My Mother’s Diaries – The Hiltonbury Farming Family Story 1948-1976

A short trailer about what is coming on Sunday's episode of My Mothers iaries

November and December 1950 — The Turning of the Year Winter arrives at Hiltonbury Farm with Bonfire Night, the first snow and preparations for Christmas. There are happy family moments as Andrew returns from boarding school after appering as Alice in his school production of Alice in Wonderland . Mother is kept busy making dresses, baking Christmas cakes, preparing presents and helping to draw thi...

Winter arrives at Hiltonbury Farm with snow, Christmas preparations, family celebrations and the everyday challenges of farming life. Listen to this short preview of November and December 1950 — The Turning of the Year .

Episode 18 — September and October 1950: Autumn Turning Autumn arrives at Hiltonbury Farm with village carnivals, gymkhanas, frosty mornings and the final anxious weeks of harvest. Jennifer proudly wins first prize at the carnival, while John battles changing weather to finish the thrashing and begin the autumn sowing. Potatoes are lifted, wheat is drilled and the arrival of the farm’s first pure...

And in the next episode, on Sunday  we return to Hiltonbury Farm… as the warmth of summer slowly gives way to autumn The Harvest corn is being threshed as we slowly head towards winter. Join me to Hear more of My Mothers Diaries

The summer of 1950 brought some of the most dramatic weeks of the year to Hiltonbury Farm. July began with long, busy days as the family prepared forthe harvest season. The crops stood promisingly in the fields, but farming isalways at the mercy of the weather, and before long dark clouds began togather. As rain threatened the ripening corn, anxiety spread across the farm. Every dry day became pre...

A short insight into the exciting and momentous happenings in July and August 1950 on Hiltonbury Farm

My Mother’s Diaries – Episode 16 May & June 1950 – The Summer Gathering As spring gave way to summer, Hiltonbury Farm entered one of the busiest and happiest periods of the year. The countryside around Chandlers Ford was alive with growth, the fields were flourishing, and every day seemed packed with activity from dawn until dusk. May arrived with a whirlwind of spring cleaning, decorating, wa...

Just a short intro to the happenings on Hiltonbury Farm in May and June 1950

My Mother’s Diaries – Episode 15 March & April 1950 – Spring on the Farm As winter reluctantly loosened its grip on Hampshire, life at Hiltonbury Farm moved into one of the busiest and most hopeful seasons of the year. March arrived with snow showers, cold winds and muddy fields, but beneath the surface spring was beginning to stir. Seeds were drilled into the land, fertiliser spread across th...

A short trailer to Next Sundays June 7th episode of My Mothers Diaries about March and April 1950

January and February 1950 begin quietly at Hiltonbury Farm, with winter firmly settled over the countryside. There is illness in the house and cold, unsettled weather outside, yet the daily rhythm of farm life continues — cows to be milked, calves to be tended, and the household kept running. Amid the hard work, there are small moments of warmth — family gatherings, a birthday celebration, and eve...

Spring slowly arrives at Hiltonbury Farm as winter finally begins to loosen its grip on the Hampshire countryside. In this episode of My Mother’s Diaries , it tells of snow showers giving way to warmer days, chicks hatching in the farmyard, seeds being drilled into the fields, and the first real signs of spring appearing around the farmhouse. There are dances at village halls, shopping trips to So...

So as we move into a New year and a new decade life on the farm continues at a steady pace battling the foul weather with the hope of Spring on its way

This is an episode telling the history of Hiltonbury Farmhouse that was written by my Father John Vining in 1974. The Farmhouse is now a Pub Restaurant serving the People of North Millers Dale and Chandlers Ford followed by the some descriptions of the people and places in My Mothers Diaries.

Just a little about a special episode I have done about the Farmhouse and some of the people who are mentioned in My Mothers Diaries

November and December 1949 bring winter to Hiltonbury Farm, as fires are lit and life moves indoors. Days are filled with sewing, cooking and preparing for Christmas, while outside the farm continues its steady work — threshing, tending livestock, and working through cold, wet weather. There are dances, family gatherings, and small celebrations, alongside moments of worry and winter illness. As Ch...

A little about moving into the cold winter of 1949,when the frost gathers and the house grows dark slowly moving towards the end od a decade that has moved from war to a quiet resilience to build a farm and a family

The last of the harvest is gathered, threshing begins, and autumn slowly settles over the fields. There is good news with prize-winning crops and new calves on the farm, while the children begin their new school life. As October arrives, warm days give way to storms and darker evenings. Yet life continues with dances, village gatherings, farm work, and even a memorable trip to London for the Dairy...

A brief synopsis of the beginning of Autumn at Hiltonbury Farm in 1949.Please jopin me Sunday for the full episode

July and August 1949 bring the height of summer to Hiltonbury Farm — long hot days, busy harvest fields, and a farmhouse full of life. Pea picking and haymaking fill the days, while evenings are spent with friends, tennis, and village gatherings. There are trips to the seaside, a memorable visit to the Shrewsbury Show, and simple moments of laughter shared over tea in the garden. As the heat build...

A short taster to what is coming on Sundays episodes of My Mothers Diaries as we head into the height of summer 1949

Summer arrives at Hiltonbury Farm — and with it, a season full of life, laughter, and change with the Farm in full rhythm — busy, lively, and full of change. The fields are green, the garden is growing, and the farmyard is bursting with new life. Chicks arrive in their hundreds, a new pony named Smoky becomes part of the family, and Lassie’s puppies bring excitement to the farmhouse. Days are fill...

On Sunday I will be reading about the happenings May andJune 1949…at Hiltonbury Farm because life is now in full of bloom. The fields are green again…the garden is growing fast…and the farmyard is alive with noise, movement and new life and Lassie is also quietly preparing for something very special And yet — through it all —life continues in its steady, beautiful rhythm. Work… laughter… family…an...

March and April 1949 in My Mothers Diaries bring a turning of the seasons at Hiltonbury Farm — from the last stubborn grip of winter to the first true signs of spring. March begins with snow, cold rain, and muddy days, but beneath it all life is quietly stirring. Seeds are prepared, hens grow broody, and the familiar rhythm of farm and family life continues — filled with sewing, visitors, village...