JOHN BLACKMORE

CATALOGUE

RECORDING

SUMMARY

BORN: Withypool, Somerset, 1914

LIVED: Withypool, Oldways End

RECORDING MADE: 2001

RECORDING LENGTH: 2 hours 21 minutes

John Blackmore was the youngest of seven. His family had the shop and post office, and a milk round, at Withypool. They also hired out ponies and ran the local taxi service. One of their garages, cars and all, was swept away in the 1952 flood.

He did the local post round and drove a taxi before taking up farming. His longest journey was a 10 hour drive to Stevenage, returning the day war was declared. He joined the Local Defence Volunteers, riding out over the moors with a four bore shotgun over his shoulder and made a stand for a horse for Alfred Munnings. Eisenhower had tea with his sister.

He moved to Oldways End in 1967, taking five horses with him. He was still riding at 80 and says he remembers every detail of his first hunt, gateways and all, better than things which happened yesterday.

Note: He preferred not to be photographed for the archive.

John Blackmore died in February 2009.

Note: The summary of this recording is in outline only.