Comments on: Hop Picking Photographs

By: Tony

Tony — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 21:11:30 +0000

When people were poor but happy, this chemistry of life is unobtainable now as shown in these wonderful pictures.

By: Kenneth Crossley

Kenneth Crossley — Mon, 06 Sep 2021 12:28:31 +0000

I am 85 and with my mother Brother and sisters from a very early age possibly Six months right up to doing National Service 1954/56 we picked hops for Guinness at northlands farm our hop
Huts on the common were rows of tin in sections of about 20 with a 12feet gap to seperate three hundred or more the woods accommodation had hundreds of these terraced tin huts.
I will now explain how we got there during ww2 ,we would be up early 4.30am and push the
Hopping box from Stepney to London Bridge station the train would take us to Robertsbridge
Station where a single line train took us to Bodiam station wher a tractor and trailer would
Convey us to northlands farm soon after arriving bedding was mad with the help of straw then
Down to the Fagget storage field and get the fuel for cooking etc.in the early days Food was on rationing and Home and colonial from Hastings sold food from a big tin shed. After WW2 things got easier taken to farm on the back of a lorry also a charity would erect a Marquee and
Show a film every night and also play music around the hop gardens during the day.
I loved hop picking and looked forward to it every if you need any other comments I’m Available.Regards Ken Crossley.

By: Linda Smith

Linda Smith — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 16:41:21 +0000

I’m 72 and my family went to Bodiam it was the best time of my life with my family mum,dad, aunt, uncle and cousins can remember my uncle struggling with a mattress which we took on the train! happy days

By: Harry Evans

Harry Evans — Sun, 25 Oct 2020 11:45:42 +0000

Good day. I’m 71 I loved those days of comparative freedom that’s when our mums and grandma’s weren’t about.
We went to Bodiham most of the time. If love to find photos of our family. I miss those days I try to tell my kids and 5 grandsons about it but I’m sure they think I’m exaggerating.
Our families were Marlin, Evans and maybe Robertson( my great man was a money lender and went by several names) she also kept all the account books and have my mum ,nan and aunts pocket money lol .
Kind regards Harry Evans

By: Derek Bailey

Derek Bailey — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 22:21:38 +0000

I remember coming back to Stepney in 1945 after being evacuated for almost six years and being asked by kids on our street (Umberston St) if me and my brothers were going hopping? Dumb me thought I was having my leg pulled and knew only of hopping on one leg. Never did go to Kent to go hopping.

By: Pamela Traves

Pamela Traves — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 18:29:44 +0000

What Amazing Pictures of the Hop workers!! Thank You So Much!!

By: Di Corry

Di Corry — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 14:50:06 +0000

Wonderful photographs and so evocative of those happy days.
An era long gone …….

By: Ian Silverton

Ian Silverton — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 12:51:32 +0000

Most of the children we played with in the Streets around Bethnal Green in the 50s went hopp picking in Kent on the backs of their fathers horses and carts, once through the Blackwell Tunnel all life changes for the better they told me, fresh air miles of country side to play in and for children freedom from the restrictions of strict parents and teachers and no dirty Streets and Bombed out houses to be seen. The Streets in Bethnal Green went very quite for those few weeks while away those that stayed missed them ans envied them and there very deep tans on return to our squalor. Thanks GA for the pictures and stories, good luck.

By: Richard Smith

Richard Smith — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 09:29:45 +0000

Wonderful folk, wonderful pictures.

By: Mathilde Grange

Mathilde Grange — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 08:55:43 +0000

Really wonderful pictures.