The National Forest’s LANDshapes project interview with Ernie Sutton

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LANt020 Ernie Sutton
LANDshapes Oral History interview summary

Growing up between the wars, Ernie Sutton remembers his granddad carting coal for 7 shillings and 6 pence a ton, and playing with friends "round the backs" or in Spittle Wood - but not too late or the dog would get his tea! Part of a close-knit community Ernie and his friends would congregate around the 'first street lamp', climbing up and swinging on the 'handlebars' at the top - until the day when an exasperated householder opened the bedroom window and threw out the contents of the "gazunda"! Follow teenager Ernie meeting the evacuees that came to Linton during the war years, especially Alice, who he first met when she was an 8 year old evacuee - and with whom he is still in contact, and Joan the girl from Birmingham that he "had a right crush on". Ernie gives as a crash course in the local dialect, a whistlestop tour of 'old' Linton and a 'window' into Linton life pre-1945. Having been away working for 24 years Ernie has certainly noticed some changes!

Interviewer: Roger Kitchen.
Interview Date: 03/08/2005
Landshape Zone: Leicestershire and Derbyshire Coalfield
Parish: Linton
Location: Linton, Derbyshire,
Date of birth: 29/09/1928
Location of Original: Originals held with The National Forest Company
Reference LANt020

Last updated: 15/9/2005
East Midland Oral History Archive Web maintainer
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