Of course that was at Aldbourne in Wiltshire and I was very interested in horses for a few years and then I went on the shepherding. But during the time I was in the horses I was feeding 13 horses from 6 o clock in the morning until 7 o clock and then we went to plough all day and I got three bob a week for that.

I was along with my brother in law at Baydon and they had a bit of trouble just before lambing. They had several ewes go giddy. And the young farmer he had never done no farming before. He called in a vet and the vet said they was having too many turnips. He cut the turnips down and the sheep got worse.

So after a day or two the farmer asked the shepherd his opinion. He said you ought to have asked me that before, sir, he said I have been with sheep ever since I left shool, he said. And the vet, he said, he only sees a flock of sheep when he meets them on the road. He said you take that hay away, he said, and change the hay, he said, and you'lll find that it will be all right. They did and after a couple of days they never lost another sheep.

Well from then on as I say I was always interested in sheep and then I went to Browns at Aldbourne and they lost a lot of sheep through slipping and that before lambing and that always played on my mind. In fact I have always carried it in my memory up till the present day.

And then I went to Whatley's at Wanborough Plain with old Shep Pierce and he'd have been a shepherd all his life, his father before and I believe his grandfather and the whole family had been shepherds. He couldn't read or write but he was a good shepherd. There's no doubt about that and I learnt quite a lot off of him but I have experienced off of what I learnt off of him. I have always opened up me own sheep when one died I always opened it myself and had a look at it. And that's how I come to be, really, as experiencd as what I really am. In those days, you see, the shepherd he had to do everything he had to be the nurse; he had to be the doctor. If a sheep broke its leg he had to set it. And all sort of very funny things happen in the lambing time but I have had some very, very important things to do.

I used to tell the farmer when I agreed with him well after I got on a bit, I used to say well sir if I comes for you, you will be the master and I shall be the shepherd and one of 'em he stopped me one night and said I was going home too early and I told him that the shepherd's job was his own time. He said well, the labourers have complained about you going home at 4 o clock.

I said well you can tell the labourers from me that they has an hour for dinner. I don't. I said and when they knocks off at 5 o clock, I said, they're finished but if anything goes wrong with your flock of sheep, I said, if tis the middle of the night I shall be there. So you see my time was me own. And he said well very good shepherd. He said you carry on as you're going. 'Cause I said to him if you wants a labourer to look after your sheep you have'em by all means.

You see in those days it only cost £4 a year for rent for a four roomed house. That's down in Wiltshire where I was. And a five roomed house was £5 a year, that was only £1 a year per room and today, well, some of the people's paying more than that per week.

And I went out there and he came up there, I suppose he was about three parts drunk early in the morning too. And he accused me of letting the sheep out on the wheat. Well, I knew that they hadn't have been out on the wheat, and even if they had it would have done it good. Well I said to him can't you tell the difference between a sheep's foot and a cow's foot then?

And he turned round. He takes a revolver out of his pocket. And he pointed it at me. And he said: 'you want some of this?' I stooped down and I picked up two or three stones and I put them after him as fast as they could go and so did he go out of the field as fast as he could go.

The farmer come across to me and he said, shepherd, you've got a good dog there. I said tell us some'at I don't know. He said I will buy him off you. I said governor you couldn't you haven't a got enough money. When this dog and me parts, death'll part us.

You see there was a lesson taught through opening the sheep.

So the next day I had another one go wrong. I killed that me'self and dressed it and had a look at it. And then I thought myself, well I see what this is: kidney trouble. I came down into a copse and just away across where the fields are that's grubbed up now and I got a little arm full of broom brought it up down here. Boiled it up in this house. And I took it back and I drenched the lambs with that. Well I fatted them lambs out and I smeared exactly the same place as I did the others. I had eleven of them there. And then I have also found that broom is a very good thing to, for anoybody with got dropsy. One old chap down the road here he come to me one Thursday with his boots cut in slickets. I said hello old fellow, what you on the sick list then? And he said yes. I said what's the matter with you? 'Oh,' he said, 'I've been to the hospital and they have sent me home uncurable. They said gout.'

I said I see your feet's swelled. Let's have a look at your legs. So he pulled up his trousers and I felt his legs and of course where my fingers went it was all dense. I said they might as well have told you the truth old man. I said, they know what's the matter with you. I said you've got dropsy. 'Oh,' he said, 'my father died with dropsy.' Well, I said, be on the cheerful side look's as if you are going the same way unless you do summ'at for yourself. Doctor yesterday told him that all the medicine in the world wouldn't do him no good.

I said will you do as I tell you as if a doctor told you. He said yes, I will. I said right, first of all cut those spuds out. Don't have no more than one fair sized one or two small ones. Eat as much green stuff as you like and come along here I will show you what to get. I took the old chap along and cutting off a handfull of green broom. I said take that home and put it in the jug and pour some boiling hot water on it and when its cool enough to drink you take a wine glass full just as it is. And then I said you'll take another wine glass full tonight before you go to bed. And then one morning, noon and night until I tell you different. Well, that's what he did. He come to me on the following Sunday, which was only three clear days, with his proper boots on with no cuts. And on the following week that Monday, which was only ten days, he started work on the golfing down here with britches and gaiters on.That old chap kept himself alive for 16 years with his home made medicine. Plenty of it grew all round his house. You see people in these days they keep running to the doctor for everything. They don't help their selves. And you've got to help youself if you want to get well. I know people as gets some tablets. And throw them down in the sink. One told me only just recently that she had some tablets. She didn't want them. She wouldn't take 'em. Well why did the doctor give her some tablets he knew she coulnd't swallow. See he should have give it to her in medicine. But I believe in me own herbs because now from me own eyes you can see I can read anything. I can even see a lot of that on there and that wants some seeing, don't it. I only use elder leaves to wash my eyes with. I gives me eyes a good soaking with elder leaves. Just simmer the leaves, strain them off. And they will leave your eyes as soft as silk.