"Ancient men full of guile, bigotry and craftsmanship supping from chipped mugs at an ancient settle, they are long gone. No Parish Pump remains the same forever, and ours - like all the others - has had to change with the times." (Jan 72)
Parish Pump was a series of articles that ran between January 1971 and September 1975 in The Country Gentleman's Association monthly magazine. Written by Julian Grey, the articles detailed life in a fictional East Anglian village between the 1930s and the 1970s.
Grey is a writer and a townie, and as such is initially viewed with much suspicion by the mainly agrarian natives when he arrives in 1937. However, over time he is accepted as a harmless, if dilettante, member of the community. He brings his family up and sees the village change as technology and social change reach the depths of the countryside.
The centre of the drama is unnamed, but referred to as the community around the Parish Pump. This is one of three satellite hamlets surrounding the more dominant Greater Seething. They in turn feed into a market town called Steepleborough (May 1975). A parish council still exists
Within the village
The Parish Church, dedicated to St Mary, the Blessed Virgin (August 1973)One Non-Conformist Chapel ( Sept 75)The Village Hall (May 72)A post office ( Jan 73)An unadopted spur, Watchitt Green (May 72)Poacher's Wood ( Oct 75)The Greensward (Jan 71; passim)none of which approach in importance the true hub of the community, The Star and WheelbarrowUnnamed characters These include
The Squire: a distant and unobtrusive patriarchThe General: retired Indian army with obligatory Labrador in towThe Vicar: earnest muscular Christiana Planter from Burma, and his wifeThe Editor of a Fine Arts MagazineA Hungarian lorrydriverTwo drunk servicemenThe series ran from bi-monthly in 1971 and 72; then again in 1974 and 75; in 1973 a shorter, but monthly, article, appeared.
1971
Jan pages 6 to 9: Introductory article - why strong walls make good neighboursMar p95-97: An exotic London couple make their homes in the villageJul p275-277: Grey spars with his taciturn, obstinate gardenerSep p368-370: Deadly intrigue at the Horticultural ShowNov p445-447: A widow plans to sell a small meadow for development1972
Jan p9-11: A description of the village's original 3 pubs, now reduced to 1Mar p83-86: the uses the thriving village hall is put toMay p148-151: The unadopted part of the village lobbies to be incorporatedJul p213-226: the village handyman is departing, much to everyone's dismaySep p303-306: a local bachelor strikes lucky at the local racesNov p 453-456: The Sunday Newspaper "Boy" ( aged 86) retires1973
Jan p14-15: The Post Office NoticeboardFeb p74-75: A tenant farmer is selling upMar p144-146: Mid week routinesApr p210-212: A new pub sign is universally dislikedMay p270-272: The Grey's faithful "Lady that does" quitsJun p338-340: A popular local "Beatt Combo" splitJul p400-402: The growing "Week-enders" trendAug p464-465: A young Scion marries into moneySep p535-537: The Cricketing feats of yesteryearOct p593-595: Organised poaching gangs visit at nightNov p656-658: A thatcher refuses to take no for an answerDec p726-728: The new vicar causes concern1974
Jan p10-12: How Grey moved in one frosty New Year's EveMar p149-151: A portrait of the GeneralMay p272-274: A Hungarian tractor driver is well and truly lostJuly p385-387: An exact repeat (although not acknowledged) of the July 1973 articleSept p540-542: An Irish girl comes to work at the Grey'sNov p659-661: Two old comrades refuse to walk a quarter of a mile to see one another1975
Jan p14-16: Two very different soldiers are stranded in the village on New Year's EveMar p149-151: The pub's ancient settle is removed to make way for a fruit machineMay p269-271: A portrait of the village's charismatic former G.PJuly p394-396: A former G.I. settles in the village and tweaks some time-honoured customsSept p486-488: A description of the rivalry between the village and its larger neighbour"There is no great amity, just a polite acceptance of the other's existence." (Sept 75)
