Colin's Story
Colin
Bigden recalls his happy visits to Bodiam between 1950 and 1953.
Colin's family came from Dagenham and stayed at the Terrace Wood
Camp near the Curlew (or Junction Inn as it was then called).
Terrace Wood has now been deveolped into a housing estate called
Castle Hurst.
At the Terrace Wood camp
Colin's family were next door to a family called Buffard who came from
Hastings. His cousins were in a hut backing on to his family's
and he recalls that families would reserve the same hut year after year
and the community would reform year after year. Colin has
supplied the photograph below taken outside their Hut - No. 28.
Back Row: Mrs Buffard, Bob Harris, May Harris, Sarah Bigden, Alf Bigden, Margaret Bigden, Rose Cooper (??), Mr Buffard
Front Row: Brian Harrington, Colin Bigden, Brian Buffard (with Pip).
As you can see from the photo, these huts appear very different from
the corregated iron ones generally used. These were made of
precast concrete and were considered to be "luxurious" in comparison.
Colin thinks there must have been about 60 huts in the complex
with a toilet block with flush toilets. Somewhat different to the
hut with a wooden seat over a hole in the ground.
Colin has happy memories of his hop picking days and as a youth of some
10 years old, did as little as he could get away with when it came to
picking hops. It was much more fun helping out on the back of the
lorry that collected the pokes of hops and took them to the oast.
The lorry drivers name was Ernie George.