In March and April 1951, the weather causes serious problems at Hiltonbury Farm, with constant rain preventing work on the land. Yet family and farm life continue: new pigs arrive, Jersey heifers calve, chickens need tending and the oats must eventually be drilled.

There are anxious visits to hospital as Mother undergoes an operation and Betty is taken ill with appendicitis, but happier moments follow. Andrew comes home from St Probus, Jennifer wins second place at the Ampfield Gymkhana and passes her riding test, and two new cows join the herd.

Through it all, Mother washes, irons, sews, teaches dancing and welcomes a steady stream of visitors—quietly recording another busy spring at Hiltonbury Farm.

In this episode, we return to Hiltonbury Farm in March and April 1951, where the arrival of spring brings little relief from the weather.

Rain falls day after day, leaving the fields sodden and bringing much of the farm work to a standstill. As Mother writes, the situation is becoming serious, with almost nothing able to be done on the land.

But life at Hiltonbury never stops completely.

There are pigs arriving on the farm, Jersey heifers calving during the night and chickens that still need to be fed, whatever the weather. John struggles to finish the threshing and drill the oats whenever the ground is dry enough.

There are worrying days too. Betty is rushed to hospital with appendicitis, while Mother’s own mother undergoes an operation. Amid all the uncertainty, the family wait anxiously for news.

Yet there are happier moments.

Andrew comes home from St Probus for the holidays, a new baby named Timothy arrives, and Jennifer competes at the Ampfield Gymkhana, where she wins second place in Musical Chairs and passes her riding test.

Through it all, Mother washes, irons, sews, teaches dancing and welcomes a constant stream of friends and relations—all without electricity and often with the washing hanging indoors because of the rain.

She never complains. She simply records each day and carries on.

Join me for March and April 1951—a story of difficult weather, new life on the farm, family worries and the first hopeful signs of spring at Hiltonbury.

This is My Mother’s Diaries — The Hiltonbury Farming Family Story.

January and February 1951. It includes the snow, family illnesses, Jennifer’s birthday, hundreds of snowdrops—and the memorable evening when mother won a pig at the N.F.U. Ball.

January and February 1951 — Winter at Hiltonbury

The new year begins beneath a thick covering of snow at Hiltonbury Farm. The chicken arks must be dug out, journeys become difficult, and the children enjoy tobogganing on the Camel Hump.

While John buys a new seed drill and orders a new car, illness spreads through the family and among their friends. Yet everyday life continues with washing, ironing, dancing, football, birthday cakes and a constant stream of visitors to the farmhouse.

February brings Jennifer’s birthday party, evenings at the pictures and dances with friends. The family picks and bunches hundreds of snowdrops, taking some to loved ones and placing others on Grandfather’s grave.

There is also a visit to see All About Eve, a happy weekend in Beaconsfield and one particularly memorable night at the N.F.U. Ball—when Mother unexpectedly wins a pig!

Join me for two winter months filled with family life, friendship, farming and the wonderfully ordinary moments preserved in my mother’s diaries.