Page 124 - It's a Rum Life Book 3 "Ivy House Tales 1970 to 1984"

The iron foundry was still in existence next door to Ivy House.
All materials for building this extensive folly had been brought from Boston by water along
the Witham navigable drains and unloaded onto an old wharf at the bottom of our garden.
Needless to say the Parkinson experiment soon dwindled largely because of the location
of the new town so far from anywhere. But it did result in one of the most attractive straight
roads in the area being constructed between New Bolingbroke and Frithville on its way to
Boston.

(A picture from the “Rundle Railway” but showing some of the small products made at the
Iron foundary.)

Harry Hubbard had never ventured very far in his life. Before being the village postman he
had worked on the largest local farm at Wards of Carrington the next village south and just
two miles down the straight road.
He was a devout supporter of the Labour Party and one memorable village joke at the time
of a general election, was staged as Harry was leaving on the regular Wednesday bus to
Boston Market.
A huge banner had been nailed to the front of his cottage during the dark hours, by two
local “wags”.
It stated to the world that “Harry Hubbard votes Conservative”!

One of Harry’s great joys was when our delivery drivers often took him with them on their
journeys.
We still looked for delivery work from other sources and it was with one of these clients, a
local foundry in Boston who cast aluminium. They required regular weekly runs to London
and Harry then aged about 67 made his very first trip to the capital city.
Harry was an inspiration to us all and we like to think we brought new light to his life in
exchange.
Harry served on the Town hall management committee with myself and various other
village characters.
It was towards the end of one of these meetings in about 1981 that Harry had a stroke and
consequently died. He left the meeting complaining of feeling unwell. I followed him a few
moments later to check up and found him lying across the kerb on the road junction just
round the corner from the hall.
Harry never recovered and died the next day. We all missed him and his anecdotes.

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