After World War I David Johnson’s father left his suburban home in Leicester and a steady job on the railways to follow a dream of self-sufficiency on a smallholding in deepest rural Suffolk. His wife, somewhat reluctantly, accompanied him. In a fascinating book David has written about the very special childhood that resulted from his Father’s decision. Brook Farm was almost completely devoid of any of the comforts of modern life, without electricity or running water, and rearing chickens, far from being the dream envisaged, proved to be a constant struggle. Nonetheless, if his parents became downhearted, young David barely aware of it, and he vividly recalls the rural scenes, personalities and adventures of his youth.
Anyone who was a country child during the middle years of the last century will be reminded of their own experiences...unhindered play outside from dawn to dusk for example, the thrill of sliding down haystacks, and the complications of the wash day mangle. The book, which is written in a distinct, unsentimental voice, cannot be described as a rural idyll however, and David doesn’t shy away from the darker, more fundamental aspects of rural life.
David, who will be known to many people locally has lived in Acton for many years with his wife Christine. Copies of the book at £10.00 can be obtained directly from David (tel: 01787 377107). Money received from sales will go towards research into Parkinsons.
