Reading some of the more recent postings, including 'purtie hoking', reapers, carting milk, etc brought to mind my early days on farms. Uncle had a farm at Blaris and he would let me drive the horse and cart into Lisburn town, ride on the horse drawn 'slipe' a sort of sled, milk cows and carry buckets of milk to Leatham's nearby dairy. Taking the cow to the bull, up Ravarnett road, and later watching the calf being born. What an education.
Getting up at dawn and along with Sydney and Ivan Graham, Archie Briggs and others, riding our bicycles to Sprucefield and then along the canal towpath to Jimmy Bell's farm where we cut hay and corn with horse drawn reapers, bound sheaves and stooked them. If the weather was wet, we mucked out the byres and stables, or cut ragworts or thistles.

Must have been in the late forties when, I presume it was part of the post war effort, army vehicles would arrive at our school in Belfast, collect those interested in picking potatoes and heading off to farms around Lisburn. I remember going to one in Ballinderry and another one at Anahilt. Average pay was 7 and 6 pence a day. Good pocket money and we got off school.

Aah! sweet are the memories. Thanks for bringing them back
Sean