My father Mr George Chapman first came to Cawston about 1912 to work for W. A. Bush at Chapel Street as a wheelright carpenter with a weekly wage of one guinea (21 shillings – £1-5p new money). at that time they were making farm carts and wagons for the Sandringham Estate. This was after completing a 5 years apprenticeship in 1909 with a weekly wage at the end of this apprenticeship of 10 shillings

Mr George Chapman

After marrying in 1913 he lived in a cottage in Chapel Street now known as Holly Cottage at two shillings per week but before I was born moved to Norwich Road where the rent was six pence a week cheaper and where four of our family was born.

Norwich Road as I remember it, the White Horse Public House was closed on the corner then two cottages and then Dents meadow, opposite was two houses and then Melborne Villas, round the corner on the right was the Methodist Chapel and then two houses, one owned by J Bush whose son had a pork butcher shop.

The first council  bungalow on the left at Norwich Road was occupied in April 1960.
 
When I was born the District Nurse lived in one the lodges at Haveringland and was fetched by horse and cart, later a bungalow was provided for the nurse at Norwich Road opposite Dents

My earliest memories of the public houses still open were seven, the Woodrow Inn (Bartle Family) Friendship at Eastgate (Mr Egmore) The Plough at Sygate  (Mr Knights) The Kings Head at the market Hill (Mrs Gaskin) The Bell Inn at the High Street (Mr J. Wright) The Lamb in New Street (Mr Hutton) The Ratcatchers at Eastgate (Mr Easton)  The Prince of Wales at The Prince of Wales Road (Chapel Street) was already closed as was The White Horse at New Street but the original family Cecil Kybird still lived there.	Woodrow Public House
Cawston in my childhood was self supporting, we had four butchers:- Mr Bush Norwich Road, pork only in Norwich Road. Mr Wilson Prince of Wales road (now Chapel St) who also had the slaughter house and supplied other butchers in Norwich. Mr Green in the High Street, latter taken over by Mr Pye and Mr Hutton who had a shop in the yard at the Lamb Public House in New Street.	Wilson's - shop

Some also had their own slaughter houses.

The cattle would be bought at Norwich Market on Wednesday and Saturday and as there was no transport the cattle would be brought to Cawston by Drovers and we would hear them coming at about 10.o’clock at night.

Our milk was supplied by Mrs Office of White House Farm, she would come at 7.o’clock carrying two cans and measure and ladle the milk into our jugs, the price was two pence a pint and one pence for skimmed milk, any milk needed at tea time had to be collected. Saturday morning we would see Mrs Office in her  T Ford off to Norwich market with her eggs, butter and cream cheese, one or two farmers would also deliver to other parts of the village.

There were three bakers shops:
Mr Dewing in Chapel Street,
People would go to him on Saturday morning and buy dough and yeast for dumplings.
Mr Long at Market Hill,
On Christmas day Mr Long would light his oven and cook the cockerel or goose for you for a few pence, (no turkeys then) at this time there was no electricity which meant lighting Dutch ovens to do the cooking
Mr Gooch in New Street
,
Most deliveries was made by horse and cart or bicycle.

At this time there was no electricity which meant lighting Dutch ovens to do the cooking.
The business of Mr Gooch  was taken over by Dent and was moved to Norwich Road where he had a garage and later a bakery built, when he  first started to have vans he would buy the chassis and my father who was by that time working for Mr Dent would build the body work and shelve it out because they would be carrying  everything from paraffin to groceries and drapery.
We had no electricity but Mr Dent had a big engine to provide electricity to his premises and would also charge accumulators for people for radios

We had three grocery shops:-
Mr Moulton, High Street, grocery and drapery and post office,
Mr Hammond, Chapel Street, grocery and drapery and
Mr Long, Market Hill, Grocery and baker.
 
The head master of school was Mr Chaffey assisted by his wife, Mrs Moore and Miss Ninham  in the infants who was assisted by Norah Gaff.
We had a play ground for the infants, the boys would play in the walled enclosure known as the stocks and the girls on the road outside the school but we were quite safe as cars were very few about, only 6 cars in the village, for netball or football we were allowed to use Mr Dent meadow, the site of Marsham garage, Norwich Road.

This meadow was also used for the annual fair which consisted of swings, roundabouts and rock stalls etc.

On Empire Day we were given an Empire medal by Mrs Cheetham from Cawston Manor. A Gymkana was held at the Manor each followed by dancing on the lawn in the evening.

Once a year we would have what was known as a scripture exam when a rector from another village (usually from Hevingham) would come and test all children on their religions knowledge. The Rev Marsh would come at least twice a week and take religions lessons.

The Manor was used during the second world for disabled children from homes near the coast.

The Homestead belonging to Mr Payne, Church Farm and was used by the very good Cawston football team also an annual Band contest where played, bands from near and far would come and compete for major trophies, this would finish with a band concert at the school. Fetes were also held at the Homestead with games and sports and the greasy pole which was erected over the pits.

A fine Bowling green and tennis court were in front of the Cawston Memorial Institute (Village Hall) which was built before the first world war which the Cawston family had built in memory of their son who was killed in the boar war. The following info was given to me by Miss Dewing (100)
The hall was a ex army Hut brought from Loughborough, the man who came with it and erected it lodged with her family.
The Institute was used for regular dances and social events and reading room.

The summer holiday was referred to as the harvest holiday where we would spent practically all our holiday in the harvest field, we would discover what time a field would be finished and rush to be there with  sticks for when the bulk of the rabbits would be caught, seldom shot usually chased by children.

Lots of residents were known by nick names, one springs to mind is Ruff Carman seen most evenings on the market hill having a mardle, there were also such as Rock Hammer, Pom  Pom, Jew Jew and Chocolate.

A charity known as Heath Money which was paid on the 1^st Saturday in February usually by the chairman of the council, this money came from the rent of properties and use of firing range used by the army each year.

The council houses on the Aylsham Road were built after the second world war.