Memories of Le Parquet

Memories of Le Parquet

Eleanor with her aunt Rene and neighbouring farmer Stephen de Gruchy

In 1949 three-year-old Eleanor Payne came to Jersey to stay with her aunt at Le Parquet, Rue du Nord, Trinity. She has shared her memories of that and a subsequent visit with us

Le Parquet, 1949

Teachers

"My aunts were Irene (Rene) Payne and Mary Crawford . They had met when teaching in Sleaford before the war and remained firm friends for the rest of their life. Both were teachers - Rene taught Maths and Mary biology. They went to Jersey in the late 1940s to teach at Jersey College for Girls. They bought Le Parquet in Trinity. I assume they owned the house in joint names.

"It was bought from an old couple. Auntie Rene had gone with a young (and very handsome) solicitor to put in a bid for the house. It was less than the old couple had asked for, but they assumed Auntie Rene and the solicitor were married and decided they were a nice young couple and agreed to let them have the house!

"Rene and Mary left Jersey after the death of my grandfather in 1950. My grandmother was struggling to cope on her own and Rene had always promised her father that she would look after grandma when he died. They regretfully sold up and came back to England.

"I spent summer 1949 in Jersey. My father was seriously ill in hospital and my mother was threatening to miscarry. Eleanor, aged 3, was playing up merry hell as her world was collapsing around her. Auntie Rene arrived and decided the best thing to do was to take me back to Jersey, where I had a wonderful time! I also went back, I think it was Easter 1950.

"Le Parquet wasn’t covered with creeper then and was a very plain but elegant plastered covered building surrounded by a large garden. It looks as if one of the hedges has been grubbed out since.

Duck pond

"I loved Le Parquet. I remember helping clean out the duck pond one afternoon and falling in, to emerge covered with smelly dark mud. My aunts also kept hens and I used to help collect the eggs (and locked my aunt in the hen house one day). They bought me a tricycle, which I used to ride round the garden, complete with a tinsel crown, which I think had come from the props box for school plays.

"Their next door neighbours were the de Gruchys who owned a farm which I think was called Greenfield. I do remember their telephone number was Trinity 33. There was Stephen, his sister Lou and younger brother Edward. Stephen was probably 40-50 at the time. Edward may have been about ten years younger. Their farm was reached from Le Parquet by going through a gap in the hedge and across the field.

"I adored 'uncle Stephen' and would disappear through the hedge to visit the farm. I was allowed to play in the hay barn. It was a great treat to take a jug to collect milk fresh from the cow. It was warm and frothy to cool off after a day’s work and I used to carry it very carefully so as not to spill a drop. I did have several slurps on the way home, so it was never a full jug when I got back.

"I used to help collect the cows from the field to be hand milked and then take them back. They were always staked to restrict the area they could graze. I remember the bull, but was never allowed near him. He was always in a field by himself.

"I seem to remember they grew Jersey Royal potatoes as well as keeping the cows.

Horses

"The two horses used to work the farm were very different characters. Dick was very gentle and I was allowed to lead him by his halter. Auntie Rene was always terrified Dick would accidently tread on this tiny tot leading a massive cart horse, but he never did. I was also allowed to ride Dick, too. Tom could be very temperamental, had a mind of his own and was the boss. I was never allowed to lead him. Both horses loved going to the beach for a paddle in the sea. You had to watch out for Tom though, as he was known to toss his rider into the sea.

"There were always cats around and we used to go to the beach to collect limpets to feed them.

"Harvest time was always busy and Stephen used to make his own cider from windfall apples. It was very rough, and probably cloudy with bits, and I understand was pretty lethal! It was always provided for the men to drink with their lunch. I was allowed a slurp one afternoon, much to the horrtor of Auntie Rene. I think Stephen got quite a telling off about that!

"I notice that Lilia, who I assume was the mother, was nee Blampied. This raises another question: 'I inherited a picture of Bonne Nuit Bay painted by C G Blampied. Auntie Rene bought it from the artist while they were in Jersey. Was he any relation of the de Gruchy’s?

"My aunts left Jersey in 1951/2. We did go back for a holiday in around 1960 and went to see the de Gruchys who were still farming.

An aerial view of Greenhill, on the left, and Le Parquet

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  The painting by C G Blampied