1939 Swale RD

[SandieNZ]

Hi Louisa, thanks for your reply.  My interest stemmed from "fleshing out" a side shoot of my family tree.  My curiosity was piqued when I realised the whole page of the 1939 register contained women and children in "huts".  My first thought was perhaps they were perhaps army housing, but hop pickers makes more sense.  I now need to quiz my father-in-law, as I seem to recall him telling me he went hop picking as a small boy.  Not as early as 1939 but possibly late 40s. 
Corrugated iron would have been rather cold also, I should imagine!  The photos online seem to show a lot of happy families, and I've just read a newspaper excerpt from "Hopping" by Melanie McGrath.  I might even purchase the book, it looks a good, insightful read.  It mentions there that the annual pilgrimage to the hop fields was just like moving the inhabitants of the whole street to another side of the city.  It appears to be the only "holiday" some families were able to have, and the money earned saw them able to have new shoes or coats for the winter.  So far removed from my life and times.  I'm really enjoying this journey.  Thanks again for your initial post!

[louisa maud]

I have a feeling one aunt went for August and part of September as did my grandmother,  a lorry would arrive and almost everything would be packed up on the lorry, my uncle would stay at home and my mother would cook his evening meal, my mothers family were not hop picking people but my fathers were, in fact my grandmother's family were bargees on the grand union canal and the easily another way of life.

I remember the lorry turning up and everything piling on

Happy memories for some as it was a carefree time for the children

Louisa Maud