Based on an interview with Louise Weissel and Lucy Newmarch-Christensen on 25th August 2024.
Jeff Parsons was born in 1942, lived in Bradford on Avon from 1970 to 2002. He worked as a surveyor for the urban district council from 1964 to 1974. He describes Bradford on Avon as a ‘gentle’ place, with minimal traffic, away from the hustle and bustle of city life and safe for children.
Jeff’s work involved a wide range of council duties, including road and house maintenance, sewage works, and planning applications. He talks of a tragic accident at the rail crossing and the work required to ensure greater safety. He also explains the recurring ‘pig problems’ from Mr Compton’s farm – and the ensuing sewage blocks. Anther recurring issue was the frequent fires at the local tip, which was managed by 80-year-old Mr. York.
Working for the council “taught me a lot [about] how to deal with people’ he explains.Jeff recalls working for Mr Adams: ‘He had very little patience with the hoi polloi…If there was ever any complaint he was never to been seen,’ Jeff chuckles. Adams’ motto was ‘Life is too short to worry. He would take pretty much no notice of anything.’
Although his role at the council had limited involvement with the rubbish cleaning department, Jeff remembers the ‘primitive’ nature of the waste management at the town tip – it was ‘mostly under control’ but until 1968/9, there was no machinery down there to distribute/ move the waste. Jeff discusses the frequent fires at the tip, which were often put out by the fire brigade. The fire station was located near Westbury house, and the sound of the fire brigade rushing to the tip was a common occurrence.
Notably, the tip was accessible even after Mr York had gone home, with no significant barriers. Much of the waste disposal was unmonitored and Jeff talks about the presence of flies in winter due to improper tip covering but, although there was an increase of agricultural waste over time, he says that there wasn’t a noticeable smell from the tip. Jeff suggests that he perhaps lived too far away from it and that the prevailing wind would likely move any bad smells and air pollution towards Trowbridge.
Although Jeff no longer lives in Bradford on Avon, one of his sons has returned to the area. Reflecting on the old town tip in recent years, Jeff and Louise talk about the transformation of the site during the lock downs of 2020/ 2021, and the flourishing of the local allotments bordering the site. These natural spaces sustain the sense of peace and beauty surrounding the town and its communities.
Further reading: “Wool and Water, Bradford on Avon the River Frome” by Kenneth G Ponting
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