistcoat or to Old Bob a “wescot”, this was
essential to a smoker such as himself. He saved all his “butts”, squeezing them
when his cigarette was finished putting them in his “wescot” pocket. When he had
sufficient in his “wescot” pocket, he took out his pipe and proceeded to fill it with
his “butts”.
He knew nothing about nicotine
and the problems it could create
in heavy smokers. For Bob to be
without “baccy” was to be
without Bob. It was just as well
because he was a great worrier
and if he had known and had to
give up his “baccy” goodness
knows what would have
happened to him.

If Bob had a logo or coat of arms,
it would probably have been
crossed pipes over a tobacco
pouch rampant.
At this point it is time to say that Bob had been a smoker long before he left school,
he had worked evenings and weekends and so could afford an “Hounce of
baccy”. At this point it is time to finish and so “by four know” and God Bless you all
for reading this.
So until next month good bye and thank you for reading this far.
Ted Cox

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