He was a member of the Communist Party, and interested in folk music, performing himself with what he thought as a 'country' accent. On one occasion, George visited The Punchbowl with Geoffrey in the 1960s, the latter singing the song to all assembled!īefore moving to Sussex in 1953, Mervyn Plunkett lived in Clapham in the same building as Ewan MacColl, Isla Cameron and Alan Lomax. One song was The Little Shirt my Mother Gave to Me which she taught her grandson Geoffrey (born 1955). Although George's wife Dorothy never sang outside the house, inside was a different affair.
After the dartboard had been taken down following matches, the assembly would indulge itself in song with George to the fore. In fact, The White Hart was nearer Old House Farm but, the story goes he was refused a drink because he was still dressed in his work clothes! George was a keen darts player, although there is no mention of him taking part in the pub team. After work, George would visit The Punchbowl Inn for a drink whose landlord was Fred Nurse. However, it was the arrival of a new resident to Bow Cottage in West Hoathly (2 kilometers east of Old House Farm) in the guise of Mervyn Plunkett that was to open up an unexpected music front on George's behalf. It is assumed that Furse gave George every opportunity to garden both for himself and the farm on an ample plot. George was now in his mid-forties, but found his enthusiasm for cricket rewarded as umpire for the Turners Hill team.
The period from 1948 until George's death gave him the peace and space needed to re-establish and likewise indulge himself in his hobbies in cricket and gardening. This was agreed, although Sid died at Cranleigh in January 1948 during negotiations. George accepted on condition that jobs would similarly be found for Ron and Sid. As the yields and welfare of the pedigree Guernsey herd had suffered during his absence, word arrived via his Old House contacts at Haywards Heath market, and he was offered his job back. This followed when farmer William Furse felt obliged to return the jobs already given to George, his son Ron, and his father-in-law Sid Appleton, to the homecoming war veterans who had previously worked there. In Part Three of this series, we heard how the noted Sussex-based singer George Spicer, had moved back to Old House Farm, Selsfield Common in the Ashdown Forest (8 kilometers south-west of East Grinstead) after two years in the proverbial wilderness. Place cursor on graphics for citation and further information.Īrticle MT279 "I don't know if this is actually a folk song" The Life and Music of George Spicer (1906-1981) "I Don't Know If This is Actually a Folk Song" Note: place cursor on red asterisks for footnotes.
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