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At the front of the pub was a grass lawn cut short by Dorrie with a push mower. No motor- or sit-on versions then! There was a well-trodden path from the road to the door. Very few cars visited. If they did, they parked on the grass. It was mostly bikes which leaned against the fence for those who came from further afield, while the locals mostly walked.
Even the frontage had other uses. I can remember at general-election time, the Labour candidate did his meeting there in the open air, whereas the Conservative candidate used the Village Hall. When the candidate asked any questions, Stan Bonnett would say “What about the tied cottages?” After all, those who worked on the land in those days lived in a cottage owned by the farmer. Hence no job, no house (although this seldom happened). The best bit was that Stan never lived in one, he rented a cottage from the estate. Still he was ready to speak up for those who did!
The land around the rear and to the side of the pub was a small holding farmed by Horace and his brother Bill. This was farmed using horses with a large barn at the rear are storing what was got or used on the farm.
Lastly, the bus stopped at the Beehive and if it were a wet day you could shelter under the roof overhang and see the bus coming. If you were not there and you were a regular bus user, someone would say to the driver “Hold on a bit - so and so has gone to fetch their purse...”. And the bus would wait!
Read Part V
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