The National Forest’s LANDshapes project interview with Dorothy Lawrence

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LANt036 Dorothy Lawrence
LANDshapes Oral History interview summary

Share memories of life in Belton with Dorothy Lawrence as she recalls the places that she played as a child "….We were just happy to be in the fields together - there was marvellous wildflowers then that I still remember….and the old Charnwood canal…continued right through to Osgathorpe…there were little tunnels made for the cattle to go over the bridges in these fields and I can remember playing in them". Listen to Dorothy's recollections of the 1953 Coronation "Oh, it was marvellous…we had a race round the village…we all dressed, there was a fancy dress thing…" and hear about one regular Belton event that's become a tradition "…the Maypole - yes they still dance round the Maypole, oh that's very much to the fore that is". And listen to Dorothy talking about when Belton first got electricity and her memories of the water that was pumped in from Breedon "…it was piped to the farms and the water itself was absolutely hard - it was filled with lime, you see, because it is limestone the quarry at Breedon - and some days if you had a glass of water it would be just like Andrews Liver Salts - it would be fizzing".

Interviewer: Roger Kitchen.
Interview Date: 20/04/2005
Landshape Zone: Charnwood
Parish: Belton
Location: Belton, Leicestershire,
Date of birth: 26/11/1918
Location of Original: Originals held with The National Forest Company
Reference LANt036

Last updated: 15/9/2005
East Midland Oral History Archive Web maintainer
This document has been approved by the head of department or section.