Ruth Stone on milking time

And they would go into their correct stall and then I would have to wash the udders and the teats ready for father to milk and he had a three legged stool which he sort of put under the udders and sat down but he used to press his head right into the udder and get the teats and go like this into the bucket which he kept in his knees and the cows would swish their tails.

I expect you’ve seen it on television sometimes when they do that and wallop into his face and it he would go like that and it used to make me laugh and then one of the cats came from the farmhouse and they knew the exact time.

They knew what was happening so one used to come in and sit there – ‘meeow’ and father used to go ‘psssst, psssst’ squeezing the teat and giving him some milk.