Letters 1963

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• Plum Tree, Avonside Caravan Camp, Pershore, Worcestershire. 15.8.1963

I’ve just got your letter, we went back to the chalet for it at lunchtime, It is now 5 O’clock and our boxes of plums have just gone on the tractor and I am balanced precariously in a plumb tree because I was rather impressed about the bit in your letter about the drizzle & not knowing where you were. I have been in trees all day and I am tired but not so tired as yesterday. We are picking ripe plums now and therefore have stomach aches. I must go on “I must work harder” as Boxer said in Animal Farm. We have not earned much because old Sam Smith is Stingy. We now call each other comrade and have numbers. We also sing loudly in the trees. I am getting used to the ladders now (which is just as well) I am very dirty. You will also find teeth marks in this letter, because I am picking plums at the same time.

   I have now got back to our room and can write with more decency. We have been very happy today. Yesterday we were overworked picking those horrid green plums and although we still see plums every time we shut our eyes we are used to dangling from ladders etc.

This morning we got up at 6.30. An hour later than yesterday. We got back to the same row as yesterday with rather tall trees and two tramps are working on the same row; we are very cheery with them, but they do look miserable and have few teeth and ragged clothes: they sleep under hedges. Anyway this morning we were determined not to let it get us down and so we sang very loudly. I’ve got your letter in the back pocket of my jeans and I can feel it there when I am picking. When we got back to work, old Sam Smith said we were on ripe plums with the Smiths who are a very nice friendly family. It was lovely and sunny and we were really happy & not nearly so exhausted as yesterday when we just about went to sleep when we got back, soaking wet from the rain.

We still haven’t earned much. It seems we have not done much work today. But eight hours is enough!

When I didn’t get a letter  yesterday I was most disappointed, especially as we only earned ten shillings each.

I am happy today. We decided to have a violent quarrel in German today for the benefit of the FAT man in the caravan next door.

It is nice to feel equal to tramps and labourers and go dirty through the streets and to be greeted by local people and gypsies. Also we are enjoying a ‘hate’ campaign against our employer and have formed and “anti-fat man league”.

In other words we are enjoying ourselves.

19.8.63

I am running short of notepaper, so you can have a letter in columns.

I have all the time in the world to write this morning. We overslept and did not get to the orchard til late. We were quite happy picking until old Sam Smith came along and told us we would get 2/6 a box and not 3/- meany! So I spent the morning up a plum tree, picking occasionally ‘cos I couldn’t resist it and swearing at the old bastard as loud as I dared. We were both fed up. Also I had to tell ‘Arry, one of the tramps off. He stared picking the bottom plums, so I got great pleasure in calling out ‘oi ‘Arry you are in the wrong row!’ On top of that (will troubles ever cease?) someone has pinched out best basket and ladder. (Bet you it’s ‘arry).

The boys from Liverpool were telling us what Sam Smith said when we came. He described us as two Beatnicks from London!! I don’t think they’ve ever seen long hair before. Old Sam Smith calls them rats tails, but I don’t mind, ‘cos I can get my own back by calling him vile things in German, besides we all have a good laugh at him behind his back.

I have earned about 2/6 today. Actually we picked about a ton of plums last week, which sounds quite impressive, but it is comparatively little.

I was thinking today, in the plum tree, There must be two me’s. One is a well brought up north London girl who wears skirts. The other is in Evesham talking rather broadly with the boys from Liverpool and trying (!) to appreciate the Liverpool pop groups which have to be turned on full volume in the orchard — and which I am now getting used to. Also their Liverpool voices are catchy and raucous. I think it all helps me to see their point of view and it is a very strong point of view.

When I think of school work, I think how, comparatively easy mental work is and, in a way how much less natural and satisfying.

I only hope I can pick tomorrow. What I thought was fatigue and would pass on Thursday has become rather worse now. I have a sort of ache in my back which is like a bruise when I lie on it and is rather painful when I lift something. Each night I tell myself it will be better in the morning, but it won’t go. I didn’t pay much attention to it at first, because I am covered in bruises anyway. However, it only hurts badly when I lift ladders. It is annoying. Sorry. I mustn’t complain.

There is so much to tell you, especially about the people here, who are interesting and very friendly. This is a marvellous experiences if I ever want to write novels or anything. Especially I am very proud to know Thorpe and Harry. They are typical vagabonds. Last Friday, grinning all over their faces because of their pay packets, they announced to everybody in the orchard that they were going to have a bath!!! So they trotted off, but were soon back as filthy as before — mumbling something about ‘closed on Fridays’ or something. One of the pickers supplied Harry with a ‘new’ jacket and Thorpe with a ‘new’ overcoat., so now they look very smart and proud. I wish I had my camera, they look so marvellous — and they do even less work than us! They are always having tea breaks and they come along with their old black billy can & offer us cups of tea. Thorpe is rather good at finding butt ends of cigarettes — he seems to live on them I think he smells them out. We feel awfully sad when it rains all night. We see them coming to work soaked to the skin and unable to stop shivering and looking more miserable than ever — but they are friendly to us and often help us with our ladders.

The boys from Liverpool are nice too. There are four — two are over 6ft tall which is OK for plum picking. One is always doing somersaults all over the road. One is always shouting at everybody and swearing at them — when I asked him why, he said it was the only way to get anything done. Another is huge and sings loudly. He also has a good supply of drink. His father owns a pub. The other is just a drip.

Our foreman Mr Bury is nice too. But you only have to mention Thorpe and Harry to him and he is in fits of laughter. He laughs at everything — if you tell him apologetically you’ve broken a branch — he’ll roar with laughter!

I think I shall want to come fruit picking again. Apparently strawberry picking is well paid.

There is a variety of people and accents here. Some people let their children play in the orchard while they work. Some people are real pickers.

From the top of the trees I can see a long row of poplar trees.

I keep meaning to draw some more Tudor buildings for my special subject work. When I sit down to draw I think you might say “this is going to be a pretty drawing” It helps when you say that.

We think we are developing muscles!

There is a French boy who wants to take me out, but I have refused. He is missing his Evesham girlfriend who is in Germany.

If you ever hear “Twist and Shout” by the Beatles, think of me in the Orchard. I’m  beginning to like it. It is typical of Liverpool. Aggressive and raucous!