Derek Moriarty recalls his time on the Dairy team at Fairbridge Farm with mixed emotions. Apart from the all too common physical beatings by Ted Begley, his recollections of his duties at the dairy are at times, quite humorous. Derek relates his story.
Pehaps the most important thing to do in the early hours of the morning, having usually arisen around 2-30am in order to be at the dairy by 3 pm to start milking, was to take a slight detour via the Nuffield Hall kitchen, whereupon one could devour a bowl of Weet-Bix. Four was about all you could fit in a bowl. Suffice to say,four it was.
This scrummy meal,lashed most times with white sugar and milk ,was devoured with great relish and i might say in great haste. This of course was highly illegal,and could not have been accomplished without the co-operation of certain trainees,who happened to be on kitchen duties in the same month that i was on dairy. The said trainees will of course remain anonymous.!
To have been caught by the Boss,or any other member of staff for that matter,would no doubt have resulted in the severest of punishment and or loss of privileges, if of course,one still had any. For me that was seldom the case. Fortunately, i was never busted for this.
Looking back,i believe the thrill of the challenge of doing it without being caught was probably greater than the satisfaction of not going to work at 3 am on an empty stomach.
As an interesting post script; I now have five Vita Brits,or the odd bowl of porridge for breakfast every day, just not at 3 am. Cheers Derek.
Footnote by the Phantom. Perhaps the most interesting side of this great story is that Derek now only eats Vita Brits for breakfast. Food for thought. Excuse the pun. Cheers BK.
