"At an interesting interview, Mr Boobyer was full of reminiscences of the early part of his life and records the fact that as a young boy he recollects the days when his father was wont to take home a bushel of wheat on a Saturday as his weeks wages, and his mother had to carry the wheat to Creech Heathfield to be ground, leaving the bran for the cost of the grinding, and taking home the flour to break bread early on the Sunday morning before her children could be fed. Mr Boobyer, at the early age of seven years, commenced work by scaring birds, and as he grew older he was engaged in general farm work. At the time of his marriage he was employed at Huntham Farm, Stoke St Gregory, by the late Mr William Hembrow, for whom he worked for 12 or 13 years.

    "From that time onwards he was employed as a cattle and sheep drover, visiting most of the principal markets and fairs in the West and South of England, including Barnstaple, Torrington, South Molton, Crediton, Devizes, Marlborough, Salisbury, Bridport, Wimborne, Blackwater, Basingstoke and Dorchester, at the latter place attending five fairs a year, and doing most of his journeys on foot. He attended the London Christmas markets for 27 consecutive years, and. As his daughter interjected, never forgot to bring his children a souvenir of his visit.

    "Mr Boobyer rather prides himself on the fact that he used to walk to Wells market from Stoke St Gregory in the olden times, reach Wells by 9 am, and returning with cattle to Stoke the same day. Mr Boobyer relates that, when first married, his weekly wage was but 10 shillings, and on this he was successful in keeping his wife and their first three children. He recollects the time when wheat made but 9 shillings a sack, and during the Crimean War bread had to fetched from Creech Heathfield, and was 2 shillings for two quartern loaves.

    "Asked as to the withy industry Mr Boobyer said his father helped to plant the first withy bed in the district, now known as Bennett’s Bed in Sedgemoor.