Interview with Richard Cunningham (RC)
By Cressida Fforde (CFF) & Mari Roberts (MR)
March 17th 2006
Weobley

RC: Well, my name, full name, Richard Michael Cunningham and you know my
address, youÕve got that. I went into the Coldstream guards in 1944.  Actually
it was an extraordinary businessÉ I joined at 17 and a quarter, straight from
school. I was selected by the regimental lieutenant colonel because of my
interest in the cadet force at school. I was at a school in Surrey called
Charterhouse. And they wanted to make sure they had the right material for
officers and they didnÕt lose them down the mines; because at that stage,
everybody was being called up for everything and it was just a lottery whether
you got sent to the coal mines. So, anyway, 17 and a quarter you had to go and
sign on for a day and have a medical, which I went to in Kingston-on-Thames,
and, and then you went back to school to finish your exams Š I was doing the
equivalent of A-levels Š and then about a week after the term finished, I was
called up to Caterham. And I was on Class W Reserve or something and then I was
called up to Guards depot at Caterham and nine months later I was commissioned.
Roughly nine months. [1.43] And I was posted to a training battalion, which was
Pirbright in Surrey,  we were then sent up to various battalions and I went to
the Third Battallion  of the Coldstream. And that was up in Scotland, at Hawick.
And we were there for, I donÕt know, not for very long. Perhaps, three or four
weeks? Did long route marches. And then, we had a special train for ourselves,
and, I think it was the First Battalion of the Welsh Guards, who were with us in
Scotland, nearby us in Scotland. [2.22] And we came all the way down from Hawick
to Kington, by train, and one of the things I remember particularly was Charles
Lampton, who was one our Company Commanders, managed to get onto the footplate
of the train at Crewe, which was special train, and, I think he helped drive it
to Kington. Charles was like that, he was a, sort of fellow who had an old Rolls
Royce and a Bugatti. And we didnÕt call our batmen, batmen, we called them
ŌservantsÕ. This is typical of the Guards nonsense. And he used to get his
servant to wake him in the morning, saying: ŌWill you have the Rolls or the
Bugatti today Sir?Õ Now I believe Charles Lampton eventually became Lord
Lampton. [3.32] Anyway I digress.  Then, we came down to Kington and we moved in
to the camp, which, we were the first occupants after the Americans left. It was
an American army hospital as far as IÕm aware,  and it was built mainly to take
the casualties from D-Day. And fortunately, the casualties were not as heavy as
they expected. I donÕt think it was really very much used. And we understood
from some of the locals that theyÕd destroyed an enormous amount of stuff before
they moved out, including setting fire to pianos and everything else. Enormous
bonfires over the place. Anyway, we moved in, and it was a nice camp; it was
just hutted and it was new. You wouldnÕt dream of it looking new when you go
past it now, but, well thereÕs not much left, is there? [4.27] And we were in
one half and the Welsh Guards were in another half. And,  IÕm afraid we blotted
our copy book, because about, it must have been about a week after we moved in,
the first Friday, I think it was, the men were allowed to walk out into Kington,
when in actual fact, of course, it was a bit far for them to walk. We were
provided three-ton trucks. And there was hell let loose! Because they started on
the beer, and, they very soon ran out of beer. You know, I mean beer was quite
limited during the war. I suppose they were using the hops and the malt for
other, more useful things. So, they started on cider. And they, they regarded
cider as, you know, girlÕs drink. Well, of course, thereÕs probably  some rough
cider involved, as well. And they got absolutely sozzled. And there was a lot of
damage and, so forth. And I remember one particular, big, bully of a chap, who
was a regimental policeman, and he went after a girl in a pub, chasing after
her. And she was the daughter of a butcher and she fled into the butcherÕs shop,
where her parents lived. And  he followed her, and he picked up a meat cleaver
or something from the butcherÕs block and chased after the father, who was
trying to stop him. Fortunately, he didnÕt kill the father, he just damaged him,
I think. But he ended up in correction barracks, and he rejoined us later
overseas, ooh, I should think about six months later. [6.21] Anyway, the
following day, which was a Saturday, we normally had a battalion parade in the
Saturday morning. And the Commanding Officer was a very nice chap called Bob
Milne-Coates. He tore the whole battalion off a strip. Ah, and there was a lot
of punishments handed out, and all sorts of punishment drills. I knew very
little about it, I was in the OfficerÕs Mess. But we first of all got messages
back about nine oÕclock saying there was hell let loose and I think we all had
to go in and help load these drunken men onto the transports. [6.59] Anyway we
mainly moved to Kington so that we could exercise with our guns in the ranges in
Wales. You go through Brecon, on the road to Carmarthen.

MR: Sennybridge range. 

RC: Yes, thatÕs right, thatÕs right. And I remember it, we, there were sort of
training for junior officers. I was a second lieutenant. And, the training for
junior officers was concerned with learning how to direct the fire to a
particular target, you know Š up five hundred and down five hundred Š hoping it
didnÕt direct the fire on yourself, because you were in what they called a
forward observation point. But, my main memory of that exercise in Wales was the
continual flipping rain. [7.46] And it must have been very boring for the men,
because the officers were involved with doing things, but they were just
stooging around. Then we were told we were going overseas. Now this must have
been...When was VJ Day? Was it September? It must have been about September. It
was August or September. Yes, this was 1945 by this stage. And we were told we
were going overseas. And so we went off on what they call ŌEmbarkation LeaveÕ. I
think we had a weekÕs embarkation leave. And, we didnÕt know where we were going
at that time, although there were rumours. But while I was on embarkation leave,
just towards the end of it, they dropped the atom bombs in Japan and there was
Japanese surrender. We came back and we found out that we had been intended as
part of the Commonwealth Division, which Winston Churchill had insisted there
must be a British contingent, for the invasion of the mainland Japan. And the
intention was, apparently, for us to get onto this boat, with the Welsh, and
IÕll cut to the boat for the moment Š and go straight across the Atlantic, to
New York and then take a special train across America, to a place called San
Diego. And then more or less Š more or less Š get straight on the boats, go
across the Pacific, to invade Japan, thank God it didnÕt happen because we, most
of the battalion were pretty green, like I was, although there had been Š there
were a sort of core, who had come back from Italy and had experience of the war
in Italy Š but you see that the demobalisation was going on Š it was worked on
the basis of  your length of service, I think, possibly age came into it, but
people whoÕd done about three or four years got out first and they had groups Š
my groups was miles ahead because I was young and I had only just got in. So we
got back from embarkation leave, about two or three weeks later we were told we
were going to Palestine, and we got off the same ship, the SS Volen dam, which
was a Dutch boat, and there were a battalion of ourselves and a battalion of
Welsh, and we sent to Hiffer. We were in Palestine for, until Britain gave up
the... not the occupation, sort of, the United Nations mandate for Palestine. I
was actually demobilised about two weeks before the Israeli independence was
declared. So, thatÕs my story, for you.

CFF: So what date do you think you arrived in Kington? (10:53)

RC: It must have been Š letÕs see Š we were probably there about two and a half
months Š so we left, letÕs say we left at the Š you reckon September was the VE
day, so take two and a half months back from that Š

RC: - something like that. I could not have been there, more than, for more than
about three months. I donÕt know who followed us.

MR: And it was immediately after the Americans had left, basically, was it? And
there were no Americans there at all when you got there?

RC: No, no. We never saw any of them.

MR: And which side of the road were you Š if youÕre going out of Kington?

RC: If youÕre going out of Kington, we were on the right hand side of the road,
but we also had... an MT section Š we were the first block you came to, if you
were going towards Hay  we had the half of the camp which was nearest to
Kington, nearest to the Š what are they called? The Hounds of the Baskerville...
or something like that? Funny place up on the Š Hergest Court, Yes. And our MT
section was on the left and I think some of the Š Yes, some of the men were on
the left but we were sort of divided into half about halfway through and the
officerÕs mess was over, was on the right. And the officerÕs sleeping quarters
were on the right.

CFF: And the other half was used by the Welsh guards?

RC: Further- further towards Hay was Welsh guards.

MR: Nearer the water tower?

RC: I donÕt know where the water tower is. 

CFF: WeÕll show you some photos.

RC: DonÕt really remember it, but that was Welsh Guards.

CFF: Yes. Right. And what did it look like, the camp, do you have any Š

RC: It looked brand new. It was a hutted camp, similar to a lot of camps, I mean
most of the army camps of those days were sort of temporary buildings, it varied
Š you usually find that the ablution blocks were the Š had had the most, sort
of, what you might call concrete and so forth. For showers and toilets and that
sort of thing. And then they usually Š they were usually pretty good. But some
of them could be very cold in the winter, because the insulation was poor. I
was, when I was doing my officerÕs training, I was at a placed called Wrotham,
in Kent for about Š only a week. During, a final sort of selection just passing
tests, but, we were very very cold and I got pneumonia. But fortunately we had Š
it was all built into the program, that was nine months and fortunately we had a
weeks leave and I went home Š with pneumonia, not knowing what it was and our
doctor at home managed to give me enough dope to get back and not miss the final
training. Because if you missed out on your training, youÕre put back a month Š

RC: - So youÕve lost your friends, you know?

MR: And so you said that you had like a morning Š I donÕt know the military
terms for things but you all met and you all Š a parade?

RC: That is an Battalion Parade. It was a very ceremonial business. You had, you
paraded in your platoons and the officers had to stand in front of their
platoons and had to put them in position. Then the company was formed up and the
company commander was standing in front and then finally the batalion commander
came on and there were all sorts of salutes and present arms and all that sort
of things. 

MR: And was there, so there was an area in front of the huts that you were-

RC: Yes, it was on the left hand side, going out of Kington. There was a square.
I donÕt know whether it was Mark Macadam or not, I canÕt remember, but letÕs
face, this is a hell of a long while ago. This is what, sixty-something odd
years, isnÕt it? Sixty-five years. I mean, I am seventy-nine, eighty in January.

MR: So you joined incredibly young, didnÕt you?

RC: Yes, but we did. I mean, that-everything was like that. You registered, I
think you registered for National Service, I think they called it, which
included everything Š and they included women Š when youÕre about sixteen and, I
mean, if you didnÕt do National Service, you could be directed to work in
factories. Now, oddly enough, well not oddly enough Š interestingly enough, I
suppose Š I met my wife while I was at Kington. [chuckle] She was in the Wrens
and she lived locally at Byford. She was one of five daughters of a farmer and
he hadnÕt got any sons. And she had been in Chatham, and they were evacuated
from Chatham, because of the bombing, and they were evacuated to her hometown,
Hereford. And so itÕs just sheer luck. And there, the Wrennery was up on the
Aylestone Hill, and they had their workplace very close to their Wrennery. And
they sent out an invitation to a dance very shortly after we got to Kington and
it went up on the noticeboard, so I put my name down. And there was a sort of
about half a dozen of us went, a fifteen-hundred weight track load, more or
less, and these girls had had a dance previously, and they hadnÕt had enough
men, so they decided to make up for that, so they invited the RAF, the Army, the
Navy, the whole flipping lot. And it was a hell of a job to get a dance, and I
spotted my wife across the room Š across a very crowded room says like a song Š
and I couldnÕt get anywhere near her. And then they had a Paul Jones, you know
Paul Jones? [16.59] People in the centre, I think the girls in the centre go one
way in a circle and the men outside in a circle: itÕs called a Paul Jones. And
the music stops and then you Š the person opposite you, you dance with. Well, I
was in this Paul Jones and I still couldnÕt get near her, so in the end, I put
the Paul Jones into reverse and got hold of her. And, to cut a long story short,
we were engaged for about five years, Ōcause I went overseas, and then when I
came back, I had to do my-finish my training. And I trained as a ceramist, and
and get a job, because in those days, you earned a living before you proposed to
marriage formally, although we were engaged, and so we were engaged for about
five years. And, unfortunately, she died two years ago. She had AlzeimerÕs. So
we had three years of I increasingly looking after her.

MR: And thatÕs why you ended up coming back here again?

RC: It was really, yes, because, you see her parents and friends and relations;
she was related to half the flipping county. [18.11] Well first of all we were
Stoke-on-Trent, because I was managing a bone china factory, and then I got-I
got a job in South Africa, managing a tile concern. Which was a subsidiary of a
British company. And I got pretty fed up with ceramics, because there wasnÕt a
lot of money in it and there was an advertisment for a post, which I thought
might suit me, in Rhodesia. But it was in mining. They wanted a chemist, an
industrial chemist. And ceramics is really a branch of industrial chemistry. I
mean, I wasnÕt an artist and so I had an interview and all the rest of it and
finally joined them in a place called Balawayo. And we were there for 27 years.
And it was a very nice place to bring up children, at that stage, but then all
the trouble started. And I got, well, I was in the Territorials, I persuade to
join the Territorials and I resigned my commission Š I was a Major at that stage
in the Rhodesian Army, well in the Territorials Š at the-when they took UDI.
Yes, you no hope. You know about UDI?

MR: Little bit

RC: Little bit. And I decided I wasnÕt for that, I didnÕt agree with the UDI. I
thought it was totally illegal. So I resigned my commission. And about five
years into the emergency, they called me up. By that stage, the emergency got
really serious. There were a  lot of farmers being killed and everything else.
And I hadnÕt got the heart to say no, so I came back, and did various spells.
But I wasnÕt in any particular danger. I was running things called JOCS,
sub-JOCS, er, Joint-Operation-Headquarters, in various parts of Rhodesia. But we
came out of Rhodesia in 1984, and we came back to Hereford because, my youngest
sister-in-law, who IÕve just been speaking to on the phone, I usually go to her
on a Sunday, for Sunday lunch Š she lives in Bredwardine, which is where we
lived. And she had had my wifeÕs mother, her mother living with her for about
thirty years and she-their mother was getting increasingly frail and she could
really do with some help, which my wife wanted to do, of course we werenÕt at
all happy in Rhodesia, which became Zimbabwe. So, I took early retirement at the
age of fifty-seven, and, unfortunately, my pension is payable in Zimbabwe
Dollars, and the latest IÕve heard, before I lost all interest, was the rate of
exchange for Zimbabwe Dollars was six thousand Dollars to a Pound Sterling. So
our pension was really worthless Š One Pound Sterling per month. So I havenÕt
seen anything from my pension for about two and a half years. And thereÕs
nothing going on about it. IÕve been in touch with my MP and heÕs done all sorts
of things, buts thereÕs nothing can be done about it.

CFF: ThatÕs right, theyÕre in hyper-inflation, or whatever...ItÕs gone.

RC: Yes, thats right. Yes, like the German Republic after the First World War.
What else can I tell you?

CFF: Well...

RC: IÕve more or less told you my life story.

CFF: ItÕs good.

RC: IÕm still working by the way.

CFF: Are you?

MR: What do you do?

RC: Yes, I work one day a week. IÕm the secretary for a charity in Hereford.

MR: Oh right. What charity is that?

RC: ItÕs called the Hereford Society for Aiding the Industrious.

CFF: Now that sounds good.

RC: Which is a Victorian Charity. And we run two groups of AlmÕs Houses and we
give money to people who have been industrious and tried to better themselves
and who need a bit of assistance to get over the hill. The sort of thing is a
person whoÕs done say, two years funding themselves doing, just to take a
concrete example, to fund themselves to do psychology with the Open University.
They get their Open University degree and then they find that theyÕve got to do
another year to get registered with the Psychological Society or whatever itÕs
called, er, so that they can qualify [more chat on Victorian society/charity
etc.]

[Coffee Break]

CFF: So, when you were at the camp, did you do any, did you ever go up onto the
ridge or anything and do exercises up there?

RC: No, we were just doing gunnery.

CFF: All over at Sennybridge?

RC: All over at Sennybridge. I donÕt remember us doing any really local
exercises.

CFF: Okay.

RC: It was all connected  with Sennybridge. 

CFF: And the huts themselves, did they have anything in them? Did they still
have their beds in them, or anything at all? Can you remember? 

RC: We had beds. I donÕt think they brought them with us, so there must have
been, but they may well have been provided by the British Army. I donÕt
think-they werenÕt hospital beds.

CFF: No. But it was certainly your impression that you were the first in after
the Americans had gone?

RC: Yes, yes. I think there was no doubt about that, we were the first in,
because it was just after the war in Europe had finished.

MR: Mm, weÕve got someone we went to see yesterday, their families -because
after that, and after the Polish had gone, it was used as housing...

RC: Yes, thatÕs right.

MR: For local people...

RC: And it was squatters took over, didnÕt they?

MR: They called them squatters, Yes. But they were actually, sounds like they
were in the section that you were in. PeterÕs brother-in-law, he was there,
wasnÕt he?

CFF: Yes.

MR: First section after.

RC: There was a similar set-up over in the Golden Valley Š  Madley Airfield Š at
the back of Madley Airfield, there was a camp there, which became a squatterÕs
camp and thereÕs still an industrial unit there. 

CFF: So this is taken from the water tower, which is [rustling of paper] 

[Looking at Higginbotham Kington Camp book.]

CFF: Both on the left and on the right, isnÕt it?

RC: Left and right Yes. And the OfficersÕ mess, and I think the OfficersÕs lives
were over here. And the battalion head quarters were somewhere in the middle of
there.

CFF: This a 1946 map, so KingtonÕs thereÕs the bridge. And there seem to have
been two parade grounds Š one is on that side Š this thing here. And oneÕs
there.

RC: Well, if thatÕs that side of the road, that was the Coldstream parade
ground. The parade ground was on the left. 

CFF: As you come from Kington?

RC: Yes, as you come from Kington.

[looking at map]

CFF: And you guys, were you staying in the really, really long huts?  

RC: There werenÕt really, really long. So, weÕre talking officers now?

CFF: Because there was a section, when you came from Kington, over a little
bridge, thereÕs a section on the right, which had many little huts, which used
to be, I think, the nursesÕ quarters. ItÕs this section, here.

RC: Well, thatÕs probably where the officers were.

CFF: That would make sense, wouldnÕt it?

RC: Yes [3.31] I think there were probably about four of us Š or perhaps six in
a hut as junior officers. And I think people like the company commanders Š they
only had about 3 or 4 in a hut. 

CFF: So in other words we are NOT talking about these huge long wards...

RC: No Š that is where the men were.  And I think the sergeantÕs mess. LetÕs get
this right. They were right over on this side. The sergeants mess was over that
side. Gosh you have awoken so many memories. I woke early this morning and
started thinking about those days.

CFF: So the sergeantÕs mess is a different thing to the officerÕs mess
completely.

RC: You could only go into the sergeantÕs mess by invitation. Very rare.

CFF: Really

RC: Oh yes Š very much. And the great strength of the guards was that because
there was a hiatus during the Victorian era of the guards on Buckingham Palace
not being turned out when the Queen went in and out Š she gave a directive that
there were not to be any corporals in charge of guards. There werenÕt
sufficiently senior. So the war office got around that. They cut out the rank of
Corporal in the Guards Š in the household division. They were called Lance
Sergeants. They still got paid as Corporals Š but they were Lance Sergeants and
they had three stripes. The gain of that was that you had Š the corporalÕs mess
was a lousy mess in the general run of things in the army Š but you had these
junior NCOÕs going into the Sergeants mess with all their traditions Š as Lance
Sergeants. And it made them very much stronger. My Platoon Sergeant was
aSsergeant Law, who I regarded as an old man. He was probably about 25 Š he had
a lot of experience and he had been in Italy with them and so forth. He was my
father more or less. He looked after me Š at one stage in Palestine, we had to
go into a settlement Š we were searching it. Jewish settlement. We had been on
cordon. Then we were suddenly given the order to advance. I was jolly fit in
those days and I ran like a hare to the central area and he complained to me
after Š he said  ŅLook here sir Š itÕs all very well you running, you havenÕt
got much kit onÓ; and it was about 3 minutes before we managed to catch up with
him. Privately he gave me a real ticking off. He said Ņ IÕm responsible if you
get copped!Ó

CFF: So the sergeants were very strong in the Coldstream Guards Š renowned as
being so.

RC: Oh they were Š in the Guards Division as a whole. Grenadier, Coldstream,
Welsh, Irish and Scots. They were very strong. For instance Š the people like
Regimental Sergeants Major and the Drill Sergeants were so senior and so well
looked after that most of them would not take commission. It would have been
demotion. Oh yes. Very very proud of themselves.

CFF: So what effect does that have on the Regiment as a whole. What makes it
different from another one that doesnÕt have that tradition?

RC: They had no other ranks of any other unit in the Guards Battalion Š
exception of one Remy Corporal, he was a mechanic and he looked after the heavy
vehicles. You had your own cooks you had your own Regimental Police Force and
you ate very well. I mean Š Guards depot; I was a really fussy eater and I went
to Guards depot Š I have never ate better in my life. I mean I ate better since
Š but it was fantastically good! When you were Picket Officer on duty you
literally did taste everything. The inspection of the cookhouse was rigorous.
You put on a pair of gloves. White gloves to inspect all the utensils. You have
got a whole lot of men in close proximity. The last thing you wanted was
infection. 

CFF: This is only half a map Š this is from Kington. This is on the right hand
side of the road. These are the areas that I am thinking that you are talking
about. The first area on the right coming from Kington. The small huts.

RC: There were a lot of buildings this side.

CFF: This is a plan of the hospital that was on the right hand side and am I
right in thinking that from about there downwards was Coldstream Guards.

RC: Probably. 

CFF: I was just trying to think about where officers might have stayed.

RC: I think we were probably in there but I canÕt be sure.

CFF: There are some there, but there are some after the long huts here...

RC: I donÕt know. I really donÕt know.

CFF: ThatÕs the parade ground right there.

RC: Well the parade ground I am talking about was on that side. That was the
Coldstream. And the MT lines were right here when you first came into the camp.

CFF: WhatÕs an MT line?

RC: Mechanical Transport. Once I had met my wife Š my girlfriend in those days Š
we used to go to dances in Hereford with her. I used to draw a motorcycle
OfficerÕs recce on the worksheet. I used to get an extra dispatch riderÕs
uniform to put on her.  She was on the pillion with a helmet and a great big
coat and goggles! I used to pick her up at home at Byford and take her... It was
a great time. Hardly slept for about two months!

CFF: We have got the 1944 aerial photographs as well. Would you happen to have
any photographs of it or anything like that of the time?

RC: No Š I havenÕt. We got rid of a whole lot of stuff coming back in 1984. We
had already sold our house which was a nightmare Š we got nothing for it. We
were in a hotel which was called the Transit Camp, and then we finally, because
it was so difficult to get out of Zimbabwe. You literally had to hand your life
insurance and everything else over. The reserve bank took over everything. We
just had suitcases more or less and we had half a container which came back by
sea. But we got rid of a whole lot of stuff. ThatÕs the sort of thing that we
would have got rid of.

MR: Would there have been photographs of you and your Regiment together?

RC: Probably. I donÕt remember there being a Battalion photograph. In fact they
didnÕt go in for a lot of photographs. DonÕt forget it was still wartime.

MR: The one that we have found was of the Gloucesters which was before hand Š in
the early 40s. Which was because the newspaper took a photograph.

RC: That was before the Americans? Ah. I didnÕt know there was a camp there
before the Americans. 

MR: It was all tented Š it was canvas. It was further down.

CFF: I think it was probably in these main areas her. But it took survivors
after Dunkirk. That was when it started up.

RC: I remember hearing some radio broadcast about some chap. He came back by
train from Dover or somewhere like that, ending up in Hereford from Dunkirk.

MR: The Buffs were there. The Essex, the Black Watch.

RC: The Buffs were the Royal West Kent I think Š or West Surreys.

CFF: Something like that. The Black Watch, Durham Light Infantry, Borderers.

RC: Really. Were there many illegitimate children?

CFF: Well probably. Yep. Exactly so. People do talk about it. But nobody has
come forward. It would be very nice to talk to somebody who was. But we are not
going to obviously push it in any way.

RC: It was a very nice camp to take over. It was VERY clean. Some of the camps
we took over in Palestine were filthy. That was another thing with the Guards.
You had a hell of a business of handing over a camp. We had several inspections
before you were even allowed to leave the lines. To make sure everything was
spotless.

(Chat about Iraq)

RC: I always say I never really was a teenager. I went from being a schoolboy
more or less straight into the Army. And in the Army we were disciplined. But it
was kindly. We didnÕt have a lot of nonsense with the senior officers. In the
line regiments you stand up when the Major comes into the mess. Same thing with
Commanding Officer. The mess was your home.

CFF: So you didnÕt have that in the Coldstreams?

RC: Nothing. Not only in the Coldstreams Š the whole Guards. I think the
Grenadiers were a bit more strict. The Coldstream were more laid back.

CFF: remember you were talking about the locals telling you that a lot of the
stuff had been burnt. Is there anything more to say about that?

RC: I remember. It was on the far left going away from Kington. There was a big
burnt area that had been a bonfire site of some sort. I believe there had been
several other bonfires.

CFF: Was that in the camp itself or was that in a field?

RC: It was on the outskirts Š it might have been in a field, but it was on the
outskirts. I remember seeing it and I think it was a bit downhill on the left
coming away from Kington.

CFF: There is a dip and then it goes up.

RC: ThatsÕs probably where the bonfires were. The locals said something about
pianos being put on that lot. 

CFF: One of the main things that people talk about is that they chucked
everything out. People talk about putting stuff out for burning.

MR: And also digging holes.

(RC has to leave)