Description:
Audio reminiscence with Peter Green, interviewed by Pam Colley and Madge Danes
A Life in Checkley and Fownhope: Pete Green’s Story
Pete Green was born in 1949 and raised in Checkley at Penteloe Fields, part of a close-knit, hardworking family with roots in farming and timber work. His father was a timberman and his mother managed the household, livestock and seasonal work like rearing geese for market. Pete fondly recalls childhood days spent collecting Spindle wood (used for skewering birds for sale at Christmas in Hereford market), and helping around their smallholding, which once had cows, sheep, and over 20 cats fed on a surplus of rich milk.
Checkley, in Pete’s youth, was a boy’s paradise—brooks, woods, dens, bows and arrows, and a strong sense of freedom. He cycled on tyreless bikes, played music with friends, and roamed the landscape with a loyal, adventurous dog named Pug. He attended Mordiford School, then the Bishop’s School in Hereford, where he muddled through academics but found passion in music. There was a piano at home, and his mother played organ in Checkley church. Pete took up the guitar, forming a band called The Motion.
Pete worked for the Forestry Commission, then became self-employed in timber with family, before moving into factory work and eventually joining the Fire Service in 1979. He served for decades in the Hereford Fire Brigade, witnessing changes in technology, staffing and emergency response across the county.
He married Shirley in 1971 and raised a family in Fownhope, benefiting from early social housing schemes and eventually buying their home. A lover of music and history, Pete has preserved records and receipts from past generations and cherishes stories of colourful Checkley characters like Bill Weaver (aka Billy Looksee) and Frank Holland, the postman knew everyone’s history. His voice remains rooted in the rhythms of the land and the communities of Herefordshire. His story is a vivid and humorous reflection on rural life, self-reliance, and community change.
Excerpt:
Right, today is Monday, the 17th of August, and we're at Pam …
