Aunt Addie's Farm Project

Adeline, Violet, Mary Branston, born on 23rd January 1911, lived most of her life at Merchants Farm, Long Newnton, Tetbury, Gloucestershire.

At Stainsbridge School, Malmesbury, Wilts, she learnt and became a talented artist, pianist and violinist and also played the organ at Long Newnton Church for forty seven years. On January 6th 1940 she married Frederick Richard Greenhill, or Uncle Fred, who was immediately sent to the Middle East with the Wiltshire Tank Regiment for the duration of the Second World War. Aunt Adeline always blamed the war for not having children. She compensated this sadness by giving her love to all the dogs and horses she had in her life.
After the War Uncle Fred and Aunt Adeline farmed at Merchants Farm with my grandmother. The farm had milking cows, pigs, beef, sheep, arable crops, ducks and hens. Many times, as I came down the farm drive, I would see aunt Addie in a beret and old coat feeding the hens and collecting the eggs. She really loved her hens.

Uncle and Auntie also enjoyed hunting with the Beaufort Hunt and I was told that once Prince Charles and the Duke of Beaufort sped past them through a gate. My Uncle was heard to cry out “ That’s right, that’s right, leave the old ones to shut the gate “ !!!

Aunt Adeline either liked you or she didn’t. No half measures and she wasn’t averse to say what she thought to who ever. However, under a slightly gruff exterior, Aunt Addie was a kind and thoughtful person. Music was a big part of her life, not only did she play the organ for the surrounding churches for weddings, christenings and funerals but enjoyed accompanying, on the piano, a Miss Munday who played the violin. They played classical music to many people in the local area. My aunt also gave and taught me the violin in my teenage years.

At eighty five years old Aunt Addie was still driving her car, climbing five bar gates and feeding horses etc until she finally discovered that she had been walking around with a broken hip for the previous four days. She had never been in hospital before and she was not a good patient ! It took all my skills of diplomacy to stop her discharging herself claiming “ I am perfectly alright “ as she fell off her Zimmer Frame. Sadly at this time it was discovered that Uncle Fred had dementia. There was no alternative but for both of them to go to Hill House Residential Home, Little Somerford. They had lots of friends and relatives visit them and were taken out by many of us but it took six months before reluctantly, they accepted their situation.

Uncle Fred died about a year later, but aunt Addie still carried on life regardless, telling one assistant that she needed a face lift and telling everyone she was going to buy the place and sack the lot of them. However, all the staff loved aunt Adeline and knew that it was only her way of telling them that she liked them really, even though her standard answer to everything was “ NO ”.

Aunt Addie later suffered a stroke. After leaving hospital, it was decided that she would have to be moved to the Priory Nursing Home, Tetbury. She had mellowed quite a lot by now but her spirit lived on and again she was very popular with all the residents and staff.

In January 2008 she celebrated her ninety seventh birthday a little under par, and then slowly drifted into more and more sleep until on February 11th 2008 she passed away peacefully.
Aunt Adeline had died of old age after living a very full life. Someone I hope, who will be remembered by the “ Aunt Addie's Farm Project ”.
Colin Branston