As a boy he would run 7 miles to work

The Chronicle and Advertiser 24 December 1952

 

Above the front door of Poplar Farm, near the Victory Hall, is a tablet bearing the inscription “1735.” Poplar Farm has associations with the White Lion Inn, the old coaching establishment up the road, where the London mail for the district, and that included Birmingham, was left to be distributed by the local coach.

The last stagecoach driver on this run lived at the farm, which is now the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. Winterton.

It was getting dark, and a cold wintery day was drawing to an end as the visitors went round the back of the building, stepping gingerly over the icy ruts.

They were met by a sturdy elderly man who emerged from the direction of the barn with a sack tied around his waist, looking both vigorous and alert. He was 89-years-old Mr. William Winterton, now actively engaged as a farmer.

Mr. Winterton and Mr. Leake, old friends, stood chatting for a while, recalling when 16s. a week was considered a good working wage, and when the job counted more than the worker.

An authority on English bloodstock, Mr. Winterton was for 40 years “head lad” at the famous stud establishment at Glebe Farm from which some of our finest racehorses are descended.

He is a native of Minworth and as a boy used to run all the way to work each morning, a distance of at least seven miles.

When asked if this was necessary, he replied: “Well, you see my legs were too short to keep pace with my father, who used to cover the ground with his big stride.”

Through the living room window, we peeked at Mrs. Winterton, who was celebrating her 90th birthday, and was being congratulated on the event by a young lady visitor.

Mrs. Winterton is a wonderful person. She has excellent sight and hearing. Despite her advanced age, she still insists on keeping the accounts.

Her husband admits to not “not feeling quite so chirpy,” these last few weeks and when he was twitted about Mrs. Winterton being so fit and well, relapsed into broad Warwickshire, “Her be twice the man I be,” he chuckled.

Mr. Winterton is happy in his home and in his family, and particularly so in his three sons, who – he says – are “the finest lads a father could wish to have.”

Looking back, both he and Mr. Leake were of the opinion that although conditions were better, the hard days of their youth were not so bad as people might think.

They never went short of food and they made satisfactory use of their leisure.

Both William and his wife, Emily, are buried in Castle Bromwich graveyard.