KATH HAYHURST, née Sharp, who lives at Burton-in-Kendal, recalls growing up on a farm at Burneside in the 1940s.

I WAS born and grew up at Garnett house at Burneside. I had three sisters and one brother.

The farm belonged to the Cropper’s. My father, grandfather and great-grandfather, the tenants, worked the land for 75 years. They are all buried in Burneside churchyard.

My childhood memories all link up with the yearly cycle of country life.

I recall sledging in the snow during winter and I loved skating on Ratherheath Tarn.

Spring would involve feeding the pet lambs and looking after new chickens and goslings and my pet rabbits. The dogs and cats were working animals and were not allowed in the house.

At Whitsuntide we children got new clothes and sandals for outings to Kendal or Morecambe. We rode to the seaside in the Austin car and always took a picnic. We usually went after the cows had been milked on Sunday evenings.

At haytime I had to lead the horses while the carts were being loaded.

Then came harvest time and setting up the stooks of corn (oats) followed, later, by the excitement of threshing day.

My job was to help carry the chaff away in swill baskets — I got very dusty!

In the autumn I collected mushrooms, blackberries and hazel nuts for the table, also conkers (chestnuts) for games.