1919 Tug of War Teams A + B at the White Horse Inn, Compton Bassett. Landlord Harold Blackford. Back row (from left). 1. Ernest Taylor; 2. Henry Lewis; 3. Fred Beckett; 4. Bert Goodenough; 5. Bill Rumming; 6. Jack Taylor; 7. Bill Derham. Back Row (right). 1. Fred Smith; 2. Jim Bevington; 3. Arthur Wheeler; 4. Charlie Derham; 5. Harry Evans; 6. Harold Offer; 7. Albert Fell. Front Row (left). 1. Harry Wilkins; 2. Jim Rumming; 3. Bill Cook; 4. Jack Rumming. Front row (right) 1. Charlie Lewis; 2. Fred Bradfield; 3. Ernest Rumming; 4. Jim Wheeler1920. Charlie Derham on tractor and Bill Rumming on plough after winning 2nd prize at Avebury Ploughing Match1921. Charles Derham at the wedding of James Edward Rumming & Rebeccah Jane Dew1957. Photo taken at the back of Manor Farm, showing Charlie Derham with the grand daughter of Mrs Fielding-Johnson – Victoria Earle. Victoria being the daughter of David Earle, second son of Mrs Fielding-Johnson’s first marriage.1969. “Born and bred” in Compton Bassett, Charlie Derham (b. 1892) and Bill Rumming, both 77 years old. Charlie started work at the age of 12 in the gardens at the “Big House” for 2/6d per week, after 2 years he took a job at the Old Forge where Mr Swan was the blacksmith, paying Charlie 3/6d per week. He left this and worked at Dugdales and Manor Farm when the Heneage Estate was sold to the CWS in 1918. He and Bill Rumming moved from farm to farm with a threshing machine and steam engine which was owned by Mr Bodman, farmer at Dugdales. A true countryman, Charlie was respected by all who knew him. Bill Rumming also left school at 12 years old, started work at Home Farm for a weekly wage of 2/6d. One of his first jobs was going with John Hewlett to Calne Station to collect a cartload of young trees to be planted on the estate. 2 beech trees were planted at Silver Lane – one still thriving. He then worked at Dugdales and Manor Farm untill 1914 when he joined the army serving in France, Palestine, the Struma Valley and was wounded in the battle of the Dardanelles at Gallipoli. As mentioned above he took up farm work again. Then a spell of gamekeeping through the 1920s for Major Pope who bought the shooting rights on the CWS estate; he ended his working days as a gardener for Mr C O Gough at Chilvester House, Calne.1919. The White Horse Inn, Compton Bassett showing A-B Tug-of-War teams. The landlord was Harold Blackford1919. Second photo of the tug of war teams.
