Early days.

Village thatcher

1971 – 1973

My introduction to thatching happened purely by chance. One day out on a bike ride I came across a thatcher re-thatching the roof of an old village Post Office in straw. I stopped and watched him work for a while on a bright summer’s day in 1971. I was 13 years old at the time, and that day had an impact on me.

I learnt later the thatcher working on that Post Office roof was Cecil Purser, and that his brother Frank, also a thatcher, lived in our village. The next two summer holidays were spent helping Frank Purser.

Norfolk Reed Thatchers Ltd.

1974 – 1978

In 1974 I started work as an apprentice with Norfolk Reed Thatchers Ltd. of Henley-on-Thames. Four years were spent working across the country and gaining experience in all aspects of reed thatching.

We were expected to work in all but the very worst of weather; protective clothing consisted of a donkey jacket, plastic mac and leggings. If too rough to be on a roof, we found somewhere undercover to prepare hazel for ridging.

Back to Frank

1979 – 1983

In the new year of 1979, with enough experience to be useful, I managed to persuade Frank Purser to take me on as his assistant. Frank was to be the last in a long line of family thatchers and a real countryman.

Working alongside him was one of the most memorable times of my life. He was an unbroken link to the past, with memories of a way of life that had essentially remained unchanged for generations.

One morning in the winter of 1983 I drove alone towards a large Norfolk reed re-thatch Frank had put my way, and the first job I could put my own name to.