Page 154 - It's a Rum Life Book 3 "Ivy House Tales 1970 to 1984"

wagon from its precarious perch halfway down a dyke side with the telegraph pole the only
thing preventing it disappearing into the water below.
Ebony would have to go back home and I duly began to release him from the tangle of
harness and shafts that had become his “prison”.
The shafts were dropped to the floor and he was free at last.
The walk back to our yard was uneventful and quite a relief to us both.
I left Ebony in his stable, now with reinforced door frame, to think on his misdemeanours,
while I took our little “Fergy” tractor to recover the wagon.
The shafts came off easily and were fortunately not damaged.
Using a long rope and tractor draw bar the wagon came out of the dyke fairly easily but to
my surprise, once relieved of the weight pressing on it, the telegraph pole did not spring
back to its original upright position.
To this very day, whenever I pass down this road I cannot help but stare at that still
“drunken” telegraph pole and wonder at the trauma behind the reason for its being out of
line with its neighbours!
(Picture of ...
Ebony went to a local
lorry weigh bridge so
we could get his exact
weight for a “guess his
weight” competition.)

EBONY GOES TO
LONDON
We eventually found
Ebony a new working
home in London.

In the 1940’s there had
been a very large Shire
Horse Stud at Frithville, just down the road from us in the direction of Boston. It was from
here that Stallion horses “travelled” from farm to farm to meet their female counterparts
and promote the best of Shire Horses for work on the land.
A young chap who had been an apprentice there, was now the Head Horseman for
Youngs Brewery in Wandsworth.
Harry Ranson was one of the most respected and knowledgeable horsemen in England
and came up to see Ebony with the prospect of him going to work in the Young’s Brewery
Stables.
John Young, the then Chairman of the Company was a confirmed horseman too and kept
over 30 Shire horses in their stables. Most of them worked delivering the brewery products
to licensed premises all around South London. The remainder were the Show Horses and
were used to promote the Brewery at Agricultural Shows all over England.
“Youngs Horses” were a national institution and we were very proud to see Ebony installed
in his new home.
We were also most fortunate to be invited down to the stables after a year or so and see
Ebony in his new home. Even better was the chance to drive Ebony through the streets
with his new partner “Barrel”.
In 1988, after eight years, Youngs contacted us to see if we would like Ebony back as the
time had come for him to retire from working every day. What followed was the beginning
of The Northcote Heavy Horse Centre, see “It’s a Rum Life” Book Four Vols One and Two.

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