• Article |
• Discussion |
• View source |
• History

Former Duffield resident Eric Cockain remembers some of the interesting characters who lived in the village after the Second World War. Pipe magnate Sir Arthur Aiton was the most notable, but there were others who also made their mark. Villages have always had their fair share of characters – and Duffield is no exception.

Boy, Oh Boy, a well known character in Duffield in the 1940s and 1950s, tries his luck on the coconut shy in the grounds of Duffield Park

Sir Arthur Aiton, who opened up the grounds of his home, Duffield Park, to host a carnival in aid of the Duffield British Legion

One of the carnival acts performed gymnastics for the locals

As a boy, I remember two people who really stood out from the norm but for very different reasons. On the one hand, there was pipe magnate Sir Arthur Aiton, a figure of great distinction. On the other, there was a man we only knew as Boy, Oh Boy, who infamously won £1,000 on the football pools and, as rumour had it, the money disappeared just as quickly in Duffield’s White Hart pub.

Both men were a bit of an enigma to us village folk.

Although Sir Arthur lived in the lovely residence, Duffield Park, he was rarely seen in and around the village on foot. It was the aftermath of the Second World War and he was one of only two people in Duffield who owned a car.

Sir Arthur, however, was the only one to be driven around in his car by a chauffeur – a man called Mr Croucher. At the age of nine, Mr Croucher’s wife once invited me to hear a talk given by Sir Arthur on the British Empire in the Women’s Institute Church Hall, in Hazelwood Road.

I knew I was very privileged and I can still picture this really great man framed in the big window at the end of the room. When I floated out at the end of the talk, I had learned what the difference was between our Empire and all other previous Empires – ours was one the one which was destined to last forever.

Ridiculously, I also remember Sir Arthur saying it was impossible to eat an egg without salt. He would talk about cementing together power and duty and how you should always remember to be fair in exercising that power.

I recall Sir Arthur’s wife, who sometimes walked to the village shops. We all doffed our caps to her, but she had a problem with one of her legs and all the children, including myself I’m ashamed to say, imitated her peculiar style of walking. I can still do the walk today.

Sir Arthur was unbelievably generous to the Duffield branch of the British Legion. At one stage he donated a listed building near his home, called Tamworth House, to be used as its headquarters. Sir Arthur’s promise to give the Legion the building was fulfilled without fuss or charge.

He was a remarkable man, always impeccable, even in his dressing gown, as encountered by Beryl Hague when she delivered his milk. He was a man to be respected and looked up to.

In the late 1940s Sir Arthur decided to host a carnival in the grounds of Duffield Park to raise funds for the Legion. It was a mixture of traditional games and very unusual attractions, such as a gymnastic team display. There was also a competition to win a prime pig for the table.

However, the family who won the contest could not bring themselves to have the pig slaughtered and, as a result, it became the family pet.

It was highly unusual to be invited into the grounds of Duffield Park, and so everyone made the effort and put on their Sunday best, including Boy, Oh Boy, a man who most locals treated with a wary type of respect.

He moved into the village after marrying the daughter of a local yeoman and the couple lived in a tied cottage next to the church hall.

No-one knew much about his history and he was not the most articulate of men. His nickname evolved because he greeted everyone with the saying: “Boy, oh boy, how are you doing?” I can’t even remember his real name.

He was always inseparable from his dog, which only had the one eye, and he could usually be found in the White Hart, buying drinks for everyone with his winnings.

I also remember a local farmer, Mr Lomas, from just outside Duffield, who visited his father’s pub, The King’s Head, every so often for a drinking session.

He arrived in a horse and cart, and had a good drink. Fortunately, his horse was so well trained, that we could lift Mr Lomas into the cart, cover him with hay and the horse would take him home.

• Duffield: Carnival day cancelled

FEEDBACK

Did you enjoy this article? If so, why not comment on it? Perhaps you disagree with something in it, or you know something the writer doesn't and can add some extra facts. You may want to ask a question about this article. Making a contribution is easy - either click 'edit' to insert more information or 'discussion' and then 'add comment.' This is your site. Please feel free to use it to the full and share your memories, thoughts and knowledge about Derbyshire with others.

If there is no 'edit' link showing it means the article has either previously been published in the Derby Evening Telegraph, or it has been protected by the site administrator and cannot be edited.'

County:  Derbyshire

Return to You_and_Yesterday